Writing an essay can be fun or challenging, depending on the context and writing skills. But when it comes to reflective essays, they are sure to not only check your writing skills but also test your critical and analytical thinking. Reflective essays, as the name suggests, are personal essays that give an insight into your life, personal experiences, and how each event shaped you as a person. These essays are part of an admission application but can be given by a professor to check the attributes mentioned above in students. However easy as it might seem, there are certain rules you need to follow to make it a success. Have a look at the following guide to writing one expertly. Assignmentmavens reviews is best essay writing service in USA.
Types of Reflective Essay
There are two types of reflective essays; the differences are in their context rather than approach.
Personal:
This essay focuses on the writer’s personal experiences or a particular event that shaped their lives. The writer has more freedom in such types, as they have to describe their lives rather than researching or collecting data from outside sources.
Literature:
This type is a bit complicated, as the author has to tie a literature piece to their personal life. Usually, the student will write a summary of a specific literary document and then find parallels with their personal life. You will have to research a bit before writing this type.
Both types are, one way or the other, linked with personal life; however, the context is different. Be sure to confirm it with your professor before attempting to write.
Content of the Essay
Most students will ask what’s the suitable content or what I should include. Well, the answer is simple, narrate your life-changing experiences and how they started and changed you as a person. Start by mentioning such experiences and discuss their importance in your life. However, if it’s an assignment, chances are your professor is looking for a particular event. Therefore, take your time and understand the demands. Usually, the most dramatic experiences should be mentioned in a reflective essay. You must be able to fully explain the impact of such an event, so the reader is interested in your story.
Make an Outline
This applies to all types of academic documents; however, it’s essential for a reflective essay. There are hundreds of experiences that shaped your life and are worth mentioning, but only a few will interest the reader. List all such experiences, and weed out the weak ones. Once you select a few, edit them more so you are left with the most powerful ones. Now make an outline for the remaining ones and make bullet points under each heading. Include every little detail and the subsequent changes in your life. This helps you structure the essay perfectly and tie all the points to a single conclusion. Remember, a stronger and more detailed outline is the basis of excellent writing.
Format
After discussing the content and core of a reflective essay in the above pointers, it’s time to discuss the format. Reflective essays are not different from a traditional essays when it comes to formatting; most follow the same format.
Introduction:
This is where you will hold the attention of the reader. This is why it is the hardest part of any form of writing. The introduction should not be longer than 7-8 lines, but the information should be impactful. Include the main details and reasons for the essay so they interest the reader.
Main Body:
This is the content body of your essay where all the essential details will be discussed. Try and include at least 3-4 paragraphs if there are no word limits. Be extremely detailed about each experience and its impact on your life. Remember not to leave cliffhangers as it diminishes the quality of your essay.
Conclusion:
No writing document is complete without a proper conclusion. Your essay should have a logical conclusion that ties all experiences. Write about how each experience shaped your life, don’t worry if they had a negative or positive impact, and don’t leave this part out.
Always attempt your essays in the format mentioned; otherwise, the information will be incoherent, and the reader will lose interest quickly.
Proofreading and Editing
Never submit your assignments without proofreading and editing them. Once you finish your reflective essays, always do multiple proofreading and edit the weak sections. This helps you make the essay stronger both in its impact and quality. Most students fail to proofread their essays; as a result, some mistakes make the context completely different from how it was intended to be.
Reflective essays are like short autobiographies but require a bit of finesse to make them attractive. Write your reflective essays according to the above guidelines and be surprised by the attention and praise it gets. For more info visit: https://scamsoldier.com/