Brainstorm and pre-write to decide what you want to discuss in your reflective paper on buying a computer. Begin by dividing a piece of notebook paper or a Word document into two columns. On one side, jot down as many details as you can remember about buying your computer --- from the moment that you decided to buy a computer to when you took it home and set it up. On the other side, write your reactions to these events. How did they make you feel? What did they teach you? What do you think others can learn from them?
Organize the ideas you had in Step 1 into a coherent, structured reflection paper. This should include an introduction, body and conclusions. You should also include some narrative, where you tell the story of buying the computer, and some analysis, where you explain why it is important.
Write an introduction that includes an attention getter, background information and a thesis or focus statement. You may choose to begin with an explanation of why you decided to buy a computer, or you may describe a scene from the middle or end of the story, such as your setting up your computer at home, which you will re-visit later in the paper. You do not necessarily need a structured, academic thesis for a reflective paper, though some teachers may require it, but you will want to write at least a focus statement in your introduction that explains the main point of your paper. For example, "Buying my first computer showed me that sometimes instant gratification can lead to suffering in the long run."
Write the body of the paper. In the body, you tell the story of buying the computer as well as your comments on the significance of the situation. According to Essay Writing Help, a reflection essay functions as an evaluation, so it is fine to tell the story through the eyes of retrospect. For instance, you might note that, thinking about it now, you had an inkling that the sales person was not being honest with you because he never took the computer out of the box before you bought it.
Draft a conclusion by making a final comment on the overall experience and emphasizing the significance of the event. For example, in your conclusion, you might note that this shopping experience has taught you to always bring a friend with you when you are making a major purchase, and that you are planning to follow this advice when you buy a new car next week.