Personal/Reflective Writing - Ideas Higher Writing Folio Personal/Reflective Writing - Ideas

Reminder Above all the reflective essay should not simply be an account of a personal experience.

Me , Myself and I Reflect on how you see yourself as a person and compare your viewpoint with what you imagine to be those of your friends, parents, grandparent, teachers…

Memories – photo album Do you have certain photos which trigger anecdotes about your life or your relatives? You could perhaps compare your photos – the people, events they show – with old black and white photos Reflect on the differences in way of life, clothing, holidays, expectations, etc.

School – a preparation for life? How well has your education equipped you for life? Reflect on content of subjects, social aspects of school life Consider other types of schooling – boarding, fee-paying, home schooling and compare/contrast wit your own experiences.

Why…….is important to you Explore the reasons why a particular hobby is important to your life. Convey your enthusiasm and knowledge and explain why you feel so passionate about it. Consider sports, music, dance, martial arts, fashion, family, art, animals, crafts, etc

I’m glad I’m (not) an only child, a twin Refer to your personal situation and reflect on your position in your family – the advantages, disadvantages.

Travel/Moving around Travel is said to broaden the mind – how far do you agree? What have you learned from your travels/moving around/changing towns and schools? You could consider the benefits of school trips, daily travel

I’m proud to be Scottish/ Polish/ Bangladeshi/German, etc Reflect on how your nationality has affected your life so far. How patriotic are you? How does this impact on your life?

Influences Explore the various influences that have turned you into the person you are today. Could be family, friends, school, the media and also factors such as where you live, health, etc.

Heaven and Hell Reflect on the things you love and things you hate You could approach this in a serious way or try to be humorous

Beauty Reflect on the importance of beauty in your life This could be beauty in its widest sense – not just appearance Reflect on what you consider beautiful and how important you feel it is to have beautiful things in your life.

Catchphrase or proverb Think of some catchphrase you know and also some proverbs – ancient or modern Try to relate these to your view of life and discuss the relevance or irrelevance to your life

Choices Discuss the choices you have made in life so far What choices lie ahead for you? Reflect on these and the effect they have had/ will have on your life now and in the future

Great escapes Reflect on the following: What causes you to feel stressed? Where do you go when things get too much? How do you relieve stress and anxiety?