Best Reflective Essay Topics - 100 Ideas for College Students

Reflective essay topics are important for anyone who needs to write a reflective essay. These papers are highly academic, and when you write them, you should examine an experience you’ve had. It should be about yourself, but the reflective essay idea should also have value for your professors. It should focus on your emotional life and include description and analysis.

The reflective essays are called this way because you need to have deep reflection on an event, express your thoughts on it. That differs from analytical essays where you have to do research and note down the results. The point of reflective essay is to show you and your feelings in a clear, full, honest manner. Choosing good reflective essay topics is an important part of your writing because they help you highlight the best in you and get high marks. 

How to Choose Great Reflective Essay Topic

Writing a reflective essay is pretty hard, especially if you do it for the first time. But choosing a topic might be even harder because it either helps you build a good essay or fails it. Here are some tips on how to choose the best reflective essay topic ideas.

Think About Real Events

To get some reflective essay ideas, you don’t need to argue a point or take info from elsewhere. Instead, think of events that happened to you. For example, these can be places you’ve visited, thoughts about yourself, or events that you took part in. Ask your friends and family questions if you feel it’s difficult to do on your own.

Also, good topics can concern your relatives, family, friends, teachers, and your relationships with them. Daily life and hobbies will also be a good source of reflection essay questions. But remember that these shouldn’t be just random events from your memory. Choose only significant hobbies, people whom you’re interested in, or places where something special happened.

Make a Timeline

If nothing comes to your mind in terms of events, try writing your biography in short theses. You can make a timeline where you can put essential events in your life. You can pick one of these events and get reflective ideas and questions for essays from them. You can also make a diagram. Write your name, circle it, and around it, write down different things that compose your personality. For example, these can be the music you listen to, books you read, hobbies you have, or your friends.

Read Reflective Essays Topic Lists

You have plenty of ideas, but don’t know how to make an essay out of them? Then, it’s best to read topic ideas lists where experts make lists of the most original and relevant topics. Only professional writers get to compose such lists, so you might be sure they are unique, non-trivial, and interesting to write. Check the list above to get the best topics in many subjects for any grade and level.

Top 100 Reflective Essay Topics: What to Write About

These 100 topics have been hand-picked and written by our academic experts. They have chosen the easiest, most relevant topics that will be interesting to you and your professors alike. Explore multiple subjects in our engaging topics lists.

Topics About Nature

Many of us can feel a deep connection with nature. Even in cities, it surrounds us and makes our life brighter. If nature takes a special place in your heart, choose reflection topics below:

  1. Experience of Earthquake or Other Natural Disaster

  2. Watching Tornado or a Big Storm

  3. Time You Saw Wild Animals in Their Natural Habitats

  4. Observation of an Insect, Spider, or Snake

  5. Experience of Backpacking in Mountains

  6. Skiing in Snowy Area, with Wind In Your Face, Wild Nature Around

  7. Outdoors Running and Why it’s Important For Your

  8. Time You Stood on Bridge & Looked Down at the Water

  9. Walking Through the Rain Without Your Umbrella

  10. Visiting the Beach, Watching the Ocean, Playing with Sand

Relationships with People

People cause very strong emotions within us. So, relationships are among the best reflective topics for your essay. Consider the ones below and be ready to reflect deeply.

  1. You Were Extremely Embarrassed

  2. Argument With Your Teacher, Boss, or Other Authority Person

  3. When You Cried and Someone Comforted You

  4. Childhood Time Playing With Your Friends

  5. Watching an Old Person You Love Lose Their Memory Due to Dementia

  6. A Sincere Apology and How It Made Me Feel

  7. The First Time I Heard Someone is Proud of Me

  8. Adventure Time with Your Friends Without Your Parents Knowing

  9. Sharing a Secret with Best Friend

  10. Once I Was Really Scared by Something

Significant Events Reflection Essays Ideas of Your Life

Our life is full of events, both happy and sad ones. They carve in our memory, which makes them a good topic for expressive essays. Pay attention to these reflection essay ideas:

  1. Your Favorite Big Holiday (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc) and What it Means to You

  2. Throwing a Surprise Birthday Party for Friend

  3. A Church Service that Had a Deep Impression on You

  4. Moving to Another City

  5. When I Skipped School and How It Made Me Feel

  6. When I First Voted and Feelings It Evoked

  7. A Robbery or Assault That I Witnessed

  8. Unusual Dream or Nightmare That I Remembered

  9. When I Lost Something Important or My Phone/Laptop Broke

  10. A Time I Was Seriously Ill

Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies are a great reflective essay topic if you want to write a fun and interesting essay. You can talk about sports, outdoors, handmade, DIY, or other activities. Still, if you want an error-free essay, watch your writing and give your work to the best personal statement editing service for proofreading. Pick the topics below but don’t forget to give the final text to an experienced editor.

  1. Which Hobby Is Your Favorite and Why

  2. How My Hobby Helped Me Build Higher Self-Esteem

  3. A Hobby that Helps Me Be a Better Student

  4. Key Things About Your Hobby that People Might Not Know

  5. How I Started With My Hobby, Where It Took Me 

  6. A Hobby I Share With My Family or Friends

  7. Would I Recommend My Hobby to Others & Why

  8. A Hobby that Grew Up Into Career

  9. Your Inner Reasons for Doing the Hobby

  10. Do I See Myself Doing the Hobby After 10 Years

Personality and Character Features On Reflective Paper Topics 

Personalities differ, as well as characters. You can analyze your own personality and mind by using reflective essay titles about your character above.

  1. Which Features Distinguish Me From the Crowd?

  2. Your Biggest Strengths & Weaknesses

  3. Am I an Optimist or a Pessimist?

  4. Fears I Have & How I Fight Them

  5. What Helps Me Gain Confidence

  6. Best Method to Relax & Unwind

  7. How Your Activity Changes the World for Better

  8. What Draws People to You?

  9. Things That I Would Like to Change About Myself

  10. Me & Lies: What Is My Attitude to It

Everyday Life Topics

At first sight, everyday life is a poor source of topics for reflective essay. But if you look closer, you will understand that our routine is full of important things that make the essence of life.

  1. What Do I Think About Every Time When I Wake Up

  2. Last Film/Series I Watched

  3. A Book That Influenced You

  4. Best Picnic In Life

  5. Happiest/Worst Day Of Life

  6. How I Accidentally Made Friends

  7. One Dish that Impressed Me a Lot

  8. Last Important Conversation

  9. Last Dream & What it Was About

  10. When I Last Received or Sent Letter

Traveling and Entertainment Reflection Paper Topics

They say travels change you a lot. So, they’re some of the best sources for reflection essay titles. If you want to share your experience from travels, pick the topics below.

  1. First Plane Flight

  2. Cyber-Traveling & Your Attitude To It

  3. Favorite Place in City/Town

  4. I Visited Relatives in Another City/Country

  5. Most Exciting Journey I Had

  6. Favorite Shopping Center or Store

  7. A Library or Coffee House Where I Always Return

  8. One Place that Reminds Me of Childhood Years

  9. Favorite Place to Spend the Weekend Evening

  10. Country/Place That I Would Like to Visit Again

Home and Family

Family and home are important for every person. In many ways, the family connection makes us who we are. So, the essay about family should be truly perfect. Choose only the best reflection essay questions and best paper writing services to help you with this task. This will guarantee a high mark and a well-written, error-free paper - just give our specialists one of the topics below.

  1. New Family Member & How I Reacted to Them

  2. My Oldest Relative & How We Get Along

  3. When & Why Parents Punished You

  4. Most Exciting Family Trip I Had

  5. Relative With Whom I Have Closest Relationships

  6. Would I Like to Be the Only Child or Would I Like to Have a Sister or Brother?

  7. Last Family Gathering

  8. Distant Relatives Whom You’re Not Familiar With

  9. When I Shared & Important Secret With My Parents

  10. A Special Holiday In My Family

Memories and Experiences

Our lives are full of events, both great and less significant. But all of them help us move further and have a special place in our story. Consider these reflective essay prompts if you decide to write about memorable events of your life.

  1. My First Bicycle Trip

  2. Wedding You’ve Been To

  3. The First Time I Slept at My Friend’s House

  4. Time When I Received a Thing I Have Wanted for Long

  5. My School Prom

  6. My First Date

  7. The First “A” for My Home Assignment

  8. Your Earliest Childhood Memory

  9. Your First Time Driving a Car

  10. Entering the University & Your Feelings About It

Reflective Topics About College

College is an essential milestone in your life. In college, you gain knowledge, make friends, and prepare for professional activities. Choose reflective essay title examples about college to share your valuable experience.

  1. Your First Day in College

  2. Favorite Subject in College & What I Like About It

  3. Valuable Life Lessons I Received in College

  4. A College Experience I Will Never Forget

  5. A Friend I Made in College

  6. Challenges I Faced When I Was A Freshman

  7. Field Trip With Your College Peers

  8. First Day on Campus

  9. A Day I Helped Somebody

  10. My Life In A Dormitory

Get Best Reflection Essay Topics from Top Writers

Today, people who get an education tend to be quite busy. They have jobs, families, and lots of important things to do besides college. Naturally, they don’t always have time to write essays. So, to make the academic routine easier, you can turn to the best coursework writing service for guidance. Native English writing experts with academic degrees can help you compose, write, and proofread essays of any difficulty. Place an order now to get error-free reflective essay prompts from top writers.

Posted by Dr. Shirley Kaczmarski, May 31, 2021