Academic Journal and Reflective Writing

The Academic Travel journal is more than just a book that you are required to write in as you travel.  It's a living record of your journey and your experience.  It is a forum to chart your growth as a Student Ambassador and as a citizen of the world.  Furthermore, you will be able to look back at this journal and be glad you have a written record to supplement your memories of the experience.  It will help you recall not only the things you did and the places you saw, but how you once thought about the world, and how you have grown.

Your journal should be written using "reflective writing."  When writing in the reflective style, you are writing about your perceptions and feelings of what you experience.  You will write about your expectations and how your experience compares to that.  

Reflective writing should be personal, but this does not mean that the topics should be personal.  Reflective writing is personal in that you share your own insights about travel and the activities you will be doing.  You should not write about personal topics like romantic relationships, clothing choices, or other irrelevant subjects.  Remember, you will be sharing this information with other members of the delegation.  Personal topics like those are more appropriate for your personal journal.

Here are some questions to think about when reflective writing in the academic journal:

• How do you feel about this topic or activity?
  
• What does it make you think?
  
• How are you affected?
• What are some alternative viewpoints that you now have as a result of this?
  
• How has your thinking or feeling changed as a result?
  
• What are some questions you still have regarding this topic?