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Writing a Journal or Reflection
Use this page when your instructor asks you to write a journal entry or reflect on your learning.
What a journal or reflection is
A journal or reflection is writing about your own learning. Your instructor asks you to think about something you did, read, or experienced. Then you explain what it means to you and what you will do next.
A reflection is not a summary. A summary repeats what the reading or the lesson said. A reflection explains what you noticed, learned, or now think about it.
| What is compared | Summary | Reflection |
|---|---|---|
| The main question | What did the text say? | What did I learn, and what will I do with it? |
| Using “I” | Usually no | Yes. “I” is expected. |
| Your experience | Not included | The center of the writing |
| Example sentence | The chapter describes three study methods. | I tried the second method this week, and it changed how I study. |
What instructors expect
Instructors do not always write these expectations down. In most U.S. college classes, they apply to every student.
- Be specific. Write about one moment, one task, or one idea. “I learned a lot” does not tell the reader what you learned.
- Be honest. You may write that something was difficult or that you were confused. Instructors want to know this. An honest reflection is a good reflection.
- Connect to the course. Use a word, an idea, or a skill from the class.
- Look forward. End with what you will do next time.
- Write in complete sentences. The style is less formal than an essay, but it is not a text message.
A reflection is about your learning. It does not need private details about your life, your family, or your health. A prompt may ask about personal experience. If you prefer not to answer, look in the prompt for another option, or ask your instructor for one. This is a normal request.
- Journal:
- a set of short writings about your learning, often written each week.
- Reflection:
- writing that looks back at an experience and explains what you learned from it.
- Low-stakes writing:
- writing that counts for few or no points. It is a place to practice and think.
- Prompt:
- the question or instructions for the assignment.
Before you write, check the prompt for two things: who will read it (only your instructor, or your classmates too) and whether grammar is graded. If the prompt does not say, you may ask.
Three questions that build a reflection
Most reflections answer three questions, in this order.
- What happened? Describe one specific experience: a task, a reading, a test, or a class activity. Keep this part short.
- What did I learn from it? Explain what you noticed, understood, or now think. This is the most important part. Give it the most space.
- What will I do next? Name one specific action for the future.
A common problem is a long first part and a short second part. If most of your sentences describe what happened, cut some, and add more about what you learned.
Example: a reflection
The instructor gave this prompt: “Look back at your first essay draft. What did you learn about your writing process? What will you do differently next time? Write about 150 words.”
Here is one student’s reflection. Each number matches a note below it.
For my first draft, I started writing the night before it was due.1 I did not make an outline, and I changed my main idea two times while I was writing. I felt frustrated, and the draft did not say what I wanted to say.2 Now I understand why the instructor talks about writing as a process.3 I think my real problem was not time. It was that I did not know my main idea before I started.4 The tutor asked me to explain my essay in one sentence, and I could not do it. Next time, I will write my main idea in one sentence first, and I will make a short outline two days before the due date.5
- What happened. The writer names one specific experience. The verbs are in the past tense, because this part is finished.
- An honest feeling. The writer says the experience was difficult. This is welcome in a reflection.
- A connection to the course. The writer uses an idea from class: writing as a process. The verb changes to the present tense, because the writer is describing what they understand now.
- What the writer learned. This is the center of the reflection. The writer moves past the first explanation (time) to a deeper one (no main idea). The words I think show that this is the writer’s own conclusion.
- What the writer will do next. The plan is specific: two actions and a time. Next time, I will moves the writing to the future.
Language focus: moving between past, present, and future
One reflection, three times
A reflection usually moves through three times: what happened (past), what you think now (present), and what you will do (future). Each part has its own verb tense. A time word at the start of a sentence tells the reader that the time is changing.
| Part and tense | Time words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What happened: past | last week, at first, when I started | At first, I read the chapter only once. |
| What I learned: present | now, today, at this point | Now I understand why notes help me. |
| What I will do: future | next time, in the next unit, from now on | Next time, I will take notes while I read. |
Inside one part, keep the same tense. Change tense when the time changes, and use a time word to show the change. Write Last week I studied alone. Now I study with a partner. Do not write “Last week I study alone.”
One more pattern is common in reflections: I learned that + a complete sentence. For example: I learned that I write better in the morning.
Sentence starters
Fill in each blank with your own words.
- To say what happenedWhen I , I .At first, I .
- To be honest about difficultyThe most difficult part was because .I was confused about .
- To say what you learnedI learned that .Now I understand .This changed how I think about .
- To connect to the courseThis connects to from our class.The reading helped me see that .
- To plan the next stepNext time, I will .In the next unit, I plan to .
Practice
- Which sentence is reflection, not summary?
- A. The article explains how sleep affects memory.
- B. After I read the article, I started going to bed one hour earlier before tests.
- C. The author is a professor at a large university.
- Make this sentence more specific: “I learned a lot from this project.”
- Correct the verb tense: “Last week I study for the quiz, but I do not finish the review.”
- A student’s reflection is eight sentences long. Six sentences describe what happened. One sentence says what the student learned. One sentence gives a plan. What should the student change?
- A journal prompt asks you to write about a difficult time in your family. You prefer not to. What can you do?
Show suggested answers
- B. It describes what the writer did because of the reading. A summarizes the article. C gives a fact about the author.
- One possible answer: “I learned that I need to check my sources before I start writing, not after.” The new sentence names one thing the writer learned. Use I learned that + a complete sentence. Other answers are possible.
- Last week I studied for the quiz, but I did not finish the review. Last week shows the past, so both verbs are past tense: studied and did not finish.
- Shorten the first part, and add more about what they learned. “What I learned” is the most important part, so it should have the most space. Two sentences about what happened are usually enough.
- Look for another option in the prompt, or ask your instructor for one. You never have to share private matters in a reflection. Asking for a different topic is normal and polite. For example: “Could I write about a difficult time at work or at school instead?”
Next step
Check your reflection before you submit it
- Did I write about one specific experience?
- Did I explain what I learned, and give that part the most space?
- Did I connect to an idea or skill from the course?
- Did I end with a specific plan?
- Did I change verb tense only when the time changed?
- Did I share only what I am comfortable sharing?