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4m Reflecting on your writing

4mReflecting on your writing

Research demonstrates a strong connection between careful reflection and learning: thinking back on what you’ve learned and assessing it help make that learning stick. As a result, first-year college writing courses are increasingly encouraging students to take time for such reflection, both during the writing process and after the final draft is done. Whenever you finish a major piece of writing or a writing course, make time to reflect on the experience and see what lessons you can learn from it.

What lessons have you learned from writing—from an individual piece of writing or an entire course?
From what you have learned, what can you apply to the work you will do for other classes?
What about your writing do you feel most confident about—and why do you feel this way?
What about your writing do you think needs additional work, and what plans do you have for improving?
What confusions did you have while writing, and what did you do to resolve them?
What major questions do you still have?
How has writing helped you clarify your thinking, extend your knowledge, or deepen your understanding?
Identify a favorite passage in your writing, and then try to articulate what you like about it. Can you apply what you learn from this analysis to other pieces of writing?
How would you describe your development as a writer?
What goals do you have for yourself as a writer?

You will probably write a formal reflection for an academic or professional audience, but you may also consider an informal reflection for your own purposes or for an audience that expects informality.