If you are a student, you’ve probably heard about the term “reflection paper”. But do you know what it is? Do you know how to write a reflection paper? You probably don’t. However, rest assured that this is not a problem. Most of your peers are having the same problems as you. In fact, many students don’t even know how to start a reflection paper. To help you out, we have put together this amazing blog post. You will learn what a reflection paper is, what you need to keep in mind when writing one, how to start your paper, and how to find a proper topic. And the good news is that we have included a reflection paper template. This short guide will help you write essays as fast as possible and get an A on it.
But What Is a Reflection Paper?
Let’s start with the beginning. What is a reflection paper? It is an academic paper where you present your personal reflection on a specific topic. This topic can be a movie, a book, a lecture, and even an idea. As you probably suspect already, this essay is indeed subjective. It is your own personal opinion, after all. However, keep in mind that it is still an academic paper. As such, you need to follow all applicable academic standards (especially when you write an APA reflection paper) and present your ideas in a very clear and logic way. It sounds difficult, we know. However, read on and you will find that it is actually easy to write such a paper, especially if you read at least one example of reflection paper.
Things to Keep In Mind When Writing a Reflection Paper
There are a couple things you need to keep in mind when you write the reflection paper. Here are the most important things you need to know:
- The reflection paper format can be anything you like, but we suggest you use the five paragraph essay structure. It is a very flexible format and it works exceptionally well with this kind of assignment.
- Always read a reflection paper example before you even start thinking about the topic of your paper. Why? Because reading an example (from an authoritative source, of course) is the best way to see how your paper should look like. Analyze the way that author presented and supported his ideas, as well as how he or she structured the essay.
- Don’t know how to write a reflection paper on a book? It’s the same as writing on any other topic, with a single difference: you need to read the book from start to finish. Otherwise, you will not be able to write a logical essay about it, obviously.
- When you don’t know how to write a reflection paper, just take another look at our quick guide at the bottom of this blog post. All will be revealed.
- The reflection essay should be between 400 and 700 words. Don’t make it took long or you will run out of ideas to discuss. Don’t make it too short, otherwise your professor will think you didn’t cover the topic well enough (your professor has a reflection paper rubric for grading).
Some Reflection Paper Topics to Get You Started
Now that you’ve probably read a sample reflection paper, it’s time to talk about topics. If you didn’t, read some reflection paper example essays right away! Did you know that you can write an internship reflection paper? You can talk about what you’ve learned during your time with the company or how the experience helped shape your future. However, most students prefer to write a self reflection paper. After all, this topic is quite simple. You already know everything about yourself, so you don’t have to do any research. Of course, if you want to impress your professor, you can write a course reflection paper. This way, you will not only talk about how the course impacted your academic career, but also show your professor that you’ve been paying great attention to his lectures. Finding the right topic can be difficult though. This is why we’ve compiled a list of topics to get you started. Before we get to the writing a reflection paper part, take a look at these interesting topics:
- The time you had the best laugh of your life.
- Your first weekend home alone. (many samples reflection paper available online for this topic)
- Walking in the woods.
- Admiring the most beautiful sunset ever.
- The first time you were punished by your parents.
- The time you met your best friend.
- The first time you went hunting with your dad.
- Do you really know how to write a reflection essay?
- The moment you got your first pet.
- Your least favorite course.
- Contemplating dropping out of school.
- The course that change your view about school.
- The course that made you love physics.
- Is college really as difficult as they say?
- How I enjoyed my Microsoft internship experience.
- Working in a large corporation.
- Do I want to work for a large corporation?
A Simple Reflection Paper Template
So, you’ve read a reflection paper sample, you know the most important things about this assignment, and you already have a good topic. So, here is what you need to do next:
- It all starts with creating a reflection paper outline. Think about the topic and write down the most important ideas (your reflections on the topic). This will be the outline. You need to have an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Write the introduction. You will basically introduce your expectations to your readers. What did you expect when you saw that title of the book? What did you expect when you got the Microsoft internship or met the one who would become your best friend? End the introduction with the thesis statement (were your expectations met or not?).
- Write the body paragraphs. Each paragraph should cover a single important conclusion (or emotion, thought, idea, etc.).
- Write the conclusion. This is basically a summary of your conclusions, ideas, thoughts, etc. Of course, the conclusion must be supported by the body of the essay.
And now you know how to write reflection paper. Yes, it’s that simple! You just tell your readers your thoughts about something. It’s the same for a self reflection essay, of course. You’ll notice all reflection paper examples follow this simple template. And remember, aim for 500 words. Good luck!
