How-to-Write-a-Reflection-Paper-in-3-Steps

How to Write a Reflection Paper in 3 Steps | 2020 Guide

To seek admission in a public university or an IVY League University, it is crucial to know how to write a reflection paper. Among the assignments that you get during your university years, a reflection paper is one that best grabs student’s attention. In this paper, you ought to express your opinions and ideas without being burdened by academic writing laws. A reflection paper helps you to communicate your views on the article, lesson, and lecture make it to good class-related material. However, to still keep the correctness, you must write a cohesive and organized reflection paper. This guide will help you know how to write a reflection paper in 7 easy steps. 

 

For more such writing guides that you’ll need in your college, also read:-

6 Tips on How to Write An Abstract | Complete Guide

 

Tips to Write a Reflection Paper

Before setting the right tone for writing a reflection paper, sit with a series of tips to follow. 

 

  • Read a lot of reflection papers to get valuable ideas for writing yours 
  • Do not let deadlines stagger you from writing an informative piece of paper
  • Try to take enough time to write your reflection paper instead of making it in one go
  • Write an elaborative introduction to present a clear picture of your ideas and opinions
  • Avoid personalizing your reflection paper, be professional by using words that are indirect in approach 
  • Write your reflection paper with first-person singular and strictly avoid the usage of slang or colloquial language

 

3 Steps for Writing a Reflection Paper

Now that you have the tips in hand for writing a good reflection paper, you must follow these three easy steps to learn how to write it. 

 

Step 1# Brainstorming 

The first step in writing a reflection paper is to brainstorm multiple ideas to settle with the crucial information. Follow the below sub-steps to seek the necessary information. 

 

Find a Topic

To write a reflection paper that consists of your personal opinion, you need to find a relevant topic. Create a summary of what you have learned from your experiences with the chosen topics.  

 

Keep track of Your Ideas

Chart out all your ideas that you are planning to include in your reflective paper. In the name of ideas, make three separate columns and present the main ideas. While framing the three columns, list the key pointers of your experiences in the first column. In the second column, mention the response of subjective values and beliefs in influencing your opinion. And in the third column, elaborate your responses. 

 

Ask Yourself Questions

To guide your responses, start questioning yourself about your opinions on the reading and their relations with you. For instance, ask yourself, at what level does the reading or the lecture that form the basis of your reflection paper bother you, change your thought process, or impact your experiences. The resulting answers to these questions are the answers in response to the base idea. 

 

Step 2# Organization of the Reflection Paper

 

Keep it Short and Precise

The word count of a reflection paper ranges between 300 to 700 words. Stick to the default word limit or check for the guidelines given by the authorities. Be specific about your points and keep your ideas as precise. 

 

Write an Appealing Introduction

While writing a reflection paper, keep yourself in your reader’s shoes. Keep the intent of your introduction clear by presenting your expectations with the reading, lecture, etc. Moreso, state the analysis of your experiences, briefly summarize the work, and write a thesis statement. 

 

Develop a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the concluding line of your introduction, depicting the transition from your expectations to your conclusion. 

 

Write an Explanatory Conclusion

After writing your body paragraphs, jump now to the conclusion that highlights, how you reached a particular inference of your reflection paper. To make the context of your conclusion clear, include specific and concrete details from your text. Your conclusions can be different paragraphs at a time. Give a separate heading to each para and highlight the main points or understandings. Also, the final, conclusive paragraph while writing a reflection paper is to write its summary. 

 

Step 3# Writing a Reflection Paper

Now that you know the theme, topic, and the entire outline of your reflection paper, the final move is to write your points down. To meet the university guidelines, your reflection paper must follow certain guidelines to comply with the correct pattern for writing the document.

Keep a Professional or Academic Tone

Another significant point to remember while writing a reflection paper is to keep the tone of your reflection paper personal or objective. With a detached feeling for even the ones who play the devil in your experiences should have a sophisticated description. Moreso, describe the actions, not the persons, and further frame them to formulate a conclusion. Check for the grammatic and spelling errors after completing your reflection paper. 

 

Relate Your Experiences With the Classroom Information

While writing your reflection paper, another good trait that you can inherit is relating your personal experiences with your classroom information, i.e., the lectures, reading, or experiences. For instance, while studying prose or poetry, compare your experiences with its understanding of what your professor taught in your class. 

 

By closely following these steps, you’ll find it easy to write a reflection paper that grabs your reader’s attention. If you need further assistance in writing one, you can get instant online assignment help from our top experts. We provide round-the-clock assistance and complete customer support. Submit your request now.