Subject Guides
Being able to write reflectively is a useful and valuable skill. Reflecting on an experience is a way of evaluating your own reactions and capabilities. It can help you to learn from your experiences and improve your approaches in the future. It can also boost your confidence and make you feel good about your achievements! Plus it's a great way to impress employers, as Iain Menneer, Chief Executive Officer of Animalcare Group PLC tells us, "Employers are looking for something quite special in a graduate, someone who has gone beyond their studies, is very proactive and can reflect on their experiences."
We're used to writing descriptively about what we did and how we did it. But it's also useful to reflect on what we've done. Consider the difference between a diary entry that's just a list of places and names, and an intimate journal outlining your feelings, regrets, and other thoughts about those encounters. We can use these same approaches in an academic or professional setting, to reflect on the work we've done and what we may have learnt from that experience.
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It can be difficult to start writing reflectively after a lifetime spent writing descriptively. One approach that can help you structure a reflection is the Gibbs model below:
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Description What happened? |
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Action Plan If it rose again, what would you do? |
Gibbs' Reflective Cycle |
Feelings What were you thinking and feeling? |
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Conclusion What else could you have done? |
Evaluation What was good and bad about the experience? |
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Analysis What else can you make of the situation? |
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These resources are aimed at everyone, but reflective writing skills will be particularly useful for final year students applying for the York Award.
Your values reflect what is most important to you, in the way you live and work. Identifying and understanding your values can help you determine your priorities in life. Acknowledging your values when exploring opportunities or making plans and decisions can make both your professional and personal life happier and more fulfilling.
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Reflective writing exercises