![Two students reading a laptop](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-content/uploads/sites/5199/2020/03/04182139/16250787068_ec35748a5b_c.jpg)
Hopefully, you have learned a lot about reflection and how it is a vital component to your success as a college student. As you work your way through higher education, remember the following ideas:
- Reflection means exploring the “so what” rather than just the “what.”
- Consider the four knowledge types when you reflect: self-knowledge, content knowledge, rhetorical knowledge, and critical knowledge or judgment.
- You can reflect meaningfully on past events, present events, or future events.
- Reflection happens across all academic disciplines and into your careers.
- Structure your reflective writing using the DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate Learning) or DIEP (Describe, Interpret, Evaluate, Plan) models.
- Strong reflective writing relies on a process, just like other writing tasks.
As you become more practiced at meaningful reflection, you should see the benefits in far more than just your academic work.