The reflection paper is an assignment that invites you to draw on your own experience. It is discipline and course specific and might take the form of a short paper on course readings, a journal, reaction paper, or a response to a service placement opportunity.
Read your assignment instructions carefully. Have questions about your reflection essay? Ask your instructor or TA.
Note: Reflection papers are very different from standard essays. There is usually no thesis statement, but the reflection paper does revolve around a central idea.
Take notes from your research reading. Make some notes in the margins relating to notable plot points or reactions you had. These will remind you as you reference the text during the writing process.
Brainstorm possible ideas.
- What is your immediate reaction when you read the text?
- Relate the text to your personal experiences. Write in first person. “I feel…” or “I think that…” are often used in reflection essays.
Try freewriting to help you understand where you stand on the subject. There does not need to be a conclusion, but challenge the ideas presented in the text or posit some more questions of your own.
Structurally, the reflection paper is less formal, but logical progression is still needed. Rearrange your ideas so one leads to another.
Try writing a reverse outline. Consider cause and effect to show the relationship between ideas.
Revise drafts of your work.
Ask for writing help from University of Toronto Writing Centres at UTM, St. George, or UTSC.