Good College Essay Topics: How to Choose One?
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Students tend to worry about the writing process more than the topic choice. However, the secret to writing a fascinating and thought-provoking essay depends primarily on the right topic. On the one hand, if you’re obsessed with your choice, the task seems straightforward and easy to manage. Then, it can encourage you to finish the job fast and avoid procrastination. But how to master the art of selecting the right topic?
Ignoring the function of a good essay topic is what causes failure. When developing or selecting a topic, students usually focus on the ones that are the most interesting only for them. Of course, the writer’s factor is significant. So, where is the catch?
What writers forget to consider is the audience and their preferences. Whatever you write in your essay is for your readers to appreciate. When you overlook this demand, some works come out dry, moody, and don’t receive acclaim. So, considering what engages your audience first when choosing a topic is key to success. In addition, the paper should be original and contain valuable information for whom you’re writing. Therefore, acknowledging and keeping this fact in mind during the topic selection process will guarantee victory.
Besides, keep reading to discover the nuances of college essay topics, tips for choosing the most memorable ones, and examples to get inspired.
How Do Best College Essay Topics Stand Out?
After analyzing and comparing hundreds of successful essays, we’ve come up with characteristics of a good essay topic. Make sure your choice checks at least two of them.
- It relies on your qualities, values, and life experience.
- It is personal, but others can relate to it.
- It shows your unique individual voice and sticks you out from the rest.
- It’s simple, precise, relevant, and authentic.
- It allows for writing a strong thesis statement and developing a proper body.
In most cases, sidestep topics that are cliche and overly common. However, it is possible to turn them into compelling and influential. For example, if you notice that it focuses on failures or traumas without an optimistic outlook, this can be an indicator to remake it. Even speaking about challenges, there should be a positive outcome and a good lesson.
Effective Techniques for Generating Essay Topics for College Students
Some simple but worthy strategies can be priceless whenever you feel stuck with a blank mind. Try the following techniques to tickle creativity:
- Discussion. Are ideas all over the place when you first try approaching your task? Talking them out with a teacher, friends, or fellow students often helps you filter existing ideas or find new ones you haven’t considered earlier. Moreover, close friends or family members can help bring back stories and give feedback on your potential college essay topics. Write down the best insights and keep digging if you are iffy about all options.
- Quality vs. story. On the one hand, you can approach your topic selection with a story and then bring an example to show how it demonstrates your positive attributes. On the other hand, you can go the opposite way: think of positive traits first and then support them with a relevant story.
- Brainstorm. Those who have a stream of disorganized ideas can benefit from this method big time. You must write down as many ideas as possible about a broad subject. Then, dig in deeper, find all your associations, and centralize them to make them one.
- Free writing. This strategy is similar to brainstorming but is faster and less reflective. First, give yourself a broad topic to write about, and then write continuously on a pad of paper anything that comes to mind. No matter how absurd it seems, as long as it somehow relates to the initial topic. Then, if necessary, set a timer to make sure you don’t get distracted and stick to the task consistently. When you are done, look through and assess the results. After certain modifications, you will have the topic you need.
Brainstorming Questions to Create Unique College Essay Topics
If you are responsible for choosing the right topic and decide to take your time to brainstorm, this section will be handy. Take your time to read through the answers and find inspiration. As the questions are divided into sections based on a particular sphere of your life, you can skip those unsuitable for you.
Your talents or special skills:
- Do you have a hidden skill from which others can benefit?
- How do you rest after a stressful day?
- What skills do people need regardless of their specialization?
- What are your coping skills?
- What does the content of your bag tell about you?
- What items in your bedroom tell who you are?
- What is the most special present you gave to your best friend?
- What do you do to get fit?
- How do you have quality time on special occasions?
Extracurricular activities and interests you pursue:
- What training helps you relieve stress when you’re overwhelmed?
- Are you into collecting anything? How did you start it?
- Are you an art person? Do you take any extra classes?
- Do you make friends based on your interests?
- What genres of books or films do you prefer?
- Are there any favorite places where you feel peaceful?
- What is your relaxation technique: hanging out in a noisy bar with friends or being at home under a blanket with a book?
Your achievements:
- What accomplishments made you proud of yourself?
- When have you demonstrated leadership at school, at home, or community?
- When have you achieved something that seemed beyond your abilities at first?
- When have you solved a difficult problem, and what was the outcome?
- What are your techniques for the fulfillment of your dreams?
- What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you?
- Are you an ambitious and determined person? What are your goals in life?
Your misfortunes and failures to learn from:
- How do you overcome conflicts?
- How to stay motivated when facing a challenge?
- What is an experience that made you wiser?
- What is the most traumatic event in your life? What did you learn from it?
- Do you give up or benefit from a failure and keep trying? Bring an example.
Your mindset and value system:
- Are you prone to change your belief about an idea? What are the cases when it’s ok to do so?
- What values do you prioritize in life? Why?
- Have you ever made anyone change their belief about something? When and how?
- How to overcome an argument with someone whose ideology contradicts yours?
You, as a person:
- What kind of first impression do you usually make on others?
- What five adjectives would you use to introduce yourself?
- How would your friends characterize you as a person?
- What are the qualities you would like to improve?
- Do you make your life decisions easily?
- What is your biggest fear? How do you work on it?
- Are you adventurous or like being in your comfort zone?
- Is there a slogan that guides you in life?
Use this exercise to your advantage and produce a few strong college essay topics.
Tips to Choose Good Essay Topics for College
Whatever strategy you apply, the pool of options is guaranteed. So, how to make the final decision and start the writing process? Follow these tips to help you make the best choice.
- Consider your essay instructions. Some topics may be suitable for a specific essay type, but not all. Therefore, you should confine yourself to ones that comply with task requirements.
- Explore your audience. Examine what is engaging or intriguing for your readers. Use your investigations in the topic development process.
- Use your creativity. Use your imagination and think of a topic unusually and originally. Even the most common thing will catch readers’ attention if you think outside the box.
- Keep a notepad. At least you never know when good ideas will strike your mind. So, be ready anytime and make notes.
- Apply the deduction method. Deducting means moving from wide to narrow. It can help you choose your direction first, organize your ideas, gradually narrow them down, and make it through easily.
- Take your time. Don’t give up if the process takes longer than you expected. Feel free to switch to something else and then return to it.
- Follow your passion. You should be passionate about your choice and know it well. Then, you will certainly feel when the topic is the right one.
If you want to be consistent with the academic terms and parallelly enjoy the topic selection process, follow the tips above. They assure to generate a topic that checks all the boxes.
