Essay papers are an essential part of most every college course, particularly in English composition classes. Many instructors hand out a list of topic ideas for papers, but when you're left to come up with your own idea, you should carefully choose a topic that lends itself to an essay of the type you want to write. Here are some strategies for choosing an essay topic you can turn into a winning grade.
Determine Essay Type
Essay papers come in many different types. Knowing the type of paper you want to write or understanding the type of paper you've been assigned is the first step in working through ideas for your essay. Some types of essay papers are research, reactive, argumentative and descriptive. Each of these essay types lends itself better to a particular subject matter. Unless you're given a specific paper type to complete, you will want to write the type of essay that best suits your topic.
Historical Essays
Historical essays are easy to research and write, and they lend themselves to the descriptive essay type. Consider the historical event you're writing about and avoid cliche topics unless you feel you can add something fresh. Instead of writing about the Civil War, for instance, find a particular battle that hasn't been extensively covered and narrow your descriptive essay down to that battle.
Process Essays
Process essays are another good choice. People enjoy learning how things work and what goes on behind the scenes. Process essays typically require a lot of research. Look for fresh, interesting topic ideas. Think of a process that affects a large group of people and focus on that. Water supply, for instance: How is our water supply cleaned and distributed? This is something we can all find interesting.
Argumentative Essays
Argumentative essays are fun to write because they give you the opportunity to express personal opinion. Argumentative essays can be on any topic. Some examples of topics suited to argumentative essays are politics, religion and sociology. Narrow your search for topic ideas within these broader topics. You might even consider combining topic areas. A paper on the effects of organized religion in a particular society might be a good idea. Or find a popular standpoint you disagree with and construct your argument around that.
