How to Write a College Essay: Find Your Topic

Finding a topic can be a little harder than it seems. If you pick something too broad, you’re going to end up writing a book or making your argument too vague. On the other hand, there is the danger of picking a topic that you can’t find enough information on to support a thesis statement. You should choose a topic that is interesting or controversial in some way. If you don’t want to read about the incredibly boring mating habits of the fire bellied newt, chances are your professor doesn’t want to read about it either. Check the newest Internet searches, look at scientific publications for recent studies, pay attention to local headlines, and try to find something that interests you. If you aren’t motivated to find more information about your topic, the essay will be difficult to write and seem like more of a burden.

Once you think you have a topic to write about, start your research. My school is real big on the whole “use the library database” thing, but this is NOT what I recommend. Although using the database can give you access to plenty of great scholarly journals, I have never been able to find what I’m looking for by going down that long and often dimly lit road. Instead, try using Google Scholar or Google Books. It’s right up there on the home page next to the video, image, and map list. I’ve had a lot of professors condemn the use of Google for research, but if you have any common sense and know what a good source should consist of, this is your best option.  

As you read through the sources you find, take the time to jot down notes or highlight information that you may need to quote or paraphrase. Nothing makes writing a paper suck more than having to read the same article over and over again to try finding that one piece of information that you wanted to use and now can’t find. This will also give you an idea about how much information you’re dealing with and you can start developing a thesis statement. There have been many times that I’ve just scrapped a topic even after spending a few hours researching it online. You may realize that there’s just too much information and you need to narrow your topic down a little or that there isn’t enough and you may need to broaden your topic instead.

Once you know what to write about, you need a thesis statement and at least three paragraphs to support it. Need a hand throwing it all together? No problem, just move on to How to Write a College Essay: Thesis and Support…