Introduction
A
reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost
any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain
matters. In this article we will explain how to write a reflection paper, and
provide you with examples and useful tips that will make the writing process
easier.
Reflection
papers should have an academic tone, yet be personal and subjective. In this
type of paper you should analyse and reflect upon how an experience, academic
task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.
What Is a Reflection Paper
A
reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on
a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal examples. As opposed
to presenting your reader the opinions of other academics and writers, in this
essay you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is
that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to
express your thoughts in a manner that will be comprehensible and clear for any
and all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are
some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, what your favorite TV
show is, or what your opinion is on the outcome of WWII. You can write about
pretty much anything.
There
are three types of a reflection paper, and depending on which one you end up
with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the
educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book,
movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it.
The second is the professional paper. Usually it is written by people who study
or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection on
someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts
and feelings about a personal subject.
However,
reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final
paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your
entire life leading up to that moment.
Reflection Paper Format
Reflection
papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion,
professors usually let you handle them any way you are comfortable with. It is
best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If your
reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on
the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as
reflection essays) can typically range between about 400-800 words in length.
How to Start a Reflection Paper
The
first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your
article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for
example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight
key ideas and concepts.
You
can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your
notes to see if your paper includes all the information needed for your
readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas
to the audience in a better fashion.
After
you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a
simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some
of the basic questions below:
- How did the article affect you?
- How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or
does it all)?
- Has the article changed your mind about something? If
so, explain how.
- Has the article left you with any questions?
- Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t
appear in the article?
- Does the article relate to anything from your past
reading experiences?
- Does the article agree with any of your past reading
experiences?
Here
are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before
preparing to write your own:
- How my views on rap music have changed over time
- My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by
Herman Melville
- Why my theory about the size of the universe has
changed over time
- How my observations for clinical psychological studies
have developed in the last year
The
end result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of
your future paper. Make sure to not skip this step, as it will ensure that your
essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.
Writing a Reflection Paper Outline
Introduction
Your
introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your
thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your
subject.
- State what you are
analysing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience,
etc...)
- Briefly summarize the
work.
- Write a thesis statement
stating how your subject has affected you.
One way you can start your
thesis is to write:
Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained
the knowledge of…”
Body Paragraphs
The
body paragraphs should examine the ideas and experiences you’ve had in context
to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
If
you are writing about a book or an academic article, your reflection may
include quotes and passages. They give your reader a point of reference to
fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you
heard, and how you felt.
Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment.
The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the
event.”
Conclusion
As
with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the
experience. Tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your
understanding of the subject in general. Describe the feeling and overall
lesson you had as a result of the reading or experience.
There are a few good ways to
conclude a reflection paper:
- Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together,
and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
- Restate your thesis and summarize the content from
your paper.
How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Create a
Main Theme
After
you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about
your experience with that topic. Let readers know how you feel about your
topic—and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to
relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, and that
will help them have a better understanding of your reflection.
For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to
reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.
Step 2: Brainstorm
Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic
You can write down specific
quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything
memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.
For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of
carbohydrates will make people gain weight
• A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided
carbohydrates entirely
• The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research
• The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates
alone are to blame for making people obese
• My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of
nutrients
• The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and
the role their influence has had on me
• New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective
Step 3: Analyse How
and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your
Theme
Pick
an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyse it further. Write
your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.
For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that
carbohydrates make people gain weight.
Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates,
such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this
misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As
a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own
research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of
“everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.
Step 4: Make
Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions
Try
to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme.
You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may
challenge in the future.
There
are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about.
They include:
- Book –
Start off by writing some information about the author’s biography and
summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers
interested. Make sure to include the names of characters, the main themes,
and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and
reflect on the book itself.
- Course –
A good place to start is to include the course name and its description.
Then, you can write about the course flow, explain reasons you had for
taking this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is
a paper about reflection, express your opinion, supporting it with
examples from the course.
- Project –
The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical
guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add
would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you
might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are
to real life.
- Interview –
First, introduce the person, and briefly mention what the interview was
about. Touch on the main points, controversies, and what your opinion is
on that person.
Writing Tips
Everyone
has their own style of writing a reflective essay – and that’s the beauty of
it, you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but, there are still a
few tips everyone should incorporate.
Before
you start your paper, read some examples of other papers, they will likely help
you get a better understanding of what they are and how to approach yours. When
picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it
is more likely to capture your readers’ attention. Never write the whole essay
at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at
least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and
reflections.
- Short and
Sweet – Most reflection papers are
between 250 and 750 words. Don’t go off on tangents. Only include relevant
information.
- Clear and
Concise – Make your paper as clear and
concise as possible. Use a strong thesis so that your essay can follow it
with the same strength.
- Maintain
the Right Tone – Use a
professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
- Cite Your
Sources – Try to cite authoritative
sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
- Proofreading –
Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you
should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the
question presented in the introduction.
Example
The lecture started offwith а quote: "lfwe can conquer space, we can conquer world hunger" - Buzz Aldrin. This quote had already got me thinking about how incredible of а feat it is that we' ve sent humans and animals into space. If it's possible to survive in the infinite vacuum we know as Space, how are there billions of people who have а hard time surviving on Earth? This relatively simple idea reached out to get my attention and make те feel sympathy for all of the starving children and families in the world. On а moming like any other, our guest professor gave а lecture that truly impacted те to ту core.
At the start of the lecture, I was surprised to leam just how many countries around the world there are who don 't have access to clean water, medical services, and basic education. Around 22,000 children die from poverty every day, globally - that's about 8 million per year. About 1.2 billion of the world's population are now living in extreme poverty conditions. I think everyone is aware that poverty exists in our world, but it was more of а shock to me to fшd out the overall impact of that poverty on your likeliness to survive, and just how prevalent poverty is in our world. Why did this depress me to such an extent, and why did I feel soпow when it looked like many of the students around me had not felt the same way? Perhaps it was the underlying idea I've had that unfortunate circumstances could materialize with anyone as а result of chance - possiЬly an idea only present in my mind at the time as а result of the unfortunate circumstances I have encountered in the past. It felt а Ьit weird that I appeared to Ье more sensitive to the situation than my peers.
It is relatively shocking, to me, to consider that in our country we all have access to clean water, food, medical care, education, and more. I felt truly saddened to leam about the way these people are forced to live. Not only do people live this way in а few countries, but dozens of countries; primarily in South America, Africa and Asia. Not just that, but some European countries are also living in extreme conditions.
Our guest professor, Angela Jones from the University of Austin, had witnessed the type of poverty we've been talking about first-hand. She showed us videos of herself helping poor children in Djibouti. They were all very young, and they looked like they were only made up of skin and bones. It was my first time seeing people like this, and I was quite shocked. I can't imagine what it must Ье like for them, but I can imagine how upset and sad the volunteers on the video might have been; it is how I felt just Ьу watching the video.
Throughout the lecture Angela asked us to brainstorm ways to support these children in Djibouti and other third-world countries. Upon being asked, I felt а sense of tranquillity and relief, as thinking of ways to help save millions of lives would alleviate the soпow I was feeling. I could hear some people muttering the same thought I was having: "what could we do to help them without physically going to that country to support them?" То me, these proЫems felt like а world away from us, without any solution.
Angela showed us another video of а lady helping а two year old bоу, who also looked severely malnourished. Then Angela showed us another piece of footage, which was taken three years later. In this footage, it was the same Ьоу who was now five years old. Не was clothed and looked healthy. Не also had а backpack on his back for school. I was happy for the Ьоу, yet still sad for all of the others who undoubtedly didn't get the help they had needed. Later on, Angela showed us some videos that illustrated how some countries used to Ье the third-world, but are now no longer. They used to have the same proЫems as countries like Djibouti. She showed us how these countries were once full of poverty and how they were transformed with the help of foreign aid. То see how the people of those countries are no longer living in extreme conditions brought some solace back to me.
As а result of the lecture, I leamt that it does not actually take that much effort to help children in third world countries. An option we were suggested was to get together to raise money for charities, which provide things that these children don't have access to. It is hard to know how much of what is donated goes directly to the children in poverty, yet I would like to believe that even а little can mean so much to these children.
Even though I naturally want to hold on to what I have, I have no excuses for not supporting children and families in desperate need around the world. I know that even the most minimal effort can change the lives of so many unfortunate people. I would like to change the attitudes of people in regards to this epidemic for the sake of the world. I believe that no one should bе forced to live in poverty, and no one has chosen to live in it. Тоо many children die every day; it's truly something that shocks and depresses me.
It is amazing that some countries have managed to bounce back from poverty thanks to foreign aid. I think that foreign aid might Ье the best, if not the only, option for the millions of children and families in poverty around the world to get help ina way that is extremely beneficial to them. N о one wants to Ье bom into poverty and I feel true soпow and remorse for these unf ortunate people in our world. I think that if you have an education, food, clothing, and any other liberties you would find in first world countries, you should act upon this now. The fact that we, and many other countries, are no longer in poverty, is no excuse to not help. This is the reason why I've decided to donate to charity.
Written by Daniel Pn.
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