Experience is the name we give to all of our unique thoughts, feelings, and experiences; in brief, experience is life as we participate in it. Personal experiences are the focus of experiential essay, which must be explained and commented upon in detail. Consider the following tips when you are tasked with writing an experiential essay.
What is experiential writing?
It involves organizing classes so students can undertake their work and commit the material to memory through meaningful experiences. It is an educational approach focused on self-directed activity, experiential learning, and collaborative play.
Guidelines for Writing Experiential Essays
1. Definition of experiential essay
Other forms of essays, such as descriptive and argumentative, differ significantly from experiential essays. An experiential essay relies solely on the author’s personal experience, with no academic citations or other references. In addition, you need not read extensively on the subject before starting the writing process. You only need to create your topic, recall a particular incident, and attempt to reflect on it. In some ways, it is advantageous that you are not obliged to construct a theoretical framework for your essay. On the other hand, you must be creative, utilize your imagination, and be able to describe and reflect on your experience in a very logical, precisely-formulated manner. Thus, when it comes to creating experience essays, imagination and logic are always intertwined.
An experiential essay relies solely on the author’s personal experience, with no academic citations or other references. Check also our Tips for Writing an Experiential Essay.
2. Learning
Essentially, every piece of writing is a form of education. One discovers their own sentiments, attitudes, and values, among other things. The experiential essay is unique since it focuses solely on the author’s personal experiences. It facilitates self-discovery and deeper reflection on the experience you wish to share. You should not believe that the purpose of an experiential essay is to demonstrate writing skills. It is a type of education that will help you become more conscious of your strengths, shortcomings, habits, etc. And because no one lives in isolation from society, you also gain an understanding of your relationships with other members of your society.
3. The model of David Kolb
David Kolb has developed an experiential learning methodology. You should include the following in your essay: concrete experience, contemplative observation, abstract conception, and active exploration. This structure will make your experiential essay coherent and well-organized; thus, we urge you to use it.
In your experiential essay, you should incorporate the following sections: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.
The initial section of the model focuses on your personal experience. You should be able to respond to queries about what occurred, how, when, and where, as well as what you felt or thought, your reaction, etc. Remember that you should not simply write everything that comes to mind (such as a flood of thoughts, feelings, and associations) but answer these questions in three or four concise lines.
The second section involves a consideration of your experience. You must explain, for instance, how and why you behaved and the implications of your actions. The conceptualization phase requires formulating several fundamental concepts that encompass your experience. This is the instrument that enables you to render your personal experiences more objectively (for no one would be able to understand your description without referring to objective concepts). The final section focuses on experimentation – based on what you have learned thus far (from experience), what can you accomplish in practice? Can you utilize this information?
4. Topic formulation
There are numerous topics you can address. It is preferable to allude to an experience that has had a significant impact on you, such as a romantic story, a life-altering event, or a painful or pleasurable experience. It can be stated as follows: “My first day as a teacher.” Check our experiential essay topics for more topic ideas.
5. Language and style
You must use Standard English at a very high level; this includes adopting terminology from the field in which your experience lies. Additionally, it is essential to employ complicated, lengthy sentences to demonstrate your command of the language and excellent writing skills. The use of “I”-person, which is, speaking just from one’s point of view and not from someone else’s, is also crucial. It is irrelevant what Peter or Mary said about your encounters; the experiential essay focuses solely on your personal experiences and reflections. Check our experiential essay examples for more information.
6. Don’ts when writing an experiential essay
- Do not write emotionally; lines such as “I felt really sad and desperate” are not well received by the reader. You are not keeping a journal!
- Avoid using academic concepts and theories; this is not a research paper!
- Do not introduce new experiences and thoughts towards the conclusion of your article. You should only discuss one experience in your writing!
- Avoid only describing!
- Avoid writing about the experiences of others. Do not report other people’s experiences; only your own is relevant. See our Experiential Learning Essay Template for more resources.
7. Revise carefully
After writing your experiential essay, you must verify grammar and spelling, style, coherence, and internal logic (there should be only one idea developed throughout the essay). If you lack confidence in your proofreading skills, have someone else do it for you. Do not forget to consult your instructor if you have any questions about the essay or if you need experiential essay writing help, contact nursingwritingservices.net.
Experiential Learning Essay Samples
My First Day as a Teacher
I have always desired to become a Science educator. After graduating, I obtained my ideal job. After a lengthy wait, I finally arrived at my employer, a high school in the town of X. It was a very thrilling event for me to meet all of my future kids and their parents for the first time. The day passed slowly; first, I was unsure what to do and say, but the positive reception I received from others encouraged me to speak more and engage in more conversation. I still recall the time when a coworker approached me and said, “Come to me if you need advice; I will assist you.” In the days that followed, I began to consider my first day as a teacher.
I was new to the experience. I believed I had a promising future and was willing to take this path without knowing what lay at its end. Being a teacher is a peculiar sensation, especially when you are young and your age is not significantly different from that of your students. As a result, I felt so uncomfortable on my first day as a teacher, but my attitude and demeanor shifted, and I gained confidence with time.
The teaching profession is challenging in and of itself, but it provides several opportunities to learn about yourself and to impart your ideals and worldview to those younger than you. It is full of tension and painful moments but inspires self-respect. And the most important thing is always to receive acknowledgment from others for your accomplishments. The beginning is always difficult, but then pleasant moments follow.
For the upcoming school year, I will create an exceptional performance with my students to demonstrate a typical day in the life of a teacher. The above experience enlightened me on the various aspects of the teaching profession. Preparing such an exercise will be of great use to me as I want to become more sociable to enhance my teaching.
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