Reflective Essays is a personal type of essay that requires you to share experiences or investigate reflective essay topics. Unlike other forms of essay which are more restrictive, reflective essays give you the freedom to be subjective and personal, which makes them interesting and engaging.
Here you should use the general essay structure, beginning with an introduction and adding a thesis statement near the end of the introduction. The first statements need to be interesting enough that the reader wants to continue. Though it depends on the exact essay topic, in the main body you should follow the conventional argument structure.
There are many possible reflective essay topics, and this means you should be able to find a topic that interests you – a number of different topics are provided below to help you get started. Once you have found a suitable topic, you should then begin to research and plan the topic and plan the structure and flow of the essay.
Referencing is an important part of the research and planning process, as this will provide the backbone to your arguments. You want to avoid generalizing or being too vague, and it is facts and research that help you to avoid this, providing the necessary authority to your arguments.
Once you have completed the first draft of your essay, you must then check over your work to make sure nothing is repeated and there are no contradictions. This is also the time to improve or remove any lackluster arguments, and to check how well the arguments flow. Reflective essay topics can be difficult to contain and it is all too easy to get carried away with controversial arguments – proofread your work to ensure it is clear and concise.