reflective essay for grade 7

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Reflective Essay Examples

50 best reflective essay examples (+topic samples).

If you have ever read reflective essay examples, you would know that these types of written works examine the writer’s life experiences . When you write a reflective paper example, you write about your own experiences and explore how you’ve changed, grown or developed because of those experiences. There’s no standard format for this essay as it may vary depending on the target audience.

Table of Contents

• 1 Reflective Essay Examples
• 2 What is a reflective essay?
• 3 Reflective Paper Examples
• 4 Format of reflective essay
• 5 Creating the outline of reflective essay examples
• 6 Reflective Paper Samples
• 7 Tips for writing reflective essay
• 8 Reflective Essay Samples

What is a reflective essay?

A reflective essay is a type of written work which reflects your own self. Since it’s about yourself, you already have a topic to write about. For reflective essay examples, readers expect you to evaluate a specific part of your life. To do this, you may reflect on emotions, memories, and feelings you’ve experienced at that time.

Since you’re writing reflection essay samples about yourself, make sure that they’re interesting and exciting. This is very important so that your readers don’t get bored with what you’ve written. Reflective essays are very personal thus, they’re a special type of essay. As you write one, you need to reflect, think, and explain.

In the essay, you should demonstrate and describe different feelings or emotions which you’ve felt in the past. These statements breathe life into your essay as your readers start picturing what you’ve written in their minds. Reflective essays are very honest, personal, and emotional, especially those which describe painful experiences.

Reflective Paper Examples

Format of reflective essay

As aforementioned, reflective essay examples don’t have a standard format. They seem easy enough to write but once you’ve sat down to start writing, you may suddenly find the task very challenging! Besides the format, you must think about the life experience you want to write about and remember everything about it.

A reflective paper example is a lot like a personal journal or diary. Of course, the difference is that other people will read your essay. Therefore, you must write it with good structure and coherence. In this regard, reflective essays are a lot like the other types of essays too.

When writing a reflective essay, you will have to examine your own life experiences. The purpose of writing such an essay is to provide yourself with a platform to share your most meaningful life experiences with other people. You can also use it as a way to explore how your experiences have changed you as a person.

You can present reflective writing in different formats. Most of the time though, people use a learning log or a diary entry format. You can use these formats and others. Just make sure that your essay has a good flow and that it’s easy for other readers to understand.

The format to use for your reflection essay samples would depend on your target audience. You can make an academic reflective essay or you can make it as a general and informal piece of writing. If you need to write the essay for a class assignment, follow the format given to you by your teacher.

No matter what format you choose, you may write an essay which:

• Focuses on your personal growth Such an essay helps you learn how to evaluate and analyze the experiences you have had in your personal life. This helps promote emotional development and growth. It also helps you understand yourself and your behaviors better.
• Focuses on literature For this type of essay, you may have to include references to literature and apply these to your own life experiences. Such essays are commonly given as assignments to students in school.

Creating the outline of reflective essay examples

Before you write your reflective essay examples, you must create an outline for them. Although you’d write about your own life, creating an outline gives structure to your essay to serve as a guide for what you want to write about.

Whether you need to write an essay for school, for a magazine or for any other reason, creating an outline is the very first step. With a good outline, you have a better idea of how your essay will flow from one paragraph to the next all the way to the conclusion.

When creating the outline of your reflective paper example, keep it organized. Develop the outline gradually and put a lot of thought into it. In doing this, you make the writing process much easier. Here is a rundown of the steps involved in the essay-writing process:

• Choose a topic (a significant life experience you want to write about)
• Gather information
• Create an outline
• Write a draft
• Finalize your essay

Reflective Paper Samples

Tips for writing reflective essay

As you think about the content of your reflection essay samples, remember that the important thing is that such an essay must be highly personal but also engaging to readers. There’s so much more to reflective essays than just writing your story. You must also reflect on your experiences to engage your audiences.

For your starting point, think about the most significant experiences you had in your life. Those which had either a negative or a positive impact on you as a person. If the reflective essay is a school assignment, your professor would probably specify what you must write about. Here are some tips for you for writing your reflective paper example:

• Reflection The most important part of writing your reflective essay is the reflective process. Think about the personal experience you want to write about. Focus on what happened, how this experience made you feel, and how it affected your life. Explore your memories and emotions for this part of the process. As you’re recalling and reflecting on your life experience, take a lot of notes . Write down all the details you remember and try to be as clear and as detailed as you possibly can. Take as much time as you need for reflection. You can even close your eyes as you try to remember those experiences vividly. When you’re confident that you have recalled all of the details of your life experience, it’s time to write your essay. To make it more meaningful, try to answer some important questions about your life experience including: Did you learn anything new about yourself because of this experience? Have you grown or developed because of this experience? If so, in what way? Did this experience impact your life positively or negatively? If you had the chance to experience this all over again, would you do anything differently? Why did you behave in such a way at the time of this experience? Did you make the right choices? What are your general thoughts and feelings about this experience? Can you say that you learned from this experience? Did you gain any new perspectives or skills because of this experience? These are “signpost questions” which can help you write a more meaningful essay. These are just some examples, you can also think of your own questions to ask yourself. The point of these questions is to make sure that you think critically and deeply about the experience you’re writing about.
• Planning After you’ve reflected on your life experience, it’s time to start planning your essay. When it’s time to start, you might feel as if you’re not adequately prepared even though you’ve done a lot of reflection. This is a normal feeling, especially if you want to create a written piece which people will love reading. To ease your anxiety and doubt, come up with a well-rounded and comprehensive plan. The best way to do this is through an outline. With an outline to guide your writing process, you can come up with an essay that’s more coherent and which has a clear structure. An outline or plan is important for reflective essays. Since you’re writing about an emotionally-charged topic, you might find yourself getting “lost” along the way. This is especially true if you’re writing about a painful experience which still affects you until now. The outline serves as a map for you to keep your thoughts organized. In your outline, make sure to establish all of the fundamental details you wish to include in your essay. This helps you pick out and remove any superfluous information to make it easier to read and understand. Planning the points you want to write about makes it easier for you to stay on point. As such, your writing becomes a lot clearer and your readers can follow your line of thought. An outline also prevents you from missing out any relevant information. It’s very difficult and frustrating to go back after you’ve written the whole essay just to fit in this information! Planning your essay also saves you a lot of time. Coming up with the structure makes you more familiar with your essay even before you start writing it. Thus, you can spend more time writing, revising, and proofreading your essay to make it the best version possible.

Reflective Essay Samples

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Free Printable Reflective Writing Worksheets for 7th Grade

Reflective Writing worksheets for Grade 7 Reading & Writing teachers! Discover a variety of free printable resources to enhance your students' learning experience and develop their writing skills.

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Explore printable Reflective Writing worksheets for 7th Grade

Reflective Writing worksheets for Grade 7 are an essential tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills. These worksheets are specifically designed to help students in Grade 7 develop their abilities in analyzing and understanding various texts, both fiction and nonfiction. By engaging in reflective writing exercises, students can improve their critical thinking, comprehension, and communication skills. Teachers can use these worksheets to guide students through the process of examining their thoughts and feelings about the texts they read, as well as helping them to articulate their ideas clearly and effectively. Nonfiction writing, in particular, can be a challenging area for students, but with the support of these Grade 7 worksheets, teachers can provide the necessary guidance and practice to help their students excel in this important aspect of their education.

Quizizz is an excellent platform for teachers to utilize in conjunction with Reflective Writing worksheets for Grade 7 students. This interactive tool offers a wide range of features that can enhance the learning experience for students, including quizzes, games, and other engaging activities. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can create a more dynamic and interactive learning environment that encourages students to actively participate in their education. In addition to the Reflective Writing worksheets, Quizizz offers a variety of resources for teaching reading and writing skills, including materials focused on nonfiction writing. This comprehensive approach to teaching Grade 7 students ensures that they receive a well-rounded education in reading and writing, setting them up for success in their future academic endeavors.

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200+ Reflective Essay Topics For All Students

Updated 21 Aug 2024

When trying to think about the best topic ideas, you may end up with endless possibilities. Because this can turn out to be a very daunting task, you should learn how to come up with interesting reflective essay topics and realize that choosing the right one is very important.

In the essay you write, you always have to answer all the reflective essay questions stated in the title and develop the best prompts. Narrative essay topics are the best way to express your feelings and focus on emotions rather than just places and activities that made you feel that way.

Before learning how to write a reflective essay, you have to set up a topic. Choosing the right topic is crucial because it has to catch the reader’s attention and allow you to express your innermost sensations and emotions.

The right topic will allow you to make the essay reflective in its essence, and the reader will be able to understand your feelings after reading it. The topic shouldn’t be too narrow or too broad. Besides, the suitable one would cover an idea to a T without boring the reader.

What is a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a piece of writing revolving around you — namely, around your identity, experiences, or personal growth. It’s not a simple retelling of your life, though. In an academic setting, writing rules are rather strict and reflective essay isn’t just a cursory look at you as an individual.  It’s thorough analysis of personal changes you’ve experienced and reasons that have led you to them. In most cases, it’s also important to mention who has influenced your personality and why you yielded, or on the contrary, why you withstood pressure or remained the same person you were.

To write a reflective paper, something more than mere knowledge of writing strategies is needed. Psychological approaches are useful as they can help with essay writing . They allow analyzing a situation deeper or taking all subtleties into account. Possessing some narrative skills is also necessary as it helps to engage the audience or tell a self-development story in the most captivating way. So, how to write it? Let’s find out in our reflective paper guideline.

First Step: How to Start a Reflective Essay

Being descriptive and informative should be main priorities for those writing a reflective essay. So, if you’re set on succeeding in such task, first thing you must do is select a theme. Often, professors themselves assign a specific topic for exploration, but since any reflective paper presupposes a certain level of intimacy, anything can be twisted to correspond to what you are interested in.

Start your essay by figuring out what you’d like to discuss. Brainstorm and write down some of the best ideas. Research something if it could help enhance your essay or make it not only engaging but also credible. For example, you could rely on some psychological theories to explain changes you’ve undergone. After this, first stage of preparation is finished, and you can move to the next one.

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline: Detailed Plan

A key to writing your reflective essay successfully is crafting an outline before you actually start typing. It will help you stay on one specifically chosen point throughout the whole essay. An outline lists all important sections and subsections that you’ll be writing about. You structure your reflective essay here, determining which piece of information will go where. An outline eliminates any potential possibility of dead-ends. It reminds you of what you’ve planned and helps you move in an already chosen direction.

For example, we’ve decided to write a short reflective essay on such topic as “The Intricacies of Figuring Out My Sexuality.” Many Americans have become accepting of LGBT community but prejudice still exists, meaning that such topic would be interesting on both personal and educational levels. Here’s how a possible reflective essay outline on such topic could look (note that in long papers, a thesis is more complex and there are more body paragraphs).

1) Introduction

A. Something memorable that will attract readers’ attention.  B. Brief description of the problems that non-straight people face in the US.  C. Brief presentation of my background. D. Thesis that shows what happened (subtopic 1) and how it affected me (subtopic 2). 

2) First Body Paragraph

A. Opening sentence related to subtopic 1. B. Discussion of what happened to bring the issue of non-straight sexuality in my life. C. Closing sentence that concludes everything discussed in this paragraph.

3) Second Body Paragraph

A. Opening sentence related to subtopic 2. B. Discussion of changes that new revelations have brought into my life. C. Closing sentence that concludes everything discussed in this paragraph.

4) Conclusion

A. Restatement of thesis . B. Summary of lessons learned.

Make Structure Faster than You Could Before

Although reflective essay structure is not very similar to other types of writing, such as literary essays, it has the same vital parts as any other paper. There have to be clearly defined introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Thesis is also obligatory. Remember that in a reflective essay, it’s essential to show the difference between past and present versions of you. It means that the thesis must reflect it and specify what kind of lessons you’ve learned.  

Read Also: What is a Narrative Essay ?

Best Introduction for this Type of Essay

Every introduction should start with a hook, or reflective assignments are not an exception here. It implies something interesting, a catchy phrase that will hold the readers' attention from the start. To arouse interest, start with an unusual fact that few people know about, tell a joke adjacent to the topic of your reflective essay, or provide some juicy detail from the story you are going to tell without mentioning resolution of your problem. It can be dramatic, for instance, pulling at people’s heartstrings.

Reflective essay introduction is the first paper part and arguably most important one. It determines whether anyone is going to want to read this paper and follow your journey till the end. This is where the thesis, last sentence of introduction, comes into play.

Arguable Thesis for Your Paper

To help you understand what a thesis is, let’s forget complex academic terms and come up with a definition in a common English you’re used to. Thesis is a last line of introduction that explains the entire essay purpose. It’s a claim detailing what happened, why it happened, who it happened with, and what it all means. Naturally, a thesis depends on an exact topic and length of one’s task, but its purpose is always the same. In a reflective assignment, it must tell your audience what problem or question you’ve chosen and how you resolved it. Insert the main points concerning the story you’re going to cover here. Remember that just by reading the thesis, your audience must figure out what this essay’s about.

Reflective Essay Body

In every academic writing task, main paragraphs are the essence because they contain the most important information and insight. In body of a reflective essay, you have to explore every subtopic mentioned in thesis, dedicating each paragraph to each point accordingly. There is a common pattern one should use while structuring the body. 

First, some basic facts. To compose an effective reflective essay, you need to be precise, coherent and avoid reiterating the same information repeatedly. You might choose against a linear chronology to be more creative, but in any case, your structure shouldn't perplex readers. Make sure to provide all aspects of your experience in showing the process of your growth. Include only relevant and worthy details that will later lead to a thought-provoking conclusion.  

If we regard the technical side, each body paragraph must start with a proper opening sentence and end with a closing one. In the former, mention the first subtopic presented back in the thesis. In the latter, make a transition to another paragraph or conclude what you’ve discussed.    

Conclude Your Reflective Essay

Conclusion is basically a summary of your work. This part should bring all parts into a logical final paragraph that triggers thoughts and further productive discussion. Mention what lessons you’ve known as this is the entire point of a reflective essay. Note what kind of powerful impact that person, situation, or place has had on you. Don’t present new information here but summarize all moments of this central experience. 

Correct Formatting For a Well-Structured Essay

Each reflective essay format has its own peculiarities. It depends on the professor’s requirements, so clarify them in advance.  In most cases, you have to use either MLA or APA as they are the most common academic formatting styles. Check the template provided by your teacher or look for one online. If you emulate all technical details, you won’t have any problems.

How To Choose a Topic for a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay doesn’t differ much from other forms of essays and has three main parts. An introduction, the body, and the conclusion, the introduction is where you write the thesis statement and reveal what the essay will be about but not completely.

The body is where you explain the thesis statement in a detailed way and help the reader wear your shoes to get a complete picture of the emotions you are describing. On the other hand, conclusion is where you summarize everything you presented in the introduction and the body.

If you want to see a reflective essay example, you can find inspiration from various sources such as books, articles, or online platforms dedicated to showcasing personal essays.

If you’re now wondering how to choose good reflective essay topics, make sure that:

• You can answer all of the questions stated in the topic.
• The topic will be interesting to the reader on the first look.
• The topic covers an idea, event, or emotion everyone will like to read about.
• The topic covers something from your personal experience.

If you follow all of these steps and sort out right from wrong when choosing a topic, you won’t have trouble making your best pick. Remember that reflective essays, though similar in structure and form to other essays, always have a personal touch to them. Finding the right reflective essay topics can be difficult, but professional essay writers can help you choose and develop a topic that effectively captures your personal insights and experiences.

In the remainder of the text, you’ll find some fascinating reflective essay topic ideas from our  essay writing service experts for college students, middle school students, and high school students. Moreover, there will be sets of essay ideas for particular events, experiences, places, events, hobbies, etc., that you can write about.

Reflective Essay Topics for Middle School Students

It’s normal for middle school students to struggle with choosing the right topic for an essay. Here are some middle school reflective essay topics divided into grades.

• Reflecting on the transition from elementary to middle school.
• The first time I tried something outside of my comfort zone.
• The role of friendship in my life so far.
• A moment when I felt proud of myself.
• The biggest challenge I've overcome this year.
• A book that changed my perspective.
• The importance of family traditions.
• My experience with learning a new skill or hobby.
• How I handled a disagreement with a friend.
• The person I look up to the most and why.
• Reflecting on my growth and changes over the past year.
• A time when I helped someone and how it made me feel.
• The impact of technology on my daily life.
• A project or assignment that was particularly meaningful.
• My aspirations for high school.
• A lesson learned from a failure or mistake.
• How I deal with stress and pressure.
• The significance of a cultural or family event I attended.
• A moment when I felt truly independent.
• The influence of a teacher or mentor on my life.
• My first impression of high school and how it has changed.
• A challenge I've faced in adjusting to high school life.
• The importance of extracurricular activities in my personal growth.
• A subject that has sparked my interest and why.
• Reflecting on the development of my personal identity.
• The role of social media in shaping my relationships and self-image.
• A time when I stood up for what I believed in.
• The impact of a significant global or local event on my perspective.
• How I envision my future career or path.
• The value of teamwork and collaboration I've experienced.
• Preparing for the future: my goals for the next two years.
• A leadership role I took on and what I learned from it.
• The influence of literature or art on my worldview.
• Navigating the challenges of adolescence.
• My thoughts on environmental responsibility and personal contribution.
• A cultural experience that broadened my understanding.
• The importance of self-care and mental health.
• Reflecting on a significant personal change or growth.
• The impact of a historical figure or event on my thoughts.
• How I have contributed to my community or made a difference.

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Reflective Essay Topics for College Students

College students probably have the most challenging time choosing the right reflective essay topic. Let’s take a look at the ten most interesting ones that can help you in this field.

• The Transition from High School to College: Expectations vs. Reality
• My First Semester of College: Lessons Learned and Challenges Overcome
• The Impact of Studying Abroad on My Personal and Academic Development
• Reflecting on a Significant Academic Failure and How It Shaped Me
• The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Enhancing My College Experience
• Navigating Personal Identity and Growth in a Diverse College Environment
• The Influence of a Mentor or Professor on My Academic Path
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Building Confidence in College
• The Importance of Mental Health Awareness During My College Years
• Adapting to Remote Learning: Challenges and Unexpected Benefits
• A Service Learning or Volunteer Experience That Changed My Perspective
• The Process of Choosing My Major and Career Path
• Balancing Work, Study, and Personal Life as a College Student
• The Impact of a Study Group or Learning Community on My Success
• Reflecting on a Cultural or Social Issue Explored Through College Courses
• How Internship Experiences Have Prepared Me for the Professional World
• The Role of Technology in Shaping My College Education
• Facing and Overcoming Social Anxiety in a College Setting
• The Evolution of My Writing Skills Through College Assignments
• Graduation Approaching: Reflecting on My Growth and Future Aspirations

Reflective Essay Prompts for High School Students

• Reflect on a moment that significantly changed your perspective on life.
• Describe a challenge you faced and how it impacted your high school experience.
• Discuss a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone in high school. How did it feel, and what did you learn?
• Reflect on the role of friendship in your high school years. How have your friendships influenced who you are today?
• Consider a teacher who had a significant impact on your life. What lessons did you learn from them that go beyond the classroom?
• Think about a failure or setback you experienced. How did it contribute to your personal growth?
• Describe an achievement or accomplishment during high school that you are particularly proud of.
• Reflect on how you have changed since your first day of high school.
• Discuss an event or activity that brought your class or community together.
• Consider a book or piece of literature that left a lasting impression on you during your high school years. Why was it impactful?
• Reflect on a moment when you stood up for what you believed in. What were the consequences, and would you do it again?
• Describe a moment of realization when you discovered something new about yourself.
• Think about how you have handled stress and pressure during high school. What strategies worked, and what would you change?
• Reflect on a cultural or family tradition that has been significant during your high school years.
• Discuss how participating in sports, arts, or other extracurricular activities has shaped your high school experience.
• Consider a time when you helped someone else during high school. How did the experience affect you?
• Reflect on the importance of leadership and responsibility you've encountered or taken on in high school.
• Think about a global or social issue that became important to you during high school. How has it influenced your actions or thoughts?
• Describe a moment when you felt truly independent or responsible for the first time.
• Reflect on your aspirations for the future as you approach the end of your high school journey. How have your experiences in high school prepared you for what's next?

Reflective Essay on the Relationship

We’re all social beings and get involved in a great variety of relationships daily. It’s vital to utter how a particular relationship made us feel – angry, happy, sad, or scared. Here’s a list of reflective topic ideas on that subject.

• Reflect on a relationship that taught you something unexpected about yourself.
• Discuss the evolution of your relationship with a sibling and how it has shaped you.
• Consider a friendship that ended. What did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when a relationship challenged your beliefs or values.
• Analyze the impact of a significant adult (other than parents) in your life, such as a teacher or coach.
• Describe a moment when you realized the importance of communication in a relationship.
• Reflect on a relationship where you had to compromise significantly. Was it worth it?
• Discuss a relationship that has successfully endured a major challenge.
• Consider the role of forgiveness in a relationship you have or had.
• Reflect on a relationship that has significantly influenced your career or educational choices.
• Analyze the impact of a romantic relationship on your personal growth.
• Discuss how a relationship has taught you about empathy and understanding others.
• Reflect on the balance between giving and receiving in a particular relationship.
• Consider a relationship that has changed your perspective on trust.
• Describe a relationship that helped you through a difficult time.
• Reflect on the importance of independence within a close relationship.
• Discuss how a cross-cultural relationship has broadened your worldview.
• Consider the impact of social media on one of your relationships.
• Reflect on a relationship where you had to navigate differences in life goals or ambitions.
• Analyze the role of mutual respect in maintaining a healthy relationship.

Personality and Character Features Topics

Our character is what distinguishes us from other people. Choosing reflection paper titles on personality and character will allow you to analyze them yourself.

• The Role of Resilience in Overcoming Life's Challenges
• Empathy: Understanding Its Impact on Relationships and Decision-Making
• The Influence of Introversion or Extroversion on Social Interactions
• Adaptability: Reflecting on Times When Flexibility Shaped Outcomes
• The Power of Curiosity: How a Quest for Knowledge Drives Personal Growth
• Self-Discipline: The Key to Achieving Personal Goals
• The Impact of Optimism or Pessimism on Mental Health and Well-being
• Creativity: More Than Just an Artistic Trait
• The Importance of Integrity in Personal and Professional Life
• Patience: Reflecting on Its Value in a Fast-Paced World
• Leadership: Beyond the Title
• The Role of Humor in Coping with Stress
• Compassion: Its Influence on Personal Choices and Actions
• Ambition: The Driving Force and Its Pitfalls
• The Significance of Self-Awareness in Personal Development
• Loyalty in Friendships and Relationships: Its Importance and Limits
• Courage: Facing Fears and Stepping Out of Comfort Zones
• The Role of Altruism in Shaping One's Character
• Perseverance: The Journey Through Setbacks to Success
• Mindfulness: Living in the Moment and Its Effect on Personality

Home and Family Reflection Paper Titles

Each of us places great importance on our family. The experiences we have with family members can be great for writing a reflection paper about them.

• The Meaning of Home: More Than Just a Physical Space
• Family Traditions and Their Impact on My Personal Identity
• Learning Resilience: Lessons from Family Challenges
• The Role of Sibling Relationships in Shaping Character
• Navigating the Waters of Parent-Child Dynamics in Adolescence
• The Influence of Grandparents: Wisdom Across Generations
• Adapting to Change: Moving House and Building a New Home
• The Significance of Shared Family Meals in a Digital Age
• Finding My Place: The Role of Birth Order in Family Dynamics
• The Impact of Divorce on Family Structure and Personal Growth
• Blended Families: Navigating Complexity with Compassion
• The Power of Family Support During Personal Trials
• Cultural Heritage and Its Transmission Within the Family
• The Evolution of Family Roles Through Generations
• The Bond of Adoption: Reflecting on Love Beyond Biology
• Family as the First School: Early Life Lessons and Values
• The Comfort of Childhood Memories in Shaping Adult Aspirations
• The Challenges and Joys of Parenting: A Personal Journey
• Reconciling Personal Independence with Family Expectations
• The Healing Power of Family in Times of Loss

Reflective Essay Topics about Nature

It’s essential to express how nature made you feel connected to it on a deeper level. Here’s a list of 20 ideas in this field.

• The Serenity of Sunrise: Lessons Learned from Early Mornings in Nature
• The Transformative Power of Hiking Through Untouched Wilderness
• Reflecting on the Ocean's Majesty: A Dive into Deep Waters
• The Wisdom of Trees: What Forests Teach Us About Community and Resilience
• The Night Sky: Contemplations on Infinity and Our Place in the Universe
• Seasonal Changes: Embracing Life's Cycles Through Nature's Lens
• The Healing Presence of Water: Lakes, Rivers, and Rain
• Wildlife Encounters: Insights Gained from Non-Human Interactions
• The Art of Stillness: Lessons from Watching Clouds
• The Language of Flowers: Beauty and Communication in the Floral World
• Mountain Peaks: Overcoming Challenges and Gaining Perspective
• The Simplicity of a Stone: Finding Beauty in the Ordinary
• The Symphony of a Rainforest: Understanding the Importance of Biodiversity
• Desert Solitude: Reflections on Silence and Survival
• The Ephemeral Beauty of Snowflakes: Appreciating Life's Fleeting Moments
• The Rhythms of the Sea: Learning from the Tides
• The Resilience of Life in Volcanic Landscapes
• Stargazing: Contemplating Distance, Light, and Time
• The Vitality of a Garden: Growth, Decay, and the Cycle of Life
• The Whisper of the Wind: Messages Carried on the Breeze

Hobbies and Outdoor Activities Reflective Essay Questions

• How has your favorite hobby impacted your personal growth and development?
• Reflect on a time when an outdoor activity pushed you out of your comfort zone. What did you learn?
• How does engaging in your favorite hobby or outdoor activity influence your mental health?
• Describe a memorable experience you had while pursuing a hobby or outdoor activity. Why has it stayed with you?
• How has a hobby you picked up unexpectedly enriched your life?
• Reflect on the sense of community you've found through a particular hobby or activity. How has it shaped your social interactions?
• What does your choice of hobbies say about you as a person?
• How do you balance the time spent on hobbies and outdoor activities with other responsibilities?
• Describe the process of learning a new hobby or skill. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
• How has a hobby or outdoor activity helped you connect with nature or the environment?
• Reflect on a time when a hobby or outdoor activity served as a coping mechanism during a difficult period in your life.
• What role does creativity play in your hobbies? Describe how it manifests.
• How has teaching someone else your hobby impacted your understanding or enjoyment of it?
• Describe the evolution of your interest in a particular hobby or activity. How has it grown or changed over time?
• How do hobbies and outdoor activities contribute to your sense of identity?
• Reflect on the importance of patience and perseverance in mastering a hobby or skill.
• How do you approach setting goals and tracking progress in your hobbies or outdoor activities?
• What have your hobbies and outdoor activities taught you about taking risks and facing fears?
• How has technology influenced or changed the way you engage with your hobbies or outdoor activities?
• Reflect on the importance of hobbies and outdoor activities in fostering lifelong learning. What new hobby would you like to explore next, and why?

Reflective Essay Topics about Places

Each place has something unique that gets carved into our memory when we visit it for the first time. On the other hand, some locations may be important to us because they’re familiar. Let’s see topics about places.

• The Childhood Home: Reflecting on Memories and Changes Over Time
• A Place of Solitude: Where You Go to Find Peace and Why
• The Impact of Visiting a War Memorial or Historical Site
• A City That Changed You: Lessons Learned from Urban Exploration
• The Emotional Significance of a Family Vacation Spot
• A Cultural Site Abroad That Deepened Your Understanding of the World
• The High School: Reflecting on Growth and Challenges Faced
• A Natural Wonder That Left You Awestruck and Its Personal Impact
• The Neighborhood You Grew Up In: How It Shaped Your Perspective
• A Place of Loss: Coping with Memories and Moving Forward
• The College Campus: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Independence
• A Sacred Space: The Role of Spirituality or Religion in Your Life
• An Unexpected Journey: What You Learned from Getting Lost
• A Beloved Small Business or Local Shop and Its Community Impact
• The Comfort of a Favorite Room and Its Personal Significance
• Revisiting a Place from Your Past: Changes in the Place and Yourself
• The Tranquility of a Library: The Role of Books and Reading in Your Life
• A Place of Celebration: The Importance of Gathering and Joy
• An Outdoor Space Where Nature Taught You a Lesson
• A Place You Dream of Visiting: Expectations, Desires, and the Reason Behind Them

Reflective Essay Ideas About Events and First Experience

Experiencing something for the first time is always a memorable experience. It’s new, it’s exciting, and we haven’t felt it before. These essay topics can help you find creative ideas for writing about first experiences.

• Your First Day at a New Job: Expectations vs. Reality
• Reflecting on Your First Public Speaking Experience
• The Impact of Attending Your First Concert
• Lessons Learned from Your First Attempt at Something Outside Your Comfort Zone
• The Emotional Journey of Your First Heartbreak
• How Your First Trip Alone Changed Your Perspective on Independence
• The Significance of Your First Vote in an Election
• Experiencing a Cultural Festival for the First Time: Insights Gained
• Your First Encounter with Grief: Coping and Understanding
• The Thrill and Challenges of Your First Major Project or Assignment
• Reflecting on the First Time You Stood Up for Something You Believe In
• The Experience and Impact of Your First Significant Failure
• Your First Time Leading a Team: Lessons in Leadership and Teamwork
• The First Book That Profoundly Moved You: Its Impact and Why
• Experiencing Nature's Fury: Your First Major Storm or Natural Disaster
• Your First Experience with True Friendship: How It Shaped Your Understanding of Relationships
• The First Time You Realized Your Passion: The Journey and Its Influence on Your Choices
• Reflecting on Your First Major Achievement or Award: The Hard Work Behind the Success
• Your First Experience Living Away from Home: Growth and Challenges
• The First Time You Experienced a Different Culture: What You Learned About the World and Yourself

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Critical Reflection

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Writing Critical Reflection

Reflective writing is a common genre in classrooms across disciplines. Reflections often take the form of narrative essays that summarize an experience or express changes in thinking over time. Initially, reflective writing may seem pretty straightforward; but since reflective writing summarizes personal experience, reflections can easily lose their structure and resemble stream-of-consciousness journals capturing disjointed musings focused on only the self or the past.   

Critical reflection still requires a writer to consider the self and the past but adopts an argumentative structure supported by readings, theories, discussions, demonstrated changes in material conditions, and resources like post-collaboration assessments, testimonial evidence, or other data recorded during the collaboration . Common arguments in critical reflections present evidence to demonstrate learning, contextualize an experience, and evaluate impact. While critical reflections still require authors to reflect inwardly, critical reflection go es beyond the self and examine s any relevant contexts that informed the experience. Then, writers should determine how effectively their project addressed these contexts. In other words, critical reflection considers the “impact” of their project: How did it impact the writer? How did it impact others? Why is the project meaningful on a local, historical, global, and/or societal level? H ow can that impact be assessed?  

In short: reflection and critical reflection both identify the facts of an experience and consider how it impacts the self. Critical reflection goes beyond this to conceive of the project’s impact at numerous levels and establish an argument for the project’s efficacy. In addition, critical reflection encourages self-assessment—we critically reflect to change our actions, strategies, and approaches and potentially consider these alternative methods.  

Collecting Your Data: Double-Entry Journaling

Double-entry journaling is a helpful strategy for you to document data, observations, and analysis throughout the entire course of a community-based project. It is a useful practice for projects involving primary research, secondary research, or a combination of both. In its most basic form, a double-entry journal is a form of notetaking where a writer can keep track of any useful sources, notes on those sources, observations, thoughts, and feelings—all in one place.  

For community-based projects, this might involve:  

• Recording your observations during or after a community partner meeting in one column of the journal.  
• Recording any of your thoughts or reactions about those observations in a second column.   
• Writing any connections you make between your observations, thoughts, and relevant readings from class in a third column.  

This allows you to document both your data and your analysis of that data throughout the life of the project. This activity can act as a blueprint for your critical reflection by providing you with a thorough account of how your thinking developed throughout the life of a project.   

The format of a double-entry journal is meant to be flexible, tailored to both your unique notetaking practice and your specific project. It can be used to analyze readings from class, observations from research, or even quantitative data relevant to your project.  

Just the Facts, Please: What, So What, Now What

Getting started is often the hardest part in writing. To get your critical reflection started, you can identify the What , So What , and Now What? of your project. The table below presents questions that can guide your inquiry . If you’re currently drafting, we have a freewriting activity below to help you develop content.  

Freewrite your answers to these questions; that is, respond to these questions without worrying about grammar, sentence structure, or even the quality of your ideas. At this stage, your primary concern is getting something on the page. Once you’re ready to begin drafting your critical reflection, you can return to these ideas and refine them.  

Below are some additional prompts you can use to begin your freewriting. These reflection stems can organize the ideas that you developed while freewriting and place them in a more formal context.  

• I observed that...  
• My understanding of the problem changed when...  
• I became aware of (x) when....  
• I struggled to...  
• The project's biggest weakness was…  
• The project's greatest strength was…   I learned the most when...  
• I couldn't understand...  
• I looked for assistance from...  
• I accounted for (x) by...  
• I connected (concept/theory) to...  
• (Specific skill gained) will be useful in a professional setting through…  

Analyzing Your Experience: A Reflective Spectrum

Y our critical reflection is a space to make an argument about the impact of your project . This means your primary objective is to determine what kind of impact your project had on you and the world around you. Impact can be defined as the material changes, either positive or negative, that result from an intervention , program , or initiative . Impact can be considered at three different reflective levels: inward, outward, and exploratory.

Inward reflection requires the writer to examine how the project affected the self. Outward reflection explores the impact the project had on others. Additionally, you can conceptualize your project’s impact in relation to a specific organization or society overall, depending on the project’s scope. Finally, exploratory reflection asks writers to consider how impact is measured and assessed in the context of their project to ultimately determine: What does impact look like for the work that I’m doing? How do I evaluate this? How do we store, archive, or catalog this work for institutional memory? And what are the next steps?  

This process is cyclical in nature; in other words, it’s unlikely you will start with inward reflection, move to outward reflection, and finish with exploratory reflection. As you conceptualize impact and consider it at each level, you will find areas of overlap between each reflective level.   

Finally, if you’re having trouble conceptualizing impact or determining how your project impacted you and the world around you, ask yourself:   

• What metrics did I use to assess the "impact" of this project? Qualitative? Quantitative? Mixed-methods? How do those metrics illustrate meaningful impact?  
• How did the intended purpose of this project affect the types of impact that were feasible, possible, or recognized?  
• At what scope (personal, individual, organizational, local, societal) did my outcomes have the most "impact"?  

These questions can guide additional freewriting about your project. Once you’ve finished freewriting responses to these questions, spend some time away from the document and return to it later. Then, analyze your freewriting for useful pieces of information that could be incorporated into a draft.  

Drafting Your Critical Reflection

Now that you have determined the “What, So What, Now What” of your project and explored its impact at different reflective levels, you are ready to begin drafting your critical reflection.  

If you’re stuck or find yourself struggling to structure your critical reflection, the OWL’s “ Writing Process ” [embe ded link ] resource may offer additional places to start. That said, another drafting strategy is centering the argument you intend to make.  

Your critical reflection is an argument for the impact your project has made at multiple levels; as such, much of your critical reflections will include pieces of evidence to support this argument. To begin identifying these pieces of evidence, return to your “reflection stem” responses . Your evidence might include :  

• H ow a particular reading or theory informed the actions during your partnership ;  
• How the skills, experiences, or actions taken during this partnerhsip will transfer to new contexts and situations;  
• Findings from y our evaluation of the project;  
• Demonstrated changes in thoughts, beliefs, and values, both internally and externally;  
• And, of course, specific ways your project impacted you, other individuals, your local community, or any other community relevant to the scope of your work.  

As you compile this evidence, you will ulti mately be compiling ways to support an argument about your project’s efficacy and impact .  

Sharing Your Critical Reflection

Reflective writing and critical reflections are academic genres that offer value to the discourse of any field. Oftentimes, these reflective texts are composed for the classroom, but there are other venues for your critical reflections, too.  

For example, Purdue University is home to the Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement ( PJSL ) which publishes student reflective texts and reflections with research components. Although PJSL only accepts submissions from Purdue students, other journals like this one may exist at your campus. Other venues like the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Impact publish reflective essays from scholars across institutions, and journals in your chosen discipline may also have interest in reflective writing.  

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A reflective essay is a type of writing where you explore how an event, experience, or concept has influenced your development or perspective. It involves deep thinking, self-analysis, and personal reflection. In a reflective essay, you explai what you learned and how you changed as a result of that experience.

In this article, you will learn how to write a reflective essay, and how to highlight impactful experiences. A reflection essay seems easy as you don’t have to defend one’s point of view or convince the reader of something. But it has its challenges, so we recommend to keep on reading and find out everything you need to know about this type of essay. More complex examples are available down below.

What Is a Reflective Essay: Definition

A good question to start with is, “What is a reflective essay?” A reflective essay is a type of academic writing, in which the student has to test personal life experience/position towards a particular topic. Unlike in argumentative writing, the student does not have to defend the personal position. It does not require a complicated, professional language with some terminology. Do not define something - focus on sharing personal life experience, skills, development, and the most vivid examples to illustrate the topic.

Reflective Essay Format

A reflection essay student writes to meet the college writing standards has a different format from the one a magazine writer should present to reach the issue’s audience. However, each reflective paper has a similar outline. Reflective essay format depends on the general requirements your teacher provides. Some of them can ask for a specific format for your essay. APA writing style , MLA, and Chicago are the basic formats you can use. But if you don’t know exactly which formatting to use, you can use reflective essay apa format. This is the most common college essay format, so knowing its requirements is critical: Font:  Times New Roman, 12 points Interval:  Double interval Margins:  1 inch all round Page Numbers:  Insert a title in the upper left corner of each page.  

Reflective Essay Outline and Structure

Knowing how to write a reflective essay is essential. Even if you feel confident about your thoughts and knowledge, don’t start your writing without a clear and well-designed plan. Without logical essay structure , your essay will likely achieve lower marks. To avoid this situation, follow 10 easy steps we provided below. The first thing every student needs to understand how to write a good reflective essay is an effective, detailed outline. It has 3 typical sections: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Writing a reflective essay does not require any references – the only person to refer is the student who decides to share his thoughts & ideas. Let’s look at 4 main reasons to include an outline of reflective essays.  

• An outline assists in laying out the details the student wants to leave after narrowing down the draft before working on the final paper. It prevents them from concluding the essay by realizing something is missing.
• An outline provides a clear, concise roadmap, which prevents the writer from taking curvy paths and facing dead ends. It shows the way like a compass in the woods.
• An outline helps to save a lot of time.
• An outline helps the potential readers, including teachers & classmates, to avoid falling off the main point when reading the essay partially.

Reflective essay outline is not much different from other types of essays. Use this reflective essay template in creating your perfect reflective essay:

How to Start a Reflective Essay: Creating an Introduction

Let’s figure out how to write a reflective essay introduction. Start with stating the primary focus of the personal reflection. Avoid being indirect and covering a range of topics; stay direct and concise by underlining the basic purpose of sharing a life experience. Professional Opinion:

“Giving a preview of the most exciting part of the story is a clue. The target reader may lack time to read the full piece from cover to cover. “There are many things I have learned from Marketing class. The most valuable lesson I have obtained is checking the effectiveness of 2 different approaches or services through utilizing so-called A/B testing.” It will make the reader think about what is special about this specific method. The reader will go on reading the body paragraphs to find out!” Professor Hemsworth, History & Anthropology teacher and academic writer at StudyCrumb

Another way to attract attention in the introductory paragraph is to come up with the intriguing hook for essay sentences like statistics, fact, quote, metaphor, rhetorical question, or joke. It depends on the mood of your reflective narrative.

Working on Reflective Essay Thesis

Some people may say that a reflective essay does not need a thesis. However, the example shared in the previous section talking about introduction is an example of the inspiring thesis statement. Include at least a reflective summary of the primary idea. The best idea would be to focus on previewing the peak of the plot development or highlighting the most valuable lesson learned. Let’s take a look at this little reflective essay thesis sample.

If you find it challenging, rely on our  professional essay writing service  and have your reflective essay done with academic standards in mind. 

Writing a Reflection Essay Body Paragraph

What is the purpose of a body paragraph ? The body paragraphs of the reflective analysis interpret the way the author evolved or what he/she has absorbed from a particular life lesson (mention 3 different lessons). When writing your reflective essay you should mention the circumstances that forced you to pass a certain way. If you study a subject like English Literature or Arts, the paper’s prompt may ask you to describe how you changed as a field professional during the course of study. It is important to choose a specific interval of time to list the improvements. Compare & contrast the initial skills to the knowledge you have today. It is a great idea to tell the audience the ways various tasks, challenges, and lessons made the author grow since the beginning of his education. There is no need to conduct research to collect the supporting evidence. The author alone is responsible for defending every stated claim with the help of vivid samples that describe the topic the best. Example: In case the student has become more professional in the field of writing, he should list the causes of those changes (new English teacher, more practice at home, part-time job related to the field of writing). Who knows – some of the ideas may be used by other students to succeed!  

How to Write a Reflective Essay Conclusion

The question of how to end a reflection paper is not less important. The last challenge is to prepare an impressive, inspiring, and powerful conclusion, which will make the target readers want to develop the same positive way. Write a reflective summary regarding the way you have changed over a given period of time. Share some forecast by looking ahead: how the experiences listed in the essay would influence further personal development. By looking at the past events, decide which of them was the most important. The good idea is to compare & contrast past and future events to stress the gaps between the obtained skills and experience, possibly gained in the future. Don't want to bother with writing any conclusions? Use a summary maker to generate e reflective essay conlusion in seconds.

How to Write a Reflective Essay: 10 Easy Steps

Writing personal reflection helps students to stress their individuality by highlighting various skills, knowledge, behavior, feelings, and even mood. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to show how the person changed over time and what factors played an important role in those metamorphoses. Keep on reading this section to learn steps that will make your reflective writing perfect. Step 1:  Think of the questions that interest you the most. It may be your experience, feelings, or an event in life. Make sure you analyzed the question well. Check credible sources and collect relevant information. Step 2:  Decide what you want to write about. Make sure you know how to title an essay . Identify the topic. Step 3:  After you decided on a topic, create an appealing title that will entice readers. Make sure your title is clear and to the point. Step 4:  Create an outline of your essay. Step 5:  Create an attention-grabbing hook for reflective essay. It should be some intriguing sentence or phrase that will arouse the interest of your readers. Step 6:  Create an introduction of your reflection paper. Step 7:  Think what you will include in the main body of your text. Start writing your body paragraphs. Step 8:  Diversify your text with all the necessary details to make your readers see a clear picture of the environment in your story. It can be some place, people, atmosphere, etc. Step 9:  After the reader is already familiar with the setting and characters, you should tell about yourself. What were your feelings? How has the situation affected you? What did you learn from this situation? Step 10:  Conclude your reflective essay. Briefly summarize all the points that were mentioned in your text and provide a short moral with recommendations. You can use these steps as a checklist for your writing process. In case you need another step-by-step guide on response essays  or any other type of writing, we've got you covered.

>> Read more: How to Write Essays

Reflective Essays Sample From Successful College Students

No recommendations, tips & tricks help the students to understand the way a particular assignment should look like in the end as effectively as the examples. The article contains one of the up-to-date reflective essay examples from a college student.

Writing a Reflective Essay: Bottom Line

Congratulations, we have learned how to write a reflective essay. We really do hope that our guidelines, tips, and examples were useful to you. Now, you can definitely work on your reflection assignment with a clear understanding of its structure and main points. So start your writing, and the sky's the limit! 

In case you need more writing tips, feel free to browse our Blog. Be it a diagnostic essay , a synthesis essay  or a response paper , we have tutorials for any type of writing. 

Consider  buying essay papers  in case you've got other plans for the evening. Submit your details to StudyCrumb and get an astounding paper written in line with your requirements. Your assigned writer will handle any assignment with a blink of an eye!

Frequently Asked Questions about Writing a Reflective Essay

1. what is a common mistake when writing a reflective essay.

A common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to drift away from the subject you're writing about. It usually happens when you don’t stick to your initial plan. So plan your writing well and if you feel that you go a bit off topic, be sure that you return to the same topic you originally discussed.

2. What is the purpose of writing a reflective essay?

The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to make a student write about their personal experience, explore it, reflect on it and find positive and negative aspects. The goal is to analyze how a student changed due to this experience and what made them change. What lesson a student learned is an essential point in persuasive writing.

3. How to write a reflective essay on a book?

If you are writing a reflective essay on a book, the main task is to show your teacher how you reflect on a chosen book, how you understand the problem presented by an author. To create a good essay, start with brief information about the author. Then, without spoilers, briefly summarize the main points of a book. After that explain the main conflicts, share your impressions. Ask questions like: “What are the peculiarities of the main characters?”, “What did an author want to say by indicating the main issues?”

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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