Writing A Conclusion For A Reflective Essay: Professional Advice

The reflective essay is a type of assignment that requires a student to tell a story about a person, an event or some other important element about his or her past but in a way that actually reflects a purpose for telling that particular story. The reflective essay is often descriptive in nature and moves the reader through several relevant details on the way to arriving at the writer’s main purpose. This article will provide professional advice that focuses on what you need to know about writing a conclusion for a reflective essay:

The Conclusion Is a Reflection

Just like your entire assignment is a reflection of a person, an even or some other important element about your past, your conclusion should be a shorter and more precise version of what you have recounted in your paper. Review your thesis statement and think about what the main purpose of your story was. Use this to guide your conclusion.

Bring the Reader Back to the Beginning

A great technique for writing a conclusion in other kinds of assignment is to bring the reader back to the beginning of your work by relating the content in the final paragraph with that of the beginning. This works especially well in a reflective essay where you can return to the beginning and write something about what you learned that you didn’t know when the story first started.

Leave the Reader Satisfied but Wanting More

This piece of professional advice might be seem a little contradictory at first glance, but the two things can work together to produce a great ending to your paper. Leave no open questions. Don’t leave your reader wondering what happened to a particular character or some other event. Be sure you leave no loose ends. If you leave your reader satisfied he or she will likely want to read more of your work, not particularly this piece or story, but wanting to read more of your work in general.

Propose a Call to Action, Get Your Reader Active

A great piece of professional advice towards writing a memorable conclusion is to get your reader active by proposing a call to action. If your story develops in a way that encourages the reader to change his or her behavior or do something they wouldn’t have if it weren’t for your story your writing will be more likely to be remembered.