Let’s consider what a reflective essay is. Just like a mirror reflects your appearance, a reflective essay shows what it is that constitutes you as a person, through the written word. If you are assigned to come up with your own topic, consider what a job interviewee might inquire of you when they want to find out who you really are. The honest replies to those questions are the foundation on which you can build your reflective essay.
Stick to Your Roots
It is high time for you to choose where the river of your writing will flow. Try to imagine its current by visualizing different events that have shaped your personality. It might sound predictable, but it is better to stick to a sphere that you are familiar with. Supposing you want to depict the meaningfulness of trust in your life. In such case, if you have never had a pet, do not use the example of owning a dog as your backstory. Instead, recall how you shared secrets with your best friend Stacey. A familiar topic will ease your process of composing and keep your interested alive through the whole process.
Learn to Shine
Get into the shoes of the admission committee. How many essays entitled “What I mean by friendship” can you bear before you will start to suppress the urge to tear those essays into tiny pieces of paper? Not long probably, if they all look the same. That is why, it is crucial to pay special attention to the intended reader when you are composing your essay. A topic that will make you shine among the sea of ordinary essays is a guarantee to spark the interest of the examiners.
Categorize
Now that you are aware that you should select a familiar topic and be original, how do you actually get to practical part? Simple. Categorize the answers to the inquiries that float into your mind when you consider the possible topics into a few boxes: personally you’re your most uncommon experiences, relationships and interactions with others, strong feelings you have felt. To state a few, the topics of a reflective essay may include “The first time I went to the beach”, “A time of my life when I was embarrassed”, “My favorite bookstore”, “Sibling wars I had with my brother”. Keep in mind that your essay should not be descriptive, but rather evoke memories or thoughts that will show your personality to the reader.
Go Deeper
Now reflect on the feelings and emotions that these topics evoke inside of your soul. To name an example, consider your first time at the beach. Recall your feelings, what did you carry out from this experience, how it affected your life and so on. You could share the repulsiveness of the idea of going, because a friend invited you over to a sleepover, but your family forced you to leave with them. After seeing the sun setting in the sea, you realized how beautiful nature can be and it erased your feeling of resentment.