The Main Parts Of Your Reflective Essay: Writing Tips For Beginners

A reflective essay is an academic paper that asks you to speak about your personal experience of a certain type. It can be a skill that you have mastered, something in your studying process, a meeting with a significant person, etc. That is why such an essay is rather narrative and has no precise structure. However, there are three main parts that should be present in any narration for the best understanding of the idea:

Introduction.

The introduction of such an essay is a part that should not take up much space. It will be enough to compose a couple of sentences just to introduce the main idea and the reason why you are writing about it. Sometimes this part is called a thesis statement.

Body paragraph.

This part of the paper is the bulkiest one, as it contains the narration itself. When composing a reflective essay, you should keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be very long. It’s better to fit it between 400 and 800 words even if you have no precise criterion regarding the word count. Make the body laconic but informative, avoiding giving too much attention to details and minor concerns. Avoid involving other personalities in your narration. Try not to drag in other people or give them negative evaluation. If you need to speak about something bad done by another person, and this detail is vital for your narration, try to base your estimation of the person on their particular action and its effect.

Summary.

In your summary, you need to speak about the same idea that was mentioned in the introduction. Summarize the experience you have undergone, its effect on you and the way your life has changed since that moment. It will be enough to compose a couple of brief and informative phrases.

When working over a reflective paper, you need to pay attention to the vocabulary that you use. Though essays of this type are rather relaxed in comparison to ones that demand research and precise results, you should not forget about a general academic tone. Avoid slang words, colloquialisms, loss of formality, etc. It’s not an entry in our own diary or blog, it’s an academic paper. At the same time, make sure that you don’t use terms that are unclear and boring for your readers. Always check your grammar and spelling. Avoid clichés and banal word combinations. Make your narration vivid, picturesque and attractive for readers.