A reflective essay uses personal experience to reflect on a past event, and can range from informal to formal. It typically follows a five-paragraph format, with an introduction, body, and conclusion. The writer interprets the meaning of the event and may include personal insights. It can also be used for self-evaluation or to convince readers of the writer’s point of view.
A reflective essay is a type of paper in which the writer uses personal experience to reflect on a past idea or event. This type of essay can range from informal to formal, depending on the reason and context in which it is written. It’s often used to mark the end of something: an event, class, or project, for example. The writer, however, does not limit himself to reflecting on a past event; he or she interprets the meaning of the event.
There is typically no specific format for a reflective essay; however, the typical five-paragraph essay format can be useful as a way to organize your thoughts. For example, the first paragraph might include the introduction, where the essay topic and thesis statement are introduced. This paragraph should usually be interesting enough to entice readers to continue reading the rest of the essay. To illustrate, if the essay is being composed upon the completion of a class project, the introduction should include an explanation of what the project was and the thesis statement should then include what the student learned through completing the project.
The next part of the five paragraph essay format is the body. This generally makes up the bulk of the essay and provides evidence to support the thesis statement. Using the example of a written essay about completing a project, the body would include paragraphs explaining in more detail what was learned during the project. Examples of how the student learned can be presented, as well as interpretations of those examples. These paragraphs may include personal facts and insights.
The final paragraph of a reflective essay is the conclusion. In this paragraph, the thesis statement is generally restated. Following this, the conclusion summarizes what the rest of the document was and may suggest implications of experience. It should also be a summary of the knowledge the student has acquired, as well as knowledge that the student may recognize is still missing after the experience.
Self-evaluation can be another way to classify a reflective essay. Another example of when a reflective essay may be written is when applying for a grant. In this case, applicants may be asked to reflect on why they deserve the scholarship. This can include not only personal experience but also external data, such as statistics. A reflective essay may look inward, but its goal is still to convince readers of the writer’s point of view.
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