How Can I be more Reflective in Writing?
by Kathleen M.
One of the most difficult questions that students have to answer in essays is the question that asks you to think about how you know what you know – or what you learned from an experience. It is easy to describe what you know or the experience itself – but much harder to explain how you are different now that you have that knowledge.
So as with all prompts, focus on what value you want to share – maybe you want to discuss how you collaborated, what intrigued you, or how your creativity was key to your development. Great. Now use that focus to tell a story.
You were one person, you had an experience, you are a different person now. Sounds easy enough but the subtle changes are often hard to describe.
For example:
Last summer, I had an internship with the American Red Cross. I job shadowed the Media Relations contact and then worked on a press kit. I was able to apply my skills with Canva and developed materials that the local chapter of the American Red Cross still uses.
This could be improved by:
Last summer, my internship with the American Red Cross allowed me to stretch not just my creative muscles but my sense of professionalism in the face of tragedy. I used what I knew about Canva and added some pizazz to materials, but learned so much more about myself when I showed up at an American Red Cross response to a house fire.
I learned that even as people are losing their home, the media wants to ask questions, and the media relations coordinator helped people by handling these conversations. I was amazed at how much this small intervention made for the family as they had to focus on where to go from here.
Remember that you want to tell a story, share a value, and focus your outcome.
Spend enough time on brainstorming so that all of the parts of a story can surface.
