1. Higher/Int1/2 Writing Folio Personal/Reflective Writing - Ideas

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

3. 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…

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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?

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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?