unique college assignments

100+ Unique Project Ideas For College Students: Category-Wise [Updated 2024]

Stepping intro college projects is a exciting journey for college students, offering a chance to showcase creativity and apply knowledge gained in classrooms. In this blog, we’ll explore unique project ideas for college students designed to spark your interest and imagination. From exploring sustainable innovations to diving into cutting-edge technology or addressing societal challenges, these projects go beyond textbooks.

Each idea is crafted to engage and empower, fostering a dynamic learning experience. Whether you’re an engineering enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or a budding entrepreneur, these project ideas cater to diverse interests, ensuring a fulfilling and enriching journey through the realm of unique college projects. Let’s dive into a world where ideas come to life!

Table of Contents

Benefits of Unique Projects for College Students

Before delving into project ideas, let’s discuss why unique projects are so valuable during your college years. These projects offer a multitude of benefits, both academically and personally:

1. Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills

Unique projects often present unconventional challenges that require you to think outside the box. This problem-solving experience equips you with skills that are highly sought after in the job market. Employers appreciate candidates who can tackle complex problems with innovative solutions.

2. Building a Unique Portfolio

A standout portfolio filled with unique projects can set you apart from your peers when applying for internships, jobs, or graduate programs. It serves as a tangible demonstration of your skills and commitment to personal and academic growth.

3. Gaining Practical Experience

Unique projects provide a hands-on learning experience that extends beyond the classroom. This practical knowledge can be invaluable in preparing you for the real world, where you’ll need to apply your education to solve real-world problems.

4. Standing Out to Future Employers

When it comes to job applications and interviews, being able to discuss your unique projects and the skills you gained from them will make you a more attractive candidate. Employers value individuals who show initiative and a passion for learning and innovation.

Now that we understand the benefits of unique projects, let’s dive into some exciting project ideas that college students can explore.

100+ Unique Project Ideas for College Students: Category-Wise

Technology and innovation.

• Augmented Reality Museum Guide: Develop an AR app to provide an interactive museum experience.
• AI-Powered Language Translation Tool: Create a device or app that translates spoken language in real-time.
• Smart Agriculture Solutions: Design sensors for monitoring crop health and automating farming tasks.
• Home Automation System: Build a system that allows homeowners to control lights, appliances, and security through a mobile app.
• AI-Enhanced Mental Health Chatbot: Create a chatbot that offers mental health support and resources.
• Smart Mirror: Develop a mirror that displays information like weather, news, and your schedule.
• Drone Photography and Mapping: Use drones to capture aerial images and create 3D maps.
• Virtual Reality Campus Tours: Develop VR tours for prospective students to explore the campus.
• Robotics for Healthcare: Design robots that assist with patient care in hospitals.
• Wearable Health Monitoring: Create a wearable device that tracks vital signs and provides health insights.

Sustainability and Environmental Projects

• Urban Rooftop Gardens: Build rooftop gardens in urban areas to promote green spaces.
• Waste-to-Energy Conversion: Develop a system that converts waste into energy.
• Community Composting Stations: Set up composting stations for the local community.
• Recycled Plastic Art Installation: Create art pieces using recycled plastics to raise awareness about waste.
• Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions: Design sustainable packaging for products.
• Bike-Sharing Program: Implement a bike-sharing system on campus or in the community.
• Solar-Powered Charging Stations: Install solar-powered charging stations for electronic devices.
• Aquaponics Farming: Build an aquaponics system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics for sustainable food production.
• Air Quality Monitoring Network: Create a network of air quality sensors to track pollution levels.
• Plastic Waste Upcycling: Explore creative ways to upcycle plastic waste into useful products.

Social Impact and Community Service Projects

• Homeless Shelter Improvement: Renovate or improve facilities for local homeless shelters.
• Youth Mentorship Programs: Create programs to mentor and support at-risk youth.
• Community Cleanup Initiatives: Organize clean-up events in parks, neighborhoods, or beaches.
• Community Garden Projects: Establish and maintain community gardens to promote healthy eating.
• Digital Literacy Workshops: Provide training to seniors or disadvantaged individuals on using digital technology.
• Food Bank Donation Platform: Develop an app that connects restaurants and grocery stores with food banks.
• Elderly Care Outreach: Organize programs to assist seniors with companionship and basic needs.
• Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign: Create an awareness campaign to support survivors of domestic violence.
• Crisis Hotline App: Develop a mobile app for crisis intervention and support.
• Accessible Playground Construction: Build inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities.

Arts and Creative Projects

• Street Art Murals: Create public art installations or murals in your community.
• Indie Film Production: Produce an independent film or documentary.
• Community Theater Workshops: Offer acting and drama workshops to the community.
• Photography Exhibitions: Curate photography exhibitions showcasing local talent.
• Creative Writing Anthology: Compile a collection of short stories, poems, or essays.
• Sculpture Garden Installation: Create a sculpture garden featuring student-made artwork.
• Music Festival: Organize a music festival featuring local bands and artists.
• Fashion Show for a Cause: Host a fashion show to raise funds for charity.
• Public Piano Painting: Decorate and place pianos in public spaces for impromptu performances.
• DIY Craft Workshops: Teach crafting skills like knitting, pottery, or woodworking.

Entrepreneurial Ventures

• Student-Run Cafe: Start a café on campus managed by students.
• Local Artisan Marketplace: Create an online platform for local artisans to sell their products.
• Eco-Friendly Product Line: Develop and sell sustainable products like reusable bags or eco-friendly cleaning supplies.
• Tech Repair Service: Offer on-campus tech repair services for students and faculty.
• Tutoring and Homework Help Center: Create a center for peer tutoring and academic assistance.
• Student-Designed Board Games: Develop and sell original board games.
• Carpooling and Ride-Sharing App: Create an app for students to share rides.
• Sustainable Clothing Brand: Start a clothing brand using eco-friendly materials.
• Food Truck Business: Operate a food truck with unique cuisine options.
• Handmade Jewelry Line: Design and sell handmade jewelry.

Education and Learning Initiatives

• Open Educational Resource Repository: Create a repository of educational resources for students.
• Language Learning App: Develop an app to help users learn a new language.
• Student-Produced Podcasts: Start a podcast network featuring student-hosted shows on various topics.
• Environmental Education Workshops: Host workshops for local schools to teach kids about the environment.
• STEM Education for Underserved Youth: Provide STEM workshops and resources for underprivileged students.
• History Preservation Project: Document local history through interviews, photos, and artifacts.
• Virtual Study Groups: Create virtual study sessions and group study platforms.
• Literacy Programs for Adults: Offer literacy programs for adults looking to improve their reading and writing skills.
• Coding Bootcamps: Organize coding bootcamps for beginners and aspiring developers.
• Educational Escape Room: Design an educational escape room experience on a historical or scientific theme.

Health and Wellness Initiatives

• Mental Health Awareness Campaign: Raise awareness about mental health issues through workshops and events.
• Fitness and Wellness Classes: Offer fitness with no charges and wellness classes on campus.
• Health and Nutrition Seminars: Organize seminars on healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
• Meditation and Mindfulness Workshops: Provide resources for stress relief and relaxation.
• Student-Run Health Clinic: Create a student-operated health clinic offering basic medical services.
• Sexual Health Education Programs: Host workshops and distribute resources on sexual health.
• Addiction and Substance Abuse Support Groups: Establish support groups for those struggling with addiction.
• Peer Counseling Services: Train students to offer peer counseling and support.
• Sustainable Cooking Classes: Teach cooking classes that focus on sustainable, locally sourced ingredients.
• Healthy Lifestyle Challenges: Launch challenges encouraging healthier habits among students.

Science and Research Projects

• Biodiversity Surveys: Conduct surveys to document local plant and animal species.
• Astronomy Observation Nights: Organize public stargazing events with telescopes and astronomy experts.
• Biotechnology Experiments: Experiment with biotechnology, such as genetic modification or tissue engineering.
• Environmental Impact Assessment: Assess and report on the environmental impact of local developments.
• Innovative Recycling Technologies: Develop new methods or machines for recycling specific materials.
• Humanitarian Engineering Projects: Engineer solutions for issues in underserved communities.
• Alternative Energy Research: Research and develop alternative energy sources, such as algae biofuel or wave energy.
• AI-Driven Disease Diagnosis: Create an AI model for diagnosing diseases from medical images.
• Chemistry of Cooking: Explore the chemistry behind cooking and create unique dishes.
• Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation: Develop robots to assist with physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Political and Social Initiatives

• Voter Registration Drives: Organize events and campaigns to encourage voter registration.
• Youth Leadership Programs: Establish programs to empower young leaders in your community.
• Civic Engagement Workshops: Host workshops on how to get involved in local government.
• Community Policing Initiatives: Collaborate with local law enforcement to build trust and improve community relations.
• Interfaith Dialogue Events: Organize discussions to promote understanding and tolerance among different faiths.
• Cultural Awareness Festivals: Host festivals celebrating the diversity of cultures in your community.
• Social Justice Podcast: Create a podcast addressing social justice issues and advocacy.
• Youth Empowerment Conferences: Plan conferences focused on youth empowerment and activism.
• Human Rights Campaigns: Launch campaigns to support human rights causes both locally and globally.
• LGBTQ+ Support Groups and Events: Create safe spaces and organize events for the LGBTQ+ community.

Miscellaneous Unique Projects

• Space Exploration Club: Form a club dedicated to exploring and learning about space.
• DIY Home Renovation: Transform an old house or building into a community resource.
• Local Music Archive: Collect and archive music from local artists and bands.
• Cryptocurrency Awareness Campaign: Educate the public about cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
• Escape Room Business: Start an escape room business on or off-campus.
• Human-Powered Vehicles: Design and build human-powered vehicles for commuting.
• Underwater Archaeology Expedition: Explore and document underwater archaeological sites.
• Local History Smartphone App: Create an app providing historical information about your town or city.
• Historical Reenactment Society: Form a society for historical reenactments and events.
• Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration: Work on projects to restore and protect local waterways and ecosystems.

How to Get Started With Unique Project Ideas for College Students?

Now that you have a plethora of project ideas to choose from, it’s important to know how to get started. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you initiate and successfully execute your unique college project:

• Identify Personal Interests and Passions

Start by identifying your interests and passions. Choose a project that aligns with what excites you, as you’ll be more motivated to see it through to completion.

• Research Available Resources and Support on Campus

Investigate the resources and support available on your campus. Speak with professors, academic advisors, and campus organizations to find guidance, funding opportunities, and access to necessary facilities.

• Forming a Team and Collaborations

Many unique projects benefit from collaboration. Forming a team or partnering with other students who share your interests and skills can bring diverse perspectives to the project.

• Budgeting and Fundraising

Consider the financial aspects of your project. Create a budget that outlines the costs involved, and explore fundraising options, such as grants, sponsorships, or crowdfunding.

• Creating a Timeline and Setting Milestones

Develop a timeline for your project with specific milestones. This will help you stay on track, measure progress, and manage your time effectively.

How To Showcase  Unique Project Ideas for College Students?

Once your project is completed, it’s essential to showcase it to a wider audience. Here are some strategies to help you gain recognition for your hard work for Unique Project Ideas for College Students:

• Hosting Exhibitions or Presentations: Organize exhibitions, presentations, or demonstrations of your project on campus. Invite faculty, peers, and the community to come and see your work.
• Creating an Online Portfolio: Build an online portfolio or website to showcase your project and your other achievements. This provides a digital platform for potential employers or collaborators to view your work.
• Documenting the Process on Social Media: Use social media platforms to document your project’s progress. Sharing updates, photos, and videos can help you gain a following and attract attention to your work.
• Seeking Media Coverage and Recognition: Reach out to local media outlets, campus newspapers, and relevant websites to gain media coverage. A well-written press release can help you get the word out about your project.

Unique project ideas for college students offer a myriad of benefits, including enhanced problem-solving skills, a standout portfolio, practical experience, and a competitive edge in the job market. By exploring innovative tech projects, sustainability initiatives, social impact endeavors, creative arts projects, and entrepreneurial ventures, you can make the most of your college years.

Remember, the journey begins by identifying your interests, researching available resources, forming a dedicated team, and setting clear milestones. Be prepared to overcome challenges, learn from setbacks, and adapt to changing circumstances. Finally, don’t forget to showcase your hard work through exhibitions, online portfolios, social media, and media coverage.

Now, it’s your turn to embark on a unique college project that will leave a lasting impact and provide you with invaluable experiences and skills to carry into your future endeavors.

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Goals for student learning:

• Combine, curate, or interact with course materials and information in original ways
• Develop skills that college courses don’t often teach

Be aware that:

• Creative or digital assignments may require extensive preparation for students to complete and faculty to evaluate.
• Student facility with tools can mask weak mastery of content.
• Students may not understand the ethos--or mechanics--of citation in digital media or creative work.
• Digital assignments may tempt students to “cut and paste” from online materials without proper attribution.
• Anticipate that students will want to apply the skills they learn in other endeavors; discuss source use guidelines to follow in work they’re doing on their own. 

To encourage active, deep, and honest engagement:            

• Don’t assume students are technology natives; prepare students to work in the media that is assigned. 
• Get help from experts. Even if you're familiar with certain media, you might ask someone who produces art or digital media professionally to train your students and provide support for the assignment.
• Consider whether a digital or creative assignment accomplishes your learning goals  better  than a traditional assignment. If your assignment is about making an argument or engaging with print sources, then a written paper or oral presentation might be more effective than a digital or creative project. 
• Require students to cite faithfully and appropriately, which may include submitting a bibliography for a digital assignment.
• Share your discipline’s debates on originality and source use with your students.

Assignment types and examples:

• Movie-making
• Art-making (drawing, painting, assembling, collage, etc.)
• Creative writing
• Performance
• Digital annotation; mapping

Resources for faculty: 

Academic Technology Group, “ Technology for Teaching, Learning, & Research ” The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, " Grading and Responding to Student Work " (scroll down to Creative Assignments) The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, " Assignment Modalities " Office of the General Counsel, “ Copyright and Fair Use: A Guide for the Harvard Community ” Digital Arts & Humanities at Harvard Digital History at Harvard Tomorrow’s Professor, “ Projects, Tests, or Assignments that Encourage Original or Creative Thinking ”

Historian, Educator, & Author

Class Assignments for Undergraduate Students

I try to engage students with assignments designed to foster active learning. I often revise assignments. It depends on student needs and changing course content/learning outcomes. But feel free to borrow, alter, or find inspiration in these assignments for your own courses! Maybe you’ll find these useful!

Primary Source Analysis Assignment

I provide students with primary sources to analyze. One is a  written document. The other is an image/cartoon. They use questions from the National Archives Primary Source Worksheets  in class. These documents are always related to each other in some way. I typically pair them based on an event, a person, or a time period. Students work with an assigned partner in class to complete the worksheets. I choose the partners because I want students to be exposed to new perspectives. There is also a take-home portion of the assignment. Students use the worksheet information to  individually  write an analysis in short essay form. They conduct a sort of comparison/contrast between the types of sources. I also ask them to consider the following questions:

• Who wrote/created the source? How does this influence the content/context of the document? If the author/creator is unknown, do you have any guesses (age, race/ethnicity, social class, occupation, etc.) as to the type of person who might have created it? Why?
• Who is the audience (both intended and, perhaps, unintended)? How might audience impact the document?
• What does the historical record, authorship, and audience tell us about the possible biases or problems with reliability?
• Are there any words or items that offer symbolism, metaphor, etc.?
• How does this document help you to better understand the event/person/time period?

This assignment serves as practice for their final project. That assignment features examination of 7 primary sources based on their chosen topic.

Historical Film Review

In this assignment, I ask students to review a historical film. Students choose one of the films we watch in-class. If we didn’t watch a film, they choose another related film. They can also choose to compare/contrast multiple films. I often provide a list of possibilities. Students take notes on a Film Study worksheet I provide. I am happy to share this. They use these notes to compose a critical review of that film. Students do not necessarily have to use all of the worksheet questions in their review. They use knowledge gained in the classroom as well to help in their critique. They should reflect on historical accuracy, entertainment value, and impact. Some questions I ask them to consider include:

• What would they change to improve the film/program?
• How much do historical films affect our ability to educate the public on history?
• How do we determine fact from fiction?

Students should also look at professional critics’ film reviews. This will help them to craft a thoughtful review of their own. For film reviews check out this website: http://historymike.blogspot.com/2010/04/tips-on-writing-film-review-for-history.html .

Historical Game Review

Much like the film review, students are able to choose a historical game to review. This can be a table top, console, computer, online, card, board game, etc. The options are quite open! They then  write a review regarding things like its entertainment value, production, historical accuracy, etc. Worksheets of questions are provided to help guide them as they craft their game review. They also have to give their game a rating (0 to 4 stars) with an explanation as to the pros/cons and whether they recommend the game. 

• What would they change to improve the game in terms of story telling or game play?
• How much do historical games affect our ability to educate the public on history? Should games be historically accurate? What happens when they aren’t?

Students should also look at professional critics’ game reviews. This will help them to craft a thoughtful review of their own. For game reviews this site might be helpful: https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/22/you-got-game-but-can-you-write .

Final Project Assignment

While I prefer that students craft unique final project assignments, I offer them two options. Option A is “visual” project designed for the public. Here they engage both academic and public history. I sometimes let students work in pairs. That’s done on a case-by-case basis. I also offer Option B: a traditional argumentative research paper. We do project/paper check-ins every couple of weeks. We usually start in Week 4 (for a traditional 15/16 week semester). I talked a bit about Option A in a Tedx talk I gave in 2017. You can find that post here .

Option A: Public History Project Assignment (or an “Un-essay”)

This purpose of the assignment is to get students working with both primary and secondary sources. The assignment also introduces them to the field of public history. Students are allowed to choose their own topic. But it must be related to the course themes. They are encouraged to choose a topic that is of interest or that matters to them. I ask them to take their hobbies, interests, and majors into consideration. Each project is accompanied by an “Artist Statement.”

Options vary widely, but project suggestions include:

• an interactive collage (such as Prezi, http://prezi.com )
• a museum exhibit (using design software, PowerPoint, etc. to show how that exhibit would be set up and include objects/artifacts/items that would be present)
• a pamphlet (like those used for historical tours)
• an interactive and explanatory historical timeline (such as Tiki-Toki, http://tiki-toki.com )
• a public history blog
• a “live-tweet” series of an event on Twitter
• a hand-written, “aged” diary or series of letters
• a video (such as CrashCourse or Drunk History style or showcasing their topic; a student created a video of dances he choreographed inspired by his research on the history of dance; another student created a historical tourism commercial)
• creating an article of clothing
• cooking food
• building an object (like a house, ship, architectural piece, etc.)
• protest signs/memorabilia
• digital or traditional marketing material (a student once created marketing material for each group involved in one of the Crusades)
• designing curricular materials (education students have created “ABC Books” of their topics, planned curricular assignments for engaging K-12 students in research, etc.)
• campaign materials
• video/board/card games
• creative writing (short stories, a novella, poetry, etc.)
• artwork (paintings, anime, sketches, photography, etc.)
• political cartoons/newspapers
• maps (traditional, artistic, or even something like TripLine,  https://www.tripline.net )

A key element of this project is using their sources to create a compelling public history product.

Option A Project Assignment Guidelines

These guidelines are general. They are not intended to be a one-size-fits-all. Because there can be great variation between project types. I don’t expect students to become an expert on their topic. They should present the topic material clearly. The public should be able to easily understand. This assignment is more about their ability to select a topic and research it. They need to identify, locate, and examine primary sources (a minimum of 7). Students also need scholarly secondary sources (a minimum of 4). Option A is in two parts. First is their “visual” element (Prezi, PowerPoint, Tiki-Toki, booklet, map, etc.). Second is their written element (“artist explanation”).

For the written portion, the format is usually as follows:

• Intro: background/explanation of the topic and what the student learned about it; historical context (1-2 paragraphs)
• Description/explanation of the “visual” (or type of project) the student chose;  why did the student think it was the best format for explaining the topic (1-2 paragraphs)
• Annotated explanation of the primary sources ( of which there should be a minimum of 7 ): who was the author/creator? Who was the intended audience(s)? Why was it created? How did that source best represent the information the student wanted to convey about their topic? (approximately 1 paragraph per source; so a minimum of 7 paragraphs)
• Conclusion: what did the student learn about creating accessible history for the public? Does it differ from traditional history? If so, how?

Option A Grading

I grade projects on the following criteria. I am happy to share my rubric.

“Artist Statement Portion”

• Topic Background/Explanation of Medium
• Use of Evidence
• Organization
• Clarity and Style

“Visual Portion”

• Visual/Aesthetics
• Balance/Creativity

Option B: Argumentative Research Paper

Students also work with primary and secondary sources in Option B. In this option, the student writes a traditional 5-8 page academic paper on a topic of their choice. It also should relate to the course themes. A key element of this project is using both primary AND secondary sources to create a compelling historical argument. Due to the nature of this option, it does not  allow for work in pairs/small groups.

Option B Paper Assignment Guidelines

The paper should contain:

• an introduction (including a thesis statement)
• primary (minimum of 7) and scholarly secondary sources (minimum of 4) in support of that thesis
• counter-evidence to demonstrate the validity of their argument
• a strong conclusion.

I grade papers on the following criteria. I am happy to share my rubric.

• Overall impression
• Argument (thesis)
• Counter-Evidence

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 53 stellar college essay topics to inspire you.

College Essays

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit at least one essay as part of their application. But trying to figure out what college essay topics you should choose is a tricky process. There are so many potential things you could write about!

In this guide, we go over the essential qualities that make for a great college essay topic and give you 50+ college essay topics you can use for your own statement . In addition, we provide you with helpful tips for turning your college essay topic into a stellar college essay.

What Qualities Make for a Good College Essay Topic?

Regardless of what you write about in your personal statement for college , there are key features that will always make for a stand-out college essay topic.

#1: It’s Specific

First off, good college essay topics are extremely specific : you should know all the pertinent facts that have to do with the topic and be able to see how the entire essay comes together.

Specificity is essential because it’ll not only make your essay stand out from other statements, but it'll also recreate the experience for admissions officers through its realism, detail, and raw power. You want to tell a story after all, and specificity is the way to do so. Nobody wants to read a vague, bland, or boring story — not even admissions officers!

For example, an OK topic would be your experience volunteering at a cat shelter over the summer. But a better, more specific college essay topic would be how you deeply connected with an elderly cat there named Marty, and how your bond with him made you realize that you want to work with animals in the future.

Remember that specificity in your topic is what will make your essay unique and memorable . It truly is the key to making a strong statement (pun intended)!

#2: It Shows Who You Are

In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on.

The personal statement is critical because it gives schools more insight into who you are as a person and not just who you are as a student in terms of grades and classes.

By coming up with a real, honest topic, you’ll leave an unforgettable mark on admissions officers.

#3: It’s Meaningful to You

The very best college essay topics are those that hold deep meaning to their writers and have truly influenced them in some significant way.

For instance, maybe you plan to write about the first time you played Skyrim to explain how this video game revealed to you the potentially limitless worlds you could create, thereby furthering your interest in game design.

Even if the topic seems trivial, it’s OK to use it — just as long as you can effectively go into detail about why this experience or idea had such an impact on you .

Don’t give in to the temptation to choose a topic that sounds impressive but doesn’t actually hold any deep meaning for you. Admissions officers will see right through this!

Similarly, don’t try to exaggerate some event or experience from your life if it’s not all that important to you or didn’t have a substantial influence on your sense of self.

#4: It’s Unique

College essay topics that are unique are also typically the most memorable, and if there’s anything you want to be during the college application process, it’s that! Admissions officers have to sift through thousands of applications, and the essay is one of the only parts that allows them to really get a sense of who you are and what you value in life.

If your essay is trite or boring, it won’t leave much of an impression , and your application will likely get immediately tossed to the side with little chance of seeing admission.

But if your essay topic is very original and different, you’re more likely to earn that coveted second glance at your application.

What does being unique mean exactly, though? Many students assume that they must choose an extremely rare or crazy experience to talk about in their essays —but that's not necessarily what I mean by "unique." Good college essay topics can be unusual and different, yes, but they can also be unique takes on more mundane or common activities and experiences .

For instance, say you want to write an essay about the first time you went snowboarding. Instead of just describing the details of the experience and how you felt during it, you could juxtapose your emotions with a creative and humorous perspective from the snowboard itself. Or you could compare your first attempt at snowboarding with your most recent experience in a snowboarding competition. The possibilities are endless!

#5: It Clearly Answers the Question

Finally, good college essay topics will clearly and fully answer the question(s) in the prompt.

You might fail to directly answer a prompt by misinterpreting what it’s asking you to do, or by answering only part of it (e.g., answering just one out of three questions).

Therefore, make sure you take the time to come up with an essay topic that is in direct response to every question in the prompt .

Take this Coalition Application prompt as an example:

What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What's the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?

For this prompt, you’d need to answer all three questions (though it’s totally fine to focus more on one or two of them) to write a compelling and appropriate essay.

This is why we recommend reading and rereading the essay prompt ; you should know exactly what it’s asking you to do, well before you start brainstorming possible college application essay topics.

53 College Essay Topics to Get Your Brain Moving

In this section, we give you a list of 53 examples of college essay topics. Use these as jumping-off points to help you get started on your college essay and to ensure that you’re on track to coming up with a relevant and effective topic.

All college application essay topics below are categorized by essay prompt type. We’ve identified six general types of college essay prompts:

Why This College?

Change and personal growth, passions, interests, and goals, overcoming a challenge, diversity and community, solving a problem.

Note that these prompt types could overlap with one another, so you’re not necessarily limited to just one college essay topic in a single personal statement.

• How a particular major or program will help you achieve your academic or professional goals
• A memorable and positive interaction you had with a professor or student at the school
• Something good that happened to you while visiting the campus or while on a campus tour
• A certain class you want to take or a certain professor you’re excited to work with
• Some piece of on-campus equipment or facility that you’re looking forward to using
• Your plans to start a club at the school, possibly to raise awareness of a major issue
• A study abroad or other unique program that you can’t wait to participate in
• How and where you plan to volunteer in the community around the school
• An incredible teacher you studied under and the positive impact they had on you
• How you went from really liking something, such as a particular movie star or TV show, to not liking it at all (or vice versa)
• How yours or someone else’s (change in) socioeconomic status made you more aware of poverty
• A time someone said something to you that made you realize you were wrong
• How your opinion on a controversial topic, such as gay marriage or DACA, has shifted over time
• A documentary that made you aware of a particular social, economic, or political issue going on in the country or world
• Advice you would give to your younger self about friendship, motivation, school, etc.
• The steps you took in order to kick a bad or self-sabotaging habit
• A juxtaposition of the first and most recent time you did something, such as dance onstage
• A book you read that you credit with sparking your love of literature and/or writing
• A school assignment or project that introduced you to your chosen major
• A glimpse of your everyday routine and how your biggest hobby or interest fits into it
• The career and (positive) impact you envision yourself having as a college graduate
• A teacher or mentor who encouraged you to pursue a specific interest you had
• How moving around a lot helped you develop a love of international exchange or learning languages
• A special skill or talent you’ve had since you were young and that relates to your chosen major in some way, such as designing buildings with LEGO bricks
• Where you see yourself in 10 or 20 years
• Your biggest accomplishment so far relating to your passion (e.g., winning a gold medal for your invention at a national science competition)
• A time you lost a game or competition that was really important to you
• How you dealt with the loss or death of someone close to you
• A time you did poorly in a class that you expected to do well in
• How moving to a new school impacted your self-esteem and social life
• A chronic illness you battled or are still battling
• Your healing process after having your heart broken for the first time
• A time you caved under peer pressure and the steps you took so that it won't happen again
• How you almost gave up on learning a foreign language but stuck with it
• Why you decided to become a vegetarian or vegan, and how you navigate living with a meat-eating family
• What you did to overcome a particular anxiety or phobia you had (e.g., stage fright)
• A history of a failed experiment you did over and over, and how you finally found a way to make it work successfully
• Someone within your community whom you aspire to emulate
• A family tradition you used to be embarrassed about but are now proud of
• Your experience with learning English upon moving to the United States
• A close friend in the LGBTQ+ community who supported you when you came out
• A time you were discriminated against, how you reacted, and what you would do differently if faced with the same situation again
• How you navigate your identity as a multiracial, multiethnic, and/or multilingual person
• A project or volunteer effort you led to help or improve your community
• A particular celebrity or role model who inspired you to come out as LGBTQ+
• Your biggest challenge (and how you plan to tackle it) as a female in a male-dominated field
• How you used to discriminate against your own community, and what made you change your mind and eventually take pride in who you are and/or where you come from
• A program you implemented at your school in response to a known problem, such as a lack of recycling cans in the cafeteria
• A time you stepped in to mediate an argument or fight between two people
• An app or other tool you developed to make people’s lives easier in some way
• A time you proposed a solution that worked to an ongoing problem at school, an internship, or a part-time job
• The steps you took to identify and fix an error in coding for a website or program
• An important social or political issue that you would fix if you had the means

How to Build a College Essay in 6 Easy Steps

Once you’ve decided on a college essay topic you want to use, it’s time to buckle down and start fleshing out your essay. These six steps will help you transform a simple college essay topic into a full-fledged personal statement.

Step 1: Write Down All the Details

Once you’ve chosen a general topic to write about, get out a piece of paper and get to work on creating a list of all the key details you could include in your essay . These could be things such as the following:

• Emotions you felt at the time
• Names, places, and/or numbers
• Dialogue, or what you or someone else said
• A specific anecdote, example, or experience
• Descriptions of how things looked, felt, or seemed

If you can only come up with a few details, then it’s probably best to revisit the list of college essay topics above and choose a different one that you can write more extensively on.

Good college essay topics are typically those that:

• You remember well (so nothing that happened when you were really young)
• You're excited to write about
• You're not embarrassed or uncomfortable to share with others
• You believe will make you positively stand out from other applicants

Step 2: Figure Out Your Focus and Approach

Once you have all your major details laid out, start to figure out how you could arrange them in a way that makes sense and will be most effective.

It’s important here to really narrow your focus: you don’t need to (and shouldn’t!) discuss every single aspect of your trip to visit family in Indonesia when you were 16. Rather, zero in on a particular anecdote or experience and explain why and how it impacted you.

Alternatively, you could write about multiple experiences while weaving them together with a clear, meaningful theme or concept , such as how your math teacher helped you overcome your struggle with geometry over the course of an entire school year. In this case, you could mention a few specific times she tutored you and most strongly supported you in your studies.

There’s no one right way to approach your college essay, so play around to see what approaches might work well for the topic you’ve chosen.

If you’re really unsure about how to approach your essay, think about what part of your topic was or is most meaningful and memorable to you, and go from there.

Step 3: Structure Your Narrative

• Beginning: Don’t just spout off a ton of background information here—you want to hook your reader, so try to start in the middle of the action , such as with a meaningful conversation you had or a strong emotion you felt. It could also be a single anecdote if you plan to center your essay around a specific theme or idea.
• Middle: Here’s where you start to flesh out what you’ve established in the opening. Provide more details about the experience (if a single anecdote) or delve into the various times your theme or idea became most important to you. Use imagery and sensory details to put the reader in your shoes.
• End: It’s time to bring it all together. Finish describing the anecdote or theme your essay centers around and explain how it relates to you now , what you’ve learned or gained from it, and how it has influenced your goals.

Step 4: Write a Rough Draft

By now you should have all your major details and an outline for your essay written down; these two things will make it easy for you to convert your notes into a rough draft.

At this stage of the writing process, don’t worry too much about vocabulary or grammar and just focus on getting out all your ideas so that they form the general shape of an essay . It’s OK if you’re a little over the essay's word limit — as you edit, you’ll most likely make some cuts to irrelevant and ineffective parts anyway.

If at any point you get stuck and have no idea what to write, revisit steps 1-3 to see whether there are any important details or ideas you might be omitting or not elaborating on enough to get your overall point across to admissions officers.

Step 5: Edit, Revise, and Proofread

• Sections that are too wordy and don’t say anything important
• Irrelevant details that don’t enhance your essay or the point you're trying to make
• Parts that seem to drag or that feel incredibly boring or redundant
• Areas that are vague and unclear and would benefit from more detail
• Phrases or sections that are awkwardly placed and should be moved around
• Areas that feel unconvincing, inauthentic, or exaggerated

Start paying closer attention to your word choice/vocabulary and grammar at this time, too. It’s perfectly normal to edit and revise your college essay several times before asking for feedback, so keep working with it until you feel it’s pretty close to its final iteration.

This step will likely take the longest amount of time — at least several weeks, if not months — so really put effort into fixing up your essay. Once you’re satisfied, do a final proofread to ensure that it’s technically correct.

Step 6: Get Feedback and Tweak as Needed

After you’ve overhauled your rough draft and made it into a near-final draft, give your essay to somebody you trust , such as a teacher or parent, and have them look it over for technical errors and offer you feedback on its content and overall structure.

Use this feedback to make any last-minute changes or edits. If necessary, repeat steps 5 and 6. You want to be extra sure that your essay is perfect before you submit it to colleges!

Recap: From College Essay Topics to Great College Essays

Many different kinds of college application essay topics can get you into a great college. But this doesn’t make it any easier to choose the best topic for you .

In general, the best college essay topics have the following qualities :

• They’re specific
• They show who you are
• They’re meaningful to you
• They’re unique
• They clearly answer the question

If you ever need help coming up with an idea of what to write for your essay, just refer to the list of 53 examples of college essay topics above to get your brain juices flowing.

Once you’ve got an essay topic picked out, follow these six steps for turning your topic into an unforgettable personal statement :

• Write down all the details
• Figure out your focus and approach
• Structure your narrative
• Write a rough draft
• Edit, revise, and proofread
• Get feedback and tweak as needed

And with that, I wish you the best of luck on your college essays!

What’s Next?

Writing a college essay is no simple task. Get expert college essay tips with our guides on how to come up with great college essay ideas and how to write a college essay, step by step .

You can also check out this huge list of college essay prompts  to get a feel for what types of questions you'll be expected to answer on your applications.

Want to see examples of college essays that absolutely rocked? You're in luck because we've got a collection of 100+ real college essay examples right here on our blog!

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Getting Started with Creative Assignments

Creative teaching and learning can be cultivated in any course context to increase student engagement and motivation, and promote thinking skills that are critical to problem-solving and innovation. This resource features examples of Columbia faculty who teach creatively and have reimagined their course assessments to allow students to demonstrate their learning in creative ways. Drawing on these examples, this resource provides suggestions for creating a classroom environment that supports student engagement in creative activities and assignments.  

On this page:

• The What and Why of Creative Assignments

Examples of Creative Teaching and Learning at Columbia

• How To Get Started

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2022). Getting Started with Creative Assignments. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/creative-assignments/

The What and Why of Creative Assignments  

Creative assignments encourage students to think in innovative ways as they demonstrate their learning. Thinking creatively involves combining or synthesizing information or course materials in new ways and is characterized by “a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk-taking” (AAC&U). It is associated with imagination and originality, and additional characteristics include: being open to new ideas and perspectives, believing alternatives exist, withholding judgment, generating multiple approaches to problems, and trying new ways to generate ideas  (DiYanni, 2015: 41). Creative thinking is considered an important skill alongside critical thinking in tackling contemporary problems. Critical thinking allows students to evaluate the information presented to them while creative thinking is a process that allows students to generate new ideas and innovate.

Creative assignments can be integrated into any course regardless of discipline. Examples include the use of infographic assignments in Nursing (Chicca and Chunta, 2020) and Chemistry (Kothari, Castañeda, and McNeil, 2019); podcasting assignments in Social Work (Hitchcock, Sage & Sage, 2021); digital storytelling assignments in Psychology (Sheafer, 2017) and Sociology (Vaughn and Leon, 2021); and incorporating creative writing in the economics classroom (Davis, 2019) or reflective writing into Calculus assignment ( Gerstle, 2017) just to name a few. In a 2014 study, organic chemistry students who elected to begin their lab reports with a creative narrative were more excited to learn and earned better grades (Henry, Owens, and Tawney, 2015). In a public policy course, students who engaged in additional creative problem-solving exercises that included imaginative scenarios and alternative solution-finding showed greater interest in government reform and attentiveness to civic issues (Wukich and Siciliano, 2014).

The benefits of creative assignments include increased student engagement, motivation, and satisfaction (Snyder et al., 2013: 165); and furthered student learning of course content (Reynolds, Stevens, and West, 2013). These types of assignments promote innovation, academic integrity, student self-awareness/ metacognition (e.g., when students engage in reflection through journal assignments), and can be made authentic as students develop and apply skills to real-world situations.  

When instructors give students open-ended assignments, they provide opportunities for students to think creatively as they work on a deliverable. They “unlock potential” (Ranjan & Gabora and Beghetto in Gregerson et al., 2013) for students to synthesize their knowledge and propose novel solutions. This promotes higher-level thinking as outlined in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy’s “create” cognitive process category: “putting elements together to form a novel coherent whole or make an original product,” this involves generating ideas, planning, and producing something new. 

The examples that follow highlight creative assignments in the Columbia University classroom. The featured Columbia faculty taught creatively – they tried new strategies, purposefully varied classroom activities and assessment modalities, and encouraged their students to take control of what and how they were learning (James & Brookfield, 2014: 66).

Dr. Cruz changed her course assessment by “moving away from high stakes assessments like a final paper or a final exam, to more open-ended and creative models of assessments.”  Students were given the opportunity to synthesize their course learning, with options on topic and format of how to demonstrate their learning and to do so individually or in groups. They explored topics that were meaningful to them and related to the course material. Dr. Cruz noted that “This emphasis on playfulness and creativity led to fantastic final projects including a graphic novel interpretation, a video essay that applied critical theory to multiple texts, and an interactive virtual museum.” Students “took the opportunity to use their creative skills, or the skills they were interested in exploring because some of them had to develop new skills to produce these projects.” (Dr. Cruz; Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning , Season 3, Episode 6). Along with their projects, students submitted an artist’s statement, where they had to explain and justify their choices. 

Dr. Cruz noted that grading creative assignments require advanced planning. In her case, she worked closely with her TAs to develop a rubric that was shared with students in advance for full transparency and emphasized the importance of students connecting ideas to analytical arguments discussed in the class. 

Watch Dr. Cruz’s 2021 Symposium presentation. Listen to Dr. Cruz talk about The Power of Blended Classrooms in Season 3, Episode 6 of the Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning podcast. Get a glimpse into Dr. Cruz’s online classroom and her creative teaching and the design of learning experiences that enhanced critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and community by viewing her Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning submission.

As part of his standard practice, Dr. Yesilevskiy scaffolds assignments – from less complex to more complex – to ensure students integrate the concepts they learn in the class into their projects or new experiments. For example, in Laboratory 1, Dr. Yesilevskiy slowly increases the amount of independence in each experiment over the semester: students are given a full procedure in the first experiment and by course end, students are submitting new experiment proposals to Dr. Yesilevskiy for approval. This is creative thinking in action. Students not only learned how to “replicate existing experiments, but also to formulate and conduct new ones.”

Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy’s 2021 Symposium presentation. 

How Do I Get Started?: Strategies to Support Creative Assignments

The previous section showcases examples of creative assignments in action at Columbia. To help you support such creative assignments in your classroom, this section details three strategies to support creative assignments and creative thinking. Firstly, re-consider the design of your assignments to optimize students’ creative output. Secondly, scaffold creative assignments using low-stakes classroom activities that build creative capacity. Finally, cultivate a classroom environment that supports creative thinking.     

Design Considerations for Creative Assignments 

Thoughtfully designed open-ended assignments and evaluation plans encourage students to demonstrate their learning in authentic ways. When designing creative assignments, consider the following suggestions for structuring and communicating to your students about the assignment. 

Set clear expectations . Students may feel lost in the ambiguity and complexity of an open-ended assignment that requires them to create something new. Communicate the creative outcomes and learning objectives for the assignments (Ranjan & Gabora, 2013), and how students will be expected to draw on their learning in the course. Articulare how much flexibility and choice students have in determining what they work on and how they work on it. Share the criteria or a rubric that will be used to evaluate student deliverables. See the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics Into Your Feedback and Grading Practices . If planning to evaluate creative thinking, consider adapting the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ creative thinking VALUE rubric . 

Structure the project to sustain engagement and promote integrity. Consider how the project might be broken into smaller assignments that build upon each other and culminate in a synthesis project. The example presented above from Dr. Yesilevskiy’s teaching highlights how he scaffolded lab complexity, progressing from structured to student-driven. See the section below “Activities to Prepare Students for Creative Assignments” for sample activities to scaffold this work. 

Create opportunities for ongoing feedback . Provide feedback at all phases of the assignment from idea inception through milestones to completion. Leverage office hours for individual or group conversations and feedback on project proposals, progress, and issues. See the CTL’s resource on Feedback for Learning . Consider creating opportunities for structured peer review for students to give each other feedback on their work. Students benefit from learning about their peers’ projects, and seeing different perspectives and approaches to accomplishing the open-ended assignment. See the CTL’s resource Peer Review: Intentional Design for Any Course Context . 

Share resources to support students in their work. Ensure all students have access to the resources they will need to be successful on the assigned project. Connect students with campus resources that can help them accomplish the project’s objectives. For instance, if students are working on a research project – connect them to the Library instruction modules “ From Books to Bytes: Navigating the Research Ecosystem ,” encourage them to schedule a consultation with a specialist for research support through Columbia Libraries , or seek out writing support. If students will need equipment to complete their project, remind them of campus resources such as makerspaces (e.g., The Makerspace @ Columbia in Room 254 Engineering Terrace/Mudd; Design Center at Barnard College); borrowing equipment (e.g., Instructional Media and Technology Services (IMATS) at Barnard; Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library ). 

Ask students to submit a self-reflection with their project. Encourage students to reflect on their process and the decisions they made in order to complete the project. Provide guiding questions that have students reflect on their learning, make meaning, and engage their metacognitive thinking skills (see the CTL’s resource of Metacognition ). Students can be asked to apply the rubric to their work or to submit a creative statement along with their work that describes their intent and ownership of the project.

Collect feedback from students and iterate. Invite students to give feedback on the assigned creative project, as well as the classroom environment and creative activities used. Tell students how you will use their suggestions to make improvements to activities and assignments, and make adjustments to the classroom environment. See the CTL’s resource on Early and Mid-Semester Student Feedback . 

Low-Stakes Activities to Prepare Students for Creative Assignments

The activities described below are meant to be scaffolded opportunities leading to a larger creative project. They are low-stakes, non-graded activities that make time in the classroom for students to think, brainstorm, and create (Desrochers and Zell, 2012) and prepare them to do the creative thinking needed to complete course assignments. The activities can be adapted for any course context, with or without the use of technology, and can be done individually or collaboratively (see the CTL’s resource on Collaborative Learning to explore digital tools that are available for group work). 

Brainstorming 

Brainstorming is a process that students can engage in to generate as many ideas as possible related to a topic of study or an assignment topic (Sweet et al., 2013: 87). As they engage in this messy and jugement-free work, students explore a range of possibilities. Brainstorming reveals students’ prior knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010: 29). Brainstorm activities are useful early on to help create a classroom culture rooted in creativity while also serving as a potential icebreaker activity that helps instructors learn more about what prior knowledge and experiences students are bringing to the course or unit of study. This activity can be done individually or in groups, and in class or asynchronously. Components may include:

• Prompt students to list off (individually or collaboratively) their ideas on a whiteboard, free write in a Google Doc or some other digital space. 
• Provide formative feedback to assist students to further develop their ideas.
• Invite students to reflect on the brainstorm process, look over their ideas and determine which idea to explore further.

Mind mapping

A mind map, also known as a cognitive or concept map, allows students to visually display their thinking and knowledge organization, through lines connecting concepts, arrows showing relationships, and other visual cues (Sweet et al., 2013: 89; Ambrose et al. 2010: 63). This challenges students to synthesize and be creative as they display words, ideas, tasks or principles (Barkley, 2010: 219-225). A mind mapping activity can be done individually or in groups, and in class or asynchronously. This activity can be an extension of a brainstorming session, whereby students take an idea from their brainstormed list and further develop it. 

Components of a mind mapping activity may include:

• Prompt students to create a map of their thinking on a topic, concept, or question. This can be done on paper, on a whiteboard, or with digital mind mapping or whiteboard tools such as Google Drawing.
• Provide formative feedback on the mind maps.
• Invite students to reflect on their mind map, and determine where to go next.

Digital storytelling

Digital storytelling involves integrating multimedia (images, text, video, audio, etc.) and narrative to produce immersive stories that connect with course content. Student-produced stories can promote engagement and learning in a way that is both personal and universal (McLellan, 2007). Digital storytelling contributes to learning through student voice and creativity in constructing meaning (Rossiter and Garcia, 2010). 

Tools such as the CTL-developed Mediathread as well as EdDiscussion support collaborative annotation of media objects. These annotations can be used in writing and discussions, which can involve creating a story. For freeform formats, digital whiteboards allow students to drop in different text and media and make connections between these elements. Such storytelling can be done collaboratively or simply shared during class. Finally, EdBlogs can be used for a blog format, or Google Slides if a presentation format is better suited for the learning objective.

Asking questions to explore new possibilities

Tap into student imagination, stimulate curiosity, and create memorable learning experiences by asking students to pose “What if?” “why” and “how” questions – how might things be done differently; what will a situation look like if it is viewed from a new perspective?; or what could a new approach to solving a problem look like? (James & Brookfield, 2014: 163). Powerful questions are open-ended ones where the answer is not immediately apparent; such questions encourage students to think about a topic in new ways, and they promote learning as students work to answer them (James & Brookfield, 2014: 163). Setting aside time for students to ask lots of questions in the classroom and bringing in questions posed on CourseWorks Discussions or EdDiscussion sends the message to students that their questions matter and play a role in learning. 

Cultivate Creative Thinking in the Classroom Environment

Create a classroom environment that encourages experimentation and thinking from new and diverse perspectives. This type of environment encourages students to share their ideas without inhibition and personalize the meaning-making process. “Creative environments facilitate intentional acts of divergent (idea generation, collaboration, and design thinking) and convergent (analysis of ideas, products, and content created) thinking processes.” (Sweet et al., 2013: 20)

Encourage risk-taking and learning from mistakes . Taking risks in the classroom can be anxiety inducing so students will benefit from reassurance that their creativity and all ideas are welcome. When students bring up unexpected ideas, rather than redirecting or dismissing, seize it as an opportunity for a conversation in which students can share, challenge, and affirm ideas (Beghetto, 2013). Let students know that they can make mistakes, “think outside of the box” without penalty (Desrochers and Zell, 2012), and embrace failure seeing it as a learning opportunity.

Model creative thinking . Model curiosity and how to ask powerful questions, and encourage students to be curious about everything (Synder et al., 2013, DiYanni, 2015). Give students a glimpse into your own creative thinking process – how you would approach an open-ended question, problem, or assignment? Turn your own mistakes into teachable moments. By modeling creative thinking, you are giving students permission to engage in this type of thinking.

Build a community that supports the creative classroom environment. Have students get to know and interact with each other so that they become comfortable asking questions and taking risks in front of and with their peers. See the CTL’s resource on Community Building in the Classroom . This is especially important if you are planning to have students collaborate on creative activities and assignments and/or engage in peer review of each other’s work. 

Plan for play. Play is integral to learning (Cavanagh, 2021; Eyler, 2018; Tatter, 2019). Play cultivates a low stress, high trust, inclusive environment, as students build relationships with each. This allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom and motivates them to tackle more difficult content (Forbes, 2021). Set aside time for play (Ranjan & Gabora, 2013; Sinfield, Burns, & Abegglen, 2018). Design for play with purpose grounded in learning goals. Create a structured play session during which students experiment with a new topic, idea, or tool and connect it to curricular content or their learning experience. Play can be facilitated through educational games such as puzzles, video games, trivia competitions, scavenger hunts or role-playing activities in which students actively apply knowledge and skills as they act out their role (Eyler, 2018; Barkley, 2010). For an example of role-playing games explore Reacting to the Past , an active learning pedagogy of role-playing games developed by Mark Carnes at Barnard College. 

The CTL is here to help!

CTL consultants are happy to support instructors as they design activities and assignments that promote creative thinking. Email [email protected] to schedule a consultation.

Ambrose et al. (2010). How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Jossey-Bass.

Barkley, E. F., Major, C. H., and Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty . 

Barkley, E. F. (2010) Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty.

Beghetto, R. (2013). Expect the Unexpected: Teaching for Creativity in the Micromoments. In M.B. Gregerson, H.T. Snyder, and J.C. Kaufman (Eds.). Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity . Springer. 

Cavanagh, S. R. (2021). How to Play in the College Classroom in a Pandemic, and Why You Should . The Chronicle of Higher Education. February 9, 2021.

Chicca, J. and Chunta, K, (2020). Engaging Students with Visual Stories: Using Infographics in Nursing Education . Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 15(1), 32-36.

Davis, M. E. (2019). Poetry and economics: Creativity, engagement and learning in the economics classroom. International Review of Economics Education. Volume 30. 

Desrochers, C. G. and Zell, D. (2012). Gave projects, tests, or assignments that required original or creative thinking! POD-IDEA Center Notes on Instruction. 

DiYanni, R. (2015). Critical and creative thinking : A brief guide for teachers . John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. 

Eyler, J. R. (2018). How Humans Learn. The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teaching. West Virginia University Press. 

Forbes, L. K. (2021). The Process of Play in Learning in Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study. Journal of Teaching and Learning. Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 57-73. 

Gerstle, K. (2017). Incorporating Meaningful Reflection into Calculus Assignments. PRIMUS. Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies. 29(1), 71-81.

Gregerson, M. B., Snyder, H. T., and Kaufman, J. C. (2013). Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity . Springer. 

Henry, M., Owens, E. A., and Tawney, J. G. (2015). Creative Report Writing in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Inspires Non Majors. Journal of Chemical Education , 92, 90-95.

Hitchcock, L. I., Sage, T., Lynch, M. and Sage, M. (2021). Podcasting as a Pedagogical Tool for Experiential Learning in Social Work Education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work . 41(2). 172-191.

James, A., & Brookfield, S. D. (2014). Engaging imagination : Helping students become creative and reflective thinkers . John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Jackson, N. (2008). Tackling the Wicked Problem of Creativity in Higher Education.

Jackson, N. (2006). Creativity in higher education. SCEPTrE Scholarly Paper , 3 , 1-25.

Kleiman, P. (2008). Towards transformation: conceptions of creativity in higher education.

Kothari, D., Hall, A. O., Castañeda, C. A., and McNeil, A. J. (2019). Connecting Organic Chemistry Concepts with Real-World Context by Creating Infographics. Journal of Chemistry Education. 96(11), 2524-2527. 

McLellan, H. (2007). Digital Storytelling in Higher Education. Journal of Computing in Higher Education. 19, 65-79. 

Ranjan, A., & Gabora, L. (2013). Creative Ideas for Actualizing Student Potential. In M.B. Gregerson, H.T. Snyder, and J.C. Kaufman (Eds.). Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity . Springer. 

Rossiter, M. and Garcia, P. A. (2010). Digital Storytelling: A New Player on the Narrative Field. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. No. 126, Summer 2010. 

Sheafer, V. (2017). Using digital storytelling to teach psychology: A preliminary investigation. Psychology Learning & Teaching. 16(1), 133-143. 

Sinfield, S., Burns, B., & Abegglen, S. (2018). Exploration: Becoming Playful – The Power of a Ludic Module. In A. James and C. Nerantzi (Eds.). The Power of Play in Higher Education . Palgrave Macmillan.

Reynolds, C., Stevens, D. D., and West, E. (2013). “I’m in a Professional School! Why Are You Making Me Do This?” A Cross-Disciplinary Study of the Use of Creative Classroom Projects on Student Learning. College Teaching. 61: 51-59.

Sweet, C., Carpenter, R., Blythe, H., and Apostel, S. (2013). Teaching Applied Creative Thinking: A New Pedagogy  for the 21st Century. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press Inc. 

Tatter, G. (2019). Playing to Learn: How a pedagogy of play can enliven the classroom, for students of all ages . Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Vaughn, M. P. and Leon, D. (2021). The Personal Is Political Art: Using Digital Storytelling to Teaching Sociology of Sexualities. Teaching Sociology. 49(3), 245-255. 

Wukich, C. and Siciliano, M. D. (2014). Problem Solving and Creativity in Public Policy Courses: Promoting Interest and Civic Engagement. Journal of Political Science Education . 10, 352-368.

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8 creative assignments that make finals kind of awesome.

1. Sociology of Food

In Professor of Sociology Idee Winfield’s First Year Experience final, students will eat. Yep. That’s right. Of course, there’s more to the assignment than that, but the exam period will involve a potluck meal during which student groups will present on an aspect of the industrial food system and its consequences for around 20 minutes each.

“Students will combine multimedia with presentation software and a variety of active learning strategies, such as blind taste tests and game show formats, to teach a topic,” Winfield said.

2. Introduction to Data Science

Data science is the intersection of statistics, mathematics, and computer science applied to extracting knowledge from big data. Consistently ranked as one of the top fields to watch in the next decade, recent graduates of the College’s program are in positions at industry-leading analytic companies or taking on graduate school fellowships to Ivy League colleges. Assistant Professor Paul Anderson is showing students the full range of possibilities for data scientists in his introductory course’s final.

“Each student will play the part of a data scientist hired to analyze a breast cancer diagnostic dataset,” Anderson said. “Their task is to analyze and prepare a report on their findings after developing computational models that predict whether or not a patient has a benign or malignant form of breast cancer.”

3. TV Production

Adjunct Professor Tim Fennell has assigned students of his communication course to produce and/or edit short video projects. One student is editing a music video by multi-platinum Mark Bryan (shot as part of a project for his arts management course) for his song A Little Bit of Everything .

4. Globalization, Governance, and Un-Americanizing U.S. Cities in the 21st Century

In Urban Studies Program Director Kevin Keenan’s First Year Experience course, which focuses on issues affecting major American cities and how those issues trickle through to smaller U.S. cities, he’s requiring students to map urban governance concepts covered in the class, such as approaches to economic revitalization and urban activism to a sensory experience.

Students are also required to integrate knowledge from other courses to achieve “integrative learning,” and they must use all of their senses to engage with this knowledge just as they learn about the world in their everyday lives using these same senses.

“Students will provide that sensory experience in the format of the project to explain how their body in all of its senses is helping them learn,” Keenan explained.

RELATED: Formulate a zombie apocalypse escape plan with Keenan’s help

5. Law and Society

Former College of Charleston President and Chief Justice of the S.C. Court of Appeals Alex Sanders is teaching students in this political science course designed to introduce students to the legal method of deciding disputes through the study of particular areas of legal doctrine.

For his final, which covers only the second half of the semester, Sanders is letting each student choose a social issue (like affirmative action, gun control or same-sex marriage) to analyze. The issues are discussed in class, then the student must write a paper arguing against his or her chosen position on the issue.

6. Theatre and Ethical Choice

Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Susan Kattwinkel’s First Year Experience course examines plays and performances that force audiences to consider questions like which of two moral codes to follow, whom to believe and when to sacrifice personal desires for the greater good.

Students in her course will choose a scene, character or image that illustrates an ethical choice from the 2014-15 College Reads! book The Good Soldiers in their final. They will write and perform (in groups) a short scene based around their selections.

7. Campaigns and Elections

Political science department chair Gibbs Knotts teaches this course, which focuses on American elections, campaigns, and voting behavior within the context of political representation and U.S. electoral rules and procedures. He has assigned students to apply research from the discipline of political science to a recent statewide election.

Specifically, students will analyze candidate profiles, campaign strategy and election results for a comprehensive look at their chosen election.

8. Healing Narratives: Understanding Illness Through Storytelling

In this unique course taught by Assistant Professor of English Kathele Béres Rogers and Adjunct Professor of Psychology Silvia Youssef Hanna, students have worked with community members from local hospice and assisted-living facilities to understand them and their stories. For the final assignment, students will present the narratives of those community members.

RELATED: Learn more about the class in this College of Charleston Magazine article

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• 50+ Creative Art Project Ideas For College Students

By: Author The GenTwenty Team

Posted on Last updated: December 13, 2023

Categories College

Art class in college is a time to expand your palette and try new techniques! Here are well over 50 creative art project ideas.

Embarking on  art projects  is not just a way to fill the time between college lectures and exams; it’s a crucial element of personal and educational growth for  college students . Creativity thrives when minds are given the freedom to explore, and art projects offer a unique avenue for this exploration.

As part of art education, art teachers love making projects as part of their lesson plans, whether for college or high school students. It’s a fun way for art students to show what they have learned and express themselves.

Engaging in various  creative projects , whether a passion project or a calling, can enhance an individual’s ability to think laterally, solve problems imaginatively, and express complex ideas visually. These artistic endeavors are not limited to the tangible benefits of improved  artistic skills  but extend to bolstering academic performance and personal well-being.

As the canvas of college life stretches out, students are encouraged to paint their paths with broad strokes, dabbling in a medley of  art ideas  from traditional  painting techniques  to digital expressions in  graphic design . Every student has the opportunity to craft a unique  art portfolio , develop a rich tapestry of skills, and weave their narrative through  creative expression .

In this blog post, we will cover a plethora creative art project ideas for college students to try. Make note of what speaks to you!

50 Creative Art Project Ideas For College Students

Here are 50 creative art project ideas suitable for college-level students:

• Create a self-portrait using abstract shapes, colors, and textures to represent different aspects of your personality. Use white paper and oil pastels or acrylic paint or do something more creative and use only materials from the natural world on black paper. The options are endless.
• Gather random objects and create a sculpture by assembling them in a unique and interesting way.
• Create a collage using photographs, combining and layering images to tell a visual story.
• Utilize 3D printing technology to produce a sculpture or object that explores form and structure.
• Design an installation that engages viewers and encourages them to interact with the artwork.
• Experiment with digital painting using software like Adobe Photoshop or Procreate. Create a virtual bulletin board for a collaborative art project.
• Transform old books into works of art by cutting, folding, and adding your own illustrations.
• Build a sculpture that incorporates movement or responds to external stimuli.
• Create a stop-motion animation using objects, drawings, or clay figures.
• Combine traditional artwork with augmented reality elements using AR apps.
• Construct an art installation using recycled materials to highlight sustainability.
• Experiment with body painting and use the human form as a canvas for photography.
• Design a mosaic using tiles, glass, or other materials to create a visually stunning piece. Take a field trip to local spots and gather materials.
• Explore alternative printmaking techniques like monoprinting, cyanotype, or linocut.
• Use projection mapping to transform the surfaces of objects or buildings with dynamic visuals.
• Create a large-scale installation using ceramic pieces to explore form and texture.
• Craft a sculpture using natural materials like branches, leaves, and stones.
• Experiment with creating a sculpture by making a cast of a part of the human body.
• Keep an art journal documenting your creative process, thoughts, and visual ideas.
• Design an artwork using typography as the primary visual element.
• Develop a virtual reality art experience that immerses viewers in a digital environment. This is a creative way to blend technology and art.
• Create an art installation that involves auditory elements and explores the relationship between sound and visual art.
• Build a detailed miniature world inside a box or container.
• Create poetry by selecting and rearranging words from existing texts, newspapers, or books.
• Stage a live art performance, incorporating elements of theater, dance, or music.
• Experiment with graffiti art techniques, either on canvas or an approved outdoor space.
• Use wire to create intricate sculptures that play with form and negative space.
• Develop a series of fashion illustrations that showcase your unique style.
• Explore the art of glassblowing to create intricate glass sculptures or vessels.
• Combine various materials like fabric, paper, and found objects to create a mixed media collage.
• Experiment with long-exposure photography and light sources to create dynamic and abstract images.
• Create an installation using textiles and fabric to explore texture, color, and form.
• Develop a project that focuses on conveying a conceptual idea through various mediums.
• Take your sketchbook to the streets and create drawings or paintings of urban scenes.
• Collect sounds from your environment and compose a piece of music or an audio installation.
• Create a performance art piece and document it through video. Video project require another set of skills as well but video is highly profitable skill in today’s world.
• Build a shadow box that tells a story or explores a theme using three-dimensional objects.
• Develop a series of landscape paintings exploring different techniques and styles.
• Use augmented reality apps to enhance street art and create interactive experiences.
• Use your body’s movement to create drawings or paintings, capturing the essence of motion.
• Create maps that illustrate personal experiences, emotions, or imaginary worlds.
• Produce an experimental short film that incorporates unconventional storytelling techniques.
• Experiment with fabric dyeing techniques, such as tie-dye or shibori, and create printed patterns.
• Weld or manipulate metal to create sculptures that explore form, balance, and structure. You could even make cookie cutters and then make cookies from what you’ve created for your college art project.
• Design and illustrate your own book, exploring both the narrative and visual aspects.
• Develop a photography series that explores a specific concept or theme.
• Create temporary art installations in natural settings using materials found on-site.
• Design and print your own textiles, exploring pattern and color.
• Create artworks that explore personal or societal views on body image and self-perception.
• Develop an art project with therapeutic goals , addressing personal or social issues through creative expression.

These art project ideas are diverse and can be adapted based on your interests, preferred mediums, and artistic style. Feel free to combine or modify these ideas to create unique and meaningful art projects for your college-level coursework.

Unlocking Your Creativity

College serves as an expansive canvas for young artists, offering an environment brimming with new experiences, diverse perspectives, and stimulating challenges that are tailor-made to fuel the creative fires.

It is in this unique academic setting that  college students  can harness their life experiences and academic learning as sources of inspiration to funnel into their art.

To tap into this wellspring of creativity, students are encouraged to maintain an open mind, engage in campus activities outside their comfort zone, and utilize their coursework as a muse for their artistic endeavors. Trying new mediums and techniques, such as  digital art ,  sculpture , or  printmaking , not only broadens their artistic repertoire, but also cultivates adaptability and innovation in their creative expression.

Embracing the variety of art supplies and  art workshops  available on campus can further expand their horizons and augment their artistic skills, pushing the boundaries of their usual creative processes. By immersing themselves in college’s vast pool of opportunities, students open the doors to discovering fresh  art ideas  and new ways of  creative expression , setting the stage for a rich and vibrant artistic path.

Budget-Friendly Art Ideas

Embarking on creative endeavors in college need not drain your finances. A thrifty approach to art can involve  recycled materials , such as repurposed cardboard, discarded magazines, and reclaimed fabrics, to not only save on costs but also add unique textures to your projects.

Scouring  thrift stores and yard sales  can unearth affordable art supplies and unexpected materials. Additionally, many art stores offer  student discounts , allowing you to access quality resources without the hefty price tag. Be on the lookout for community  art swaps or exchanges  where you can trade materials with peers.

Embracing a DIY ethos can also inspire you to create your own supplies, for instance, mixing your own paint colors or crafting sketchbooks from recycled paper. The university’s art department may have resources like  free workshops  or a reuse center, offering an economical gateway to expand your artistic repertoire.

Here Are Some Art Projects for Beginners:

• DIY Canvas Painting:  Experiment with simple paint techniques like sponging or finger painting to create abstract designs on canvas. This is a relaxing way to start with painting while learning color theory and composition.
• Papier-Mâché Sculpture:  Create sculptures using recycled newspaper and glue. It’s an accessible project for beginners and helps understand three-dimensional forms.
• Basic Printmaking:  Use everyday objects such as leaves or cut potatoes to practice printmaking. This teaches pattern-making and the basics of ink application.
• Recycled Art:  Reuse materials to build an eco-friendly art piece. It’s a great way to learn about sustainability in art and can involve anything from plastic bottles to old clothing.
• Photography Project:  Start with a smartphone or a basic camera and capture themes like ‘A Day in the Life’ or ‘Urban Landscapes’. It helps beginners understand framing and lighting.
• Sketching and Drawing:  Begin with pencil sketches focusing on still life or outdoor scenes to hone observation and hand-eye coordination.
• Basic Digital Art:  Utilize free digital drawing tools to create artwork on a computer or tablet. It’s an important skill set for modern art practices and encourages understanding of digital mediums.
• Mural Painting:  Collaborate on a group mural project utilizing simple shapes and colors to contribute to a larger piece. This helps with planning and executing larger scale works.

Here are Examples of More Advanced Art Project Challenges:

• Large-Scale Mural Painting:  Tackle the grandeur of public art by engaging in a mural project that requires planning, collaboration, and a mastery of painting techniques.
• Interactive Sculpture:  Challenge both technical and conceptual skills by creating sculptures that require viewer participation or integrate mechanical elements.
• Advanced Printmaking Series:  Delve into the complexities of printmaking with a series of related prints that explore advanced techniques such as intaglio or lithography.
• Complex Mixed Media Installations:  Push the envelope with an installation that combines various media and engages with the exhibition space in immersive ways.
• Conceptual Photography Project:  Develop a photography project with a strong thematic focus, requiring in-depth research and a sophisticated approach to visual storytelling.

Another Idea: Collaborative Pieces and Group Projects

Working together on a collaborative art piece  can significantly enhance the experience of creating and learning for college students. Such projects not only merge diverse perspectives and artistic skills but also foster a spirit of community and cooperation.

For instance, a  mural painting  involving multiple student artists can transform a bland campus wall into a vibrant tapestry of collective expression. Similarly,  sculpture installations  made from recycled materials encourage students to discuss environmental themes and develop problem-solving skills as a team.

Another inspiring group project could be the creation of a large-scale  mixed media piece , where each participant contributes a segment that reflects personal narratives or cultural backgrounds, ultimately weaving a story that is bigger than its parts.

By participating in such endeavors, students learn the vital role of teamwork and shared creativity in accomplishing artistic visions and projects.

Displaying Your Artwork

Once you’ve poured your heart into a piece, finding the right platform to share it can be just as rewarding. An excellent starting point is a  digital portfolio , where you can curate and display your work professionally. Websites like Behance or your personal site can serve as a great showcase for potential employers or art schools.

Students should also take advantage of  college exhibitions , which not only provide a legitimate space for your artwork but also offer a chance to receive feedback and network. Additionally, social media platforms have become indispensable for artists today, offering a broad audience and engagement opportunities.

Don’t overlook local coffee shops, libraries, or community centers either; they often have space dedicated to local artists. Remember, the act of presenting your art to the public is crucial – it’s a bold statement of your creativity and a significant step in your artistic journey.

Digital Art and Tech Integration

The intersection of art and technology opens up a new realm of possibilities for college students eager to expand their creative toolkit. Digital art tools and software, such as Adobe Photoshop for photo manipulation, Illustrator for vector graphics, and Procreate for digital painting on tablets, provide students with the means to push the boundaries of traditional art forms.

Blender can be used for 3D modeling and animation, while Unity offers an introduction to the world of game design and art. Encouraging the integration of technology in art not only enhances the creative process but also prepares student artists for a digital-centric professional landscape.

By blending traditional painting techniques with graphic design, or incorporating digital elements into sculpture and printmaking, students can create mixed media masterpieces that are unique and innovative. Embracing the digital dimension in art projects allows for endless experimentation and growth in both artistic skills and technological proficiency.

Reflections Through the Canvas

Art projects during college not only serve as a form of creative expression but also play a significant role in personal and professional growth. As you embark on various art endeavors, taking the time to reflect on your artistic journey can be incredibly rewarding.

Documenting your progress through journals, blogs, or visual portfolios allows you to witness your evolution as an artist. This practice isn’t just about preserving memories; it’s a proactive approach to developing your artistic skills and creating a body of work that can be instrumental in your portfolio development.

Such a portfolio can open doors to future opportunities and serve as a testament to your dedication and talent. So, continue to push boundaries, experiment with new techniques, and most importantly, keep creating. Remember, every piece you create is a step towards mastering your craft and cementing your unique artistic voice.

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Creative Ways to Design Assignments for Student Success

There are many creative ways in which teachers can design assignments to support student success. We can do this while simultaneously not getting bogged down with the various obstructions that keep students from both completing and learning from the assignments. For me, assignments fall into two categories: those that are graded automatically, such as SmartBook® readings and quizzes in Connect®; and those that I need to grade by hand, such as writing assignments.  

For those of us teaching large, introductory classes, most of our assignments are graded automatically, which is great for our time management. But our students will ultimately deliver a plethora of colorful excuses as to why they were not completed and why extensions are warranted. How do we give them a little leeway to make the semester run more smoothly, so there are fewer worries about a reading that was missed or a quiz that went by too quickly? Here are a few tactics I use. 

Automatically graded assignments: 

Multiple assignment attempts  

• This eases the mental pressure of a timed assignment and covers computer mishaps or human error on the first attempt. 
• You can deduct points for every attempt taken if you are worried about students taking advantage. 

Automatically dropped assignments  

• Within a subset or set of assignments, automatically drop a few from grading. This can take care of all excuses for missing an assignment. 
• Additionally, you can give a little grade boost to those who complete all their assignments (over a certain grade). 

Due dates  

• Consider staggering due dates during the week instead of making them all due on Sunday night.  
• Set the due date for readings the night before you cover the material, so students are prepared.  

Requirements  

• If we want our students to read, then make a reading assignment a requirement of a quiz. 

The tactics above might be applied to written assignments, too. An easy way to bolster a student’s interest and investment in these longer assignments is to give them a choice. This could be in the topic, location of study, or presentation style. For example, if you want them to analyze the susceptibility of a beach to hurricane threat, why not let them choose the location? In this way, you will also be gaining a lot of new information for your own use. 

With a small amount of effort, we can design our classes, so students concentrate on learning the subject matter rather than the logistics of completing the assignments. 

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How to write the best college assignments.

By Lois Weldon

When it comes to writing assignments, it is difficult to find a conceptualized guide with clear and simple tips that are easy to follow. That’s exactly what this guide will provide: few simple tips on how to write great assignments, right when you need them. Some of these points will probably be familiar to you, but there is no harm in being reminded of the most important things before you start writing the assignments, which are usually determining on your credits.

The most important aspects: Outline and Introduction

Preparation is the key to success, especially when it comes to academic assignments. It is recommended to always write an outline before you start writing the actual assignment. The outline should include the main points of discussion, which will keep you focused throughout the work and will make your key points clearly defined. Outlining the assignment will save you a lot of time because it will organize your thoughts and make your literature searches much easier. The outline will also help you to create different sections and divide up the word count between them, which will make the assignment more organized.

The introduction is the next important part you should focus on. This is the part that defines the quality of your assignment in the eyes of the reader. The introduction must include a brief background on the main points of discussion, the purpose of developing such work and clear indications on how the assignment is being organized. Keep this part brief, within one or two paragraphs.

This is an example of including the above mentioned points into the introduction of an assignment that elaborates the topic of obesity reaching proportions:

Background : The twenty first century is characterized by many public health challenges, among which obesity takes a major part. The increasing prevalence of obesity is creating an alarming situation in both developed and developing regions of the world.

Structure and aim : This assignment will elaborate and discuss the specific pattern of obesity epidemic development, as well as its epidemiology. Debt, trade and globalization will also be analyzed as factors that led to escalation of the problem. Moreover, the assignment will discuss the governmental interventions that make efforts to address this issue.

Practical tips on assignment writing

Here are some practical tips that will keep your work focused and effective:

–         Critical thinking – Academic writing has to be characterized by critical thinking, not only to provide the work with the needed level, but also because it takes part in the final mark.

–         Continuity of ideas – When you get to the middle of assignment, things can get confusing. You have to make sure that the ideas are flowing continuously within and between paragraphs, so the reader will be enabled to follow the argument easily. Dividing the work in different paragraphs is very important for this purpose.

–         Usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ – According to the academic writing standards, the assignments should be written in an impersonal language, which means that the usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ should be avoided. The only acceptable way of building your arguments is by using opinions and evidence from authoritative sources.

–         Referencing – this part of the assignment is extremely important and it takes a big part in the final mark. Make sure to use either Vancouver or Harvard referencing systems, and use the same system in the bibliography and while citing work of other sources within the text.  

–         Usage of examples – A clear understanding on your assignment’s topic should be provided by comparing different sources and identifying their strengths and weaknesses in an objective manner. This is the part where you should show how the knowledge can be applied into practice.

–         Numbering and bullets – Instead of using numbering and bullets, the academic writing style prefers the usage of paragraphs.

–         Including figures and tables – The figures and tables are an effective way of conveying information to the reader in a clear manner, without disturbing the word count. Each figure and table should have clear headings and you should make sure to mention their sources in the bibliography.

–         Word count – the word count of your assignment mustn’t be far above or far below the required word count. The outline will provide you with help in this aspect, so make sure to plan the work in order to keep it within the boundaries.

The importance of an effective conclusion

The conclusion of your assignment is your ultimate chance to provide powerful arguments that will impress the reader. The conclusion in academic writing is usually expressed through three main parts:

–         Stating the context and aim of the assignment

–         Summarizing the main points briefly

–         Providing final comments with consideration of the future (discussing clear examples of things that can be done in order to improve the situation concerning your topic of discussion).

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Lois Weldon is writer at  Uk.bestdissertation.com . Lives happily at London with her husband and lovely daughter. Adores writing tips for students. Passionate about Star Wars and yoga.

7 comments on “How To Write The Best College Assignments”

Extremely useful tip for students wanting to score well on their assignments. I concur with the writer that writing an outline before ACTUALLY starting to write assignments is extremely important. I have observed students who start off quite well but they tend to lose focus in between which causes them to lose marks. So an outline helps them to maintain the theme focused.

Hello Great information…. write assignments

Well elabrated

Thanks for the information. This site has amazing articles. Looking forward to continuing on this site.

This article is certainly going to help student . Well written.

Really good, thanks

Practical tips on assignment writing, the’re fantastic. Thank you!

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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The 10 Best Homeworkify Alternatives for Students in 2024

Engineering Team

February 15, 2024

Stressed about that mountain of homework piling up? We feel your pain. 

The struggle is real when it comes to tackling tricky assignments. That’s where AI tools like Homeworkify come into play.

Whether you’re in high school or an engineering undergrad, Homeworkify can help you turn in those challenging assignments on time. ⏰

For some users, though, Homeworkify falters when it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects for complete accuracy. Fortunately, there are plenty of other options. 

While you’ve been busy cracking that homework assignment, we’ve been researching the top 10 alternatives to Homeworkify. 

Let’s take a look!

What Should You Look for In Homeworkify Alternatives?

3. khan academy, 4. crazy for study, 5. studypool, 7. quizplus, 8. academichelp, 9. symbolab, 10. course hero, other ai tools.

Before you pick an alternative to Homeworkify, set your goals regarding the subjects you want to focus on, the academic resources you’d like to access, and the tools that best fit your learning style. Equally important to consider is how your chosen platform rates academic integrity.

Here’s a summary of the key points you need to keep in mind:

• Educational standards: Ensure that the platform is aligned with the requisite educational standards and complies with all applicable regulations 
• Simple, easy-to-use interface: Want a smoother user experience? Pick a platform that’s intuitive and easy to navigate 
• Integration with existing tools: A platform that integrates with your existing stack of tools, such as your learning management system (LMS) and favorite productivity tools is a better pick than one that doesn’t support those integrations.
• Pricing and reviews: Choose an alternative that’s pocket-friendly (with no hidden fees) and has multiple positive reviews from a wide range of users 💰
• Collaboration capabilities: It’s helpful to work with a platform that allows you to collaborate with other students and teams via tools such as shared documents, discussion forums, and progress trackers 
• Compatibility: If you work with multiple devices, sign up for a platform that’s compatible across smartphones, tablets, and your preferred operating system and browser
• Security: Select an alternative with robust security features, especially if you’re sharing sensitive information on the platform 🛟

The 10 Best Homeworkify Alternatives to Use in 2024

While Homeworkify is a good homework solution provider, several other alternatives for Homeworkify can provide similar services with additional benefits such as practice exercises, detailed explanations, step-by-step solutions, physical textbook rentals, online tutoring, interactive learning, test preparation, and robust academic support.

Here is a list of the top 10 Homeworkify alternatives.

Chegg is a popular online educational platform that offers services ranging from homework solutions to textbook rentals. It boasts a large online resource library and online tutoring services, as well. It also provides AI-powered tools for writing assistance, a job and internship search portal, and exam preparation aids.

Chegg is a Homeworkify alternative available 24/7 for homework solutions, detailed explanations for complex concepts, and one-on-one sessions. So, it works for night owls and early birds who want an interactive learning experience. Its key features include a user-friendly interface and cost-effectiveness.

Chegg best features

• Rent textbooks and other resources instead of buying them
• Access an extensive library of resources such as study guides, step-by-step solution guides, Q&A services, and other learning materials
• Complete assignments and gain expertise on a wide range of subjects, across specialization levels, through one-on-one sessions with experts
• Get ready for competitive exams such as SAT, ACT, and GRE with tailored study material and practice quizzes and tests
• Sell your used textbooks

Chegg limitations

• While most resources are available for free for a short time, you need to pay for them eventually 
• There is a limited supply of both physical and online textbooks, which aren’t always the latest versions 

Chegg Pricing

• Chegg Study: $14.95/month
• Chegg Study Pack: $19.95/month
• Chegg Math Solver: $9.95/month
• Chegg Writing: $9.95/month

Chegg reviews and ratings

• G2: Not enough reviews
• Capterra: Not enough reviews

Brainly is a collaborative learning platform that relies on a peer-to-peer network for homework solutions and online tutorials. Because it’s essentially a knowledge-sharing platform, learners can connect with and support each other on their educational journey.

Brainly’s unique community-driven model allows users to answer academic questions posted by other users. The answers are monitored by teachers and other subject matter experts for their content, quality, and accuracy.

The platform covers traditional school subjects, such as math, science, and history, as well as university and college-level subjects, including medicine, law, and engineering.

 In addition to an online Q&A format for learning, the platform also offers materials such as study guides.

Brainly best features

• Network with other learners to get diverse views and detailed answers on a wide variety of subjects
• Bag reward points and badges for your participation and contribution
• View users’ and experts’ ratings on answers and solutions 
• Learn in a language of your choice
• Access the online tool across multiple devices such as smartphones and tablets

Brainly limitations

• Accuracy and quality of answers could be a concern as users may provide misleading and incomplete information
• Fewer participants in certain academic subjects can skew the quality of answers
• The subjective nature of answers could lead to confusion

Brainly pricing

• Brainly Plus: Custom pricing
• Brainly Tutor: Custom pricing

Brainly ratings and reviews

• G2: 4/5 (10+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (25+ reviews)

Khan Academy is a not-for-profit online learning platform that aims to offer free, world-class education to students and teachers across the globe. You can find online courses, study materials, and instructional videos on various subjects such as history, economics, math, computer programming, etc.

This online learning platform has an adaptive and personalized learning approach that allows you to learn at your own pace. At the same time, the platform monitors users’ needs to customize content and track progress for efficient learning.

Khan Academy also caters to teachers and educators by offering them tools and resources to enhance their teaching experience. Khan Academy also provides an AI-powered guide for self-paced learning, Khanmigo, which acts as a tutor for learners and an assistant for teachers. 

Khan Academy’s best features

• Access educational resources and course materials from prestigious universities and institutes
• Keep track of your assignments and lessons
• Learn at your own pace through free services
• Learn in your preferred language
• Prepare for standardized tests such as SAT, LSAT, MCAT, and others with the help of specialized resources
• Learn through gamification. Winning badges and points for consistency and upskilling

Khan Academy limitations

• Limited coverage of niche subjects 
• No live, one-on-one interactions with experts and teachers
• No offline learning support
• Learners need to be tech-savvy to operate the platform

Khan Academy pricing

Khan academy ratings and reviews.

• G2 : 4.5/5 (170+ reviews)

Crazy for Study describes itself as a trusted educational search engine. The online learning platform offers assistance with homework solutions, assignment completion, and textbook questions.

In addition to its vast library of study materials, you can also access study guides and contact experts for solutions across various subjects. Crazy for Study hosts over 50 million solutions to homework questions on its user-friendly interface.

You can also get step-by-step explanations and solution guides to complex textbook questions curated by subject matter experts. 

Crazy for study best features

• Get solutions to unique college assignments
• Reach out to experts with PhDs in your subject for assignment solutions that meet educational institutes’ standards
• Request help for homework solutions 24×7

Crazy for study limitations

• No offline solutions, such as textbook rental services
• Accuracy and depth of solutions is a concern
• Solutions are not delivered instantly to users

Crazy for study pricing

• Monthly plan : $14
• Quarterly plan : $29.85
• Annual plan : $78 

Crazy for study ratings and reviews

• G2 : Not enough reviews
• Capterra : Not enough reviews

Studypool is an online learning platform based on the classic Q&A format, but one that also has an extensive online library. It’s one of the study tools that offer video learning facilities, chat, and other interactive tools to enhance the user’s learning journey.

Here’s how it works: You can post your assignment or homework question on the website and receive bids from qualified tutors willing to help. This means you can select suitable tutors and determine the price you want to pay for each solved assignment. 

Besides Homework Q&A, this valuable tool assists students with video tutoring, in-person tutoring, a note bank, book guides, and scholarships.

It covers various topics, from basic math and science to programming, rocket science, humanities, and creative writing. Tutors on the platform also bring varying levels of expertise and include teachers, university professors, and PhD holders.

Studypool best features

• Access over 30 million study documents to help with your assignments and homework
• Gain expertise in various niche subjects such as geology, calculus, and website design, among others
• Prepare for competitive standardized tests such as SATs
• Interact with subject matter experts in one-on-one video sessions 

Studypool limitations

• No offline rental services
• Solutions take a long time to get delivered
• No multilingual support

Studypool pricing (Notebank subscription)

• Monthly plan : $19.95
• Annual plan : $59.40

Studypool ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (20+ reviews)

Quizlet, an artificial intelligence powered online learning platform, offers tools that create and share digital flashcards. Learners can use the tools to convert their notes into personalized flashcards, practice tests, and quizzes.

The platform also features an AI-tutor chatbot that engages with users in real-time to help them prepare for tests and complete academic assignments. These AI tutors can also create practice tests to assess learners’ mastery of a subject.

Quizlet is a relatively new platform and is still expanding its services. Several exciting features are reportedly in the pipeline, including a memory score tracker, a tool to overcome writer’s block, and a musical flashcard.

Quizlet best features

• Instant solutions 
• Progress tracking
• Intuitive, navigable UI that makes it beginner-friendly
• Flashcards make memorization easy 

Quizlet limitations

• The absence of live tutoring could be a hindrance for students seeking a personal touch
• AI-powered solutions often lack depth and could be inaccurate

Quizlet pricing

• Free 7-day trial
• Quizlet Plus: $35.99/year per user

Quizlet ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (280+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (120+ reviews)

Quizplus is a homework helper that can also assist students with test preparation. Quizplus has a range of features and tools such as practice quizzes, flashcards, homework assistance, and step-by-step guides.

You can choose from various interactive quizzes available across diverse subjects to boost your test readiness. You can also use flashcards to memorize important topics. 

If you subscribe to the platform, you gain credits that you can then use to make in-app purchases, such as solutions to quizzes, flashcards, detailed solutions, OCR searches, and AI searches.

Quizplus best features

• Use AI-search and image search (OCR) capabilities to look for answers in scanned paper documents, PDF files, or images
• Access tailored study material based on your course, educational institute, or university
• Enhance your learning with new quizzes posted regularly

Quizplus limitations

• Absence of online tutors for face-to-face live interactions 
• Lack of deeper understanding as the course material is limited and in the form of quizzes
• Since only textbook solutions are provided, unique questions cannot be answered

Quizplus pricing

Quizplus ratings and reviews.

AcademicHelp is an educational service review platform that reviews various online learning and homework assistance platforms and tools. Teachers, professors, and a team of in-house expert users provide detailed feedback on multiple homework solution providers, and their opinions are collected on AcademicHelp.

It covers multiple types of platforms, including those that offer essay writing, AI writing, and dissertation writing, along with programming learning websites and plagiarism checkers.

Users can look up a platform on AcademicHelp and then decide what works best for them.  

AcademicHelp best features

• Read reviews posted by users on other popular websites and social networking sites
• Access the A*Help score that reviews an ed-tech product end-to-end, from ordering processes, pricing, and payment systems to discounts offered
• Use the Q&A message board to ask in-house experts specific questions 

AcademicHelp limitations

• Confusing user interface that makes accessing information tedious
• Limited support for ESL (English as a Second Language) students and teachers
• Lack of real-time chats and interactions with experts may discourage students from accessing the platform

AcademicHelp pricing

• Contact for pricing

AcademicHelp ratings and reviews

Symbolab is an online math solution provider packed with solution guides for all types of math problems. Solutions come in text solutions or video guides and are pretty useful for teachers and learners worldwide.

This popular education app also works as an assistance service for teachers looking to enhance the classroom experience for their students. Teachers can use it to create customized quizzes and tests.

Students can download a ‘cheat sheet’ to figure out particularly tricky math problems, whether graphing, algebra, geometry, or word problems.

Symbolab best features

• Navigate the platform easily  with a simple user interface
• Gain step-by-step solutions
• Access tools such as calculators for fractions, log equations, partial derivatives, and complex numbers as well as for personal finance, cooking measurements, and date and time converters, among others
• Access visual tools if you struggle with complex mathematical concepts
• Experience multilingual support

Symbolab limitations

• Makes it easy for students to simply copy the answer without understanding how to arrive at the solution
• The free version has too many ads

Symbolab pricing

• Weekly plan: $2.49
• Monthly plan : $6.99
• Annual plan : $29.99

Symbolab ratings and reviews

Course Hero is a contribution-based Homeworkify alternative with over 30 million study materials and resources. It offers study guides, homework solutions, textbook solutions, notes , videos, and explanations on varied subjects.

The platform offers learning resources on economics, psychology, math, and accounting. College students can also benefit from the expert advice and one-on-one sessions available on the platform.

Course Hero best features

• Access study material from prestigious programs and colleges across the US, the UK, and Europe, such as Harvard University, Cambridge University, University of Notre Dame, etc.
• Explore the resources of a large content library that features interactive content formats
• Use the activity dashboard to get a clear view of all the resources used

Course Hero limitations

• Limited access as some features are paid, can be too expensive for students
• Lack of progress-tracking features 

Course Hero pricing

• Subscription plan: Starts from $39.95/month

Course Hero ratings and reviews

• G2: 3.4/5 (35+ reviews)
• Capterra: 3.7/5 (10+ reviews)

Homeworkify and its alternatives have made learning easier for students across geographies and languages. However, a homework assistance solution is not a silver bullet. Pairing it with a student-oriented project management platform can help you regain control over the chaos of student life. 

To that end, ClickUp is an excellent choice. 

It can help you organize and manage your academic workloads, schedule classes and meetings with professors, and track project and assignment timelines, to name a few life-saving things. 

The tools available in ClickUp also help with tasks such as taking notes , collaborating with other students on projects, and managing group project progress. 

ClickUp tools for students

Collaboration and task management are a breeze when you use ClickUp’s tools for students . Though these tools may not offer answers to homework questions or help with exam preparation directly, they will help you manage time and resources better throughout your academic journey.

For instance, ClickUp can help you manage your coursework and classes in one place. 

You can use the Kanban Board in ClickUp to plan your schedule, track your assignments, and organize them by their deadlines. You can also sync tasks with your calendar. 

If you’re part of a group project, you can assign tasks to team members and use ClickUp Chat to communicate.

In addition to regular project management features, you can use ClickUp AI to transform how you manage notes and lessons. Complete long, tedious, and repetitive tasks within minutes: ClickUp AI can help you summarise your notes, prioritize tasks , and consolidate important lessons into bite-sized snippets. 

Composing compelling essays and assignment outlines becomes easier—the AI assistant is a great sounding board for ideas!

ClickUp templates for students

Then there are templates you can work with to stay ahead of your schedule, collaborate efficiently with your team members in real time, and track your academic progress. Here are some of the most useful ClickUp templates for students :

ClickUp Cornell Notes Template

ClickUp’s Cornell Notes template helps you organize your notes better so you can use them for studying later. You can highlight key points and segregate them into different categories. 

ClickUp Class Assignments Template

Plan, organize, and schedule your classes using this assignment template. This template will also help you manage your academic resources, including notes, assignments, and projects for each class in a single place.

ClickUp best features

• Get all team members up to speed on project progress with ClickUp’s Visual Dashboards  
• Create summaries and notes quickly using AI
• Use templates to make class management, scheduling, collaboration with other students, and tracking of goals and timelines easy and convenient
• Integrate with third-party tools such as emails and calendars to stay on schedule and collaborate closely with peers
• Store your coursework on one platform instead of switching from app to app

ClickUp limitations

• Limited templates to help with course management projects
• Lack of multilingual support

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited : $7/month per user
• Business : $12/month per user
• Enterprise : Contact for pricing
• ClickUp Brain: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month

ClickUp reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (9000+ reviews)
• Capterra : 4.7/5 (3900+ Reviews)

ClickUp as Your  Course and Homework Management Partner 

As a student, studying—and not juggling tools and coursework—is the best use of your time.  Platforms such as Homeworkify and its alternatives are great at helping you manage homework and build personalized study schedules. 

But if you need a tool that streamlines your day, tames coursework chaos, and keeps you focused and on track to ace your academic goals, look no further than ClickUp.    

Sign up for ClickUp today and sail through your entire program, not just your homework!

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335 Unique Essay Topics for College Students [2024 Update]

The success of any college essay depends on the topic choice. If you want to impress your instructors, your essay needs to be interesting and unique. Don’t know what to write about? We are here to help you!

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

In this article by our Custom-Writing.org team, you will find 335 interesting essay topics for college students. We’ve also included some helpful tips on choosing a topic that will make your essay stand out.

• 🔝 Top 10 College Essay Topics
• 📋 How to Choose a Topic
• 🧑 Personal Essay Topics
• 🖌️ Descriptive Topics
• 🏺 Narrative Topics: History
• 🔮 Creative Writing Topics
• 🎓 Topics for Various Fields
• ✍️ Topics for Different Essay Types
• 🚫 Topics to Avoid

🔗 References

🔝 top 10 essay topics for college students, 📋 how to pick a college essay topic.

There is no universal advice on picking a great essay topic. However, the tips below will surely help you avoid choosing a mediocre one. Just follow these steps:

STEP #1: Start with brainstorming.

Relax and write down everything that comes to mind. It can be related to your personal life or areas of interest.

STEP#2: Use outside sources.

If you need additional inspiration, find a list of essay topic suggestions. Pick several options that appeal to you.

STEP#3: Select a topic.

Once you have your list of possible topics, do the following:

• Review the essay instructions or prompt, if you have one.
• Exclude ideas that are not suitable or compelling enough.
• Decide which of the remaining topics you want to write about. It might be the one you are interested in or understand best.

College Essay Topics: Fields & Disciplines

Now that you know how to choose a theme for your assignment, let’s examine this list of college essay ideas. These exceptional topics are arranged by subject, so you can go right to the section that interests you the most.

🧑 Personal Essay Topics for College

• Your perfect date.
• Settling an argument.
• What’s usually in your bag.
• Your most memorable purchase.
• What your upbringing was like.
• One quote that inspired you the most.
• What you do to make the world better.
• Where you want to spend your life.
• When the effort was worth the result.
• An unusual feeling you’ve experienced.
• A life-changing adventure. There are many ways to write about adventure in an essay . You can describe an interesting situation from your own life or one experienced by another individual, perhaps a famous figure.
• Positive and negative leadership examples. Typically, essays on leadership describe a specific person or a situation. A more interesting perspective on this subject is highlighting episodes of disastrous leadership. Some examples include the expansion of fascism after World War I or exploitation under European colonialism .
• Decision making. Both mundane and monumental, earth-shattering decisions make great essay topics. You can choose a situation and describe what the decision-maker did correctly or incorrectly.
• Deciding what to wear today. This might be the most mundane decision that everyone makes daily. However, just because it’s so ordinary, it might yield a fascinating college essay if explored thoughtfully.
• President Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan. This decision may have been the most significant of human history. It marked the introduction of a technology that could annihilate the human race. This decision may have been the most significant of human history. It marked the introduction of a technology that could annihilate the human race.
• Purchasing decisions in the supermarket. Similarly, everyone decides what to eat several times every day. In an essay on this subject, focus on the most interesting factors influencing grocery shopping decisions.
• Picking a book to read. According to The Atlantic, an average modern American reads fewer books than at any earlier time in history. With this in mind, consider writing an essay on selecting a book to read. This is particularly interesting when you recognize that more books are being published nowadays than ever before.
• Childhood experiences as behavioral drives. An analysis of childhood experiences can help interpret individual character traits. Any challenge and achievement play a part in the formation of behavioral drives. You can discuss them in the context of one’s mental development .
• Parenting styles and motives. Everyone knows that the role of parents in children’s lives is crucial. For your essay, you can choose to evaluate specific approaches to interacting with a child. Obtain reliable data about a child’s habits and find correlations with social adaptation principles.
• Problem-solving skills in everyday life. Problem-solving skills allow a person to overcome challenges. You may assess these skills from your perspective. This essay can also highlight the traits that enable you to cope with difficulties.
• Negotiation skills and conflict resolution attainments. The ability to compromise is a valuable personal quality. It can be helpful in different areas of interpersonal communication. In your paper, analyze ways to enhance this skill for successful conflict resolution.
• Bill Gates’ initiative to create Microsoft and change the world. Thanks to Bill Gates , computer technologies became available to everyone. Assessing his career path can help identify specific components of success. What valuable lessons can we learn from him?

🖌️ Descriptive Essay Topics for College Students

• What your hometown is like.
• What you dislike about the Internet.
• If emotions were personified.
• How you experience art.
• Holiday season and nostalgia.
• Your personal teaching experience.
• How regular workout makes you feel.
• The impact of music on your body.
• National holidays in different countries.
• Traditions you observed around the world.
• Marriage: then and now. In bygone eras, most children were born within wedlock. In the contemporary world, fewer marriages take place than before. What are the reasons behind it?
• Pressure on women to marry. In the past, women were coerced into marriage more forcefully than men. Unfortunately, this tendency remains in many societies even today. You can choose this topic to investigate sexism in everyday life.
• Sports in your life. Everywhere in the world, fans fervently adore sports . It’s a spectacular subject for an essay, no matter if your tone is serious or lighthearted.
• Football : pros and cons. An essay about this popular American sport will surely spark your readers’ interest. For instance, you may explore the long-term health risks associated with concussions.
• Basketball as a global sport. After soccer, basketball is the most rapidly growing sport globally. Your basketball essay could delve into the geopolitical implications of this newly globalized sport.
• What is love ? It is the quintessential human emotion , and that’s why it’s a timeless topic for any writing assignment.
• Happiness and how to achieve it. Love and happiness go together, so it is no surprise that happiness is a fruitful writing topic . You can choose to concentrate on pursuing happiness, simply being happy, or anything else.
• The 19 th century origins of Christmas carols . You could write about the origins of Christmas carols, most of which date back to the 19 th century. Before that, Christmas songs were restricted to church hymns .
• Christmas carols around the world. Every country with a significant population of Christians celebrates Christmas uniquely, making the global diversity of Christmas carols one of the more interesting essay topics.
• Personal feelings evoked by Christmas carols. Once again, you can focus on your personal experience. Simply describe how Christmas carols make you feel. feel.

🏺 Narrative Essay Topics for College Students: History

• The life of Socrates.
• Nero and the Roman Empire.
• Everyday life of Puritans.
• Events of Mexican-American War.
• Life during the Great Depression.
• Women in Trojan War.
• The start of the Nuclear Age.
• Heroes of the Space Race.
• Pearl Harbor through the eyes of a witness.
• The fall of the Sumer civilization.
• Local heroes. You can write a fantastic college essay on a historical personality who is highly appraised in your state. What is this person’s contribution, and what makes them outstanding?
• Real-life villains. The Ivy League essays often include an analysis of notorious people’s deeds or personalities. You can write about Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin , Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Josef Mengele, H. H. Holmes, Caligula, and many others.
• Influential people in any area. Your college essay can focus on some notable figures in politics, finance, science, literature, architecture, visual arts, music, sports, or pop culture.
• The most influential women. You can write about women who achieved a lot in the “men’s world.” Choose between Elizabeth I , Margaret Thatcher , Indira Gandhi, and many other renowned figures.
• Scientists who changed the world. You may write a great college essay about the contributions of Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin , Thomas Edison , and other scientists. What areas of our lives have changed thanks to these people?
• Great conquerors and their power. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan , Attila, and other commanders were outstanding people of their time. They expanded their territories thanks to successful military campaigns. Your essay may focus on one of these great conquerors.
• Hitler’s decision to unleash World War II . Adolph Hitler’s personality is often explored in academic works. Your paper can explore what prompted the German leader to popularize Nazism in Europe . Understanding it may help prevent the repetition of such events.
• Religious figures. Explore individuals who developed essential doctrines and spiritual teachings. Your essay may include the key ideas of people such as Thomas Aquinas and Joseph Smith Jr.
• Fighters for justice and equality. Democratic societies were significantly influenced by those who struggled for human rights. Freedom of people around the world was their primary goal. Your essay can assess the roles of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or Martin Luther King Jr .
• Voyagers and discoverers. Thanks to the great explorers of the past, the world as we know it today was shaped. You can write about Christopher Columbus , Ferdinand Magellan, and others in your paper.
• Roman emperors . Ancient Rome was the greatest civilization of its time. Throughout its history, individual emperors have contributed to its prosperity. Julius Caesar , Nero, and other rulers can be the focus of your essay.

🔮 Creative Writing Topics for College Students

• A conversation with yourself from the past.
• What would life be like on a rogue planet?
• If you were an ancient conqueror.
• A children’s fairy tale.
• What if there is no money in the world?
• A new perspective on a famous story.
• If you lived in another era.
• What are animals thinking?
• A perfect world as you see it.
• A horror story in the style of Kafka.
• Detective stories . Suspense is often the key to interesting essays. You can write a unique story about a murder in a castle, a theft in your college dorm, or fraud in a famous (or fictional) company.
• The world of your fantasy. Write an outstanding college essay that describes a brave new (or beautiful) world. Your dreams, books, films, or even news you’ve heard can be the source of your inspiration.
• Stream of consciousness . It can be the most straightforward task you have ever completed. Just write about your thought, dreams, and ideas. Whatever comes to your mind! Make sure to edit it afterward.

• Description of a dystopian world. Come up with a dystopian scenario to assess contemporary vices and problems. Use descriptive words to make your essay stand out.
• A new look at traditional values. For a creative essay, try rethinking traditional values. For instance, you may provide new perspectives on compassion, charity, respect, and other essential components of a civilized society.
• A short movie script. One of the ideas is to write a short film script on any topic. This task will allow you to showcase your storytelling skills .
• The future as you imagine it. You can pay particular attention to social issues and their development. Will the situation improve in the future?
• Reporter experience. Conduct an investigation and report your findings in a creative essay. This work may include interviews, illustrations, and the analysis of issues. This approach allows moving away from traditional forms of essay writing .
• On behalf of another person. Take an opportunity to explore an issue from someone else’s perspective. For instance, you can assess the difficulties faced by people of the opposite sex. It can help analyze the problems of interpersonal communication .

🎓 College Essay Topics for Various Fields

College life essay topics.

• Making a choice. You can write your college essay about making a decision. For example, how did you choose your college? Are you happy with your choice?
• Good and bad habits . Write about the patterns that affect your academic life. How can you get rid of the unproductive ones?
• Major challenges . In your college experience essay, you can describe the major issues you have faced during your school years. How did you handle them?
• Time-management practices. College studies are often stressful. That’s why multitasking is an important skill. In your essay, explore the topic of time management. Analyze the algorithms for competent task distribution.
• Memorable events. Did you ever have a life-changing experience? You can write a perfect college essay about it.
• University life: expectations vs. reality. You can also try to imagine your future and write an essay on your expectations related to university life .
• Interaction with classmates. An interesting topic for a college life essay is building relationships with classmates. It can be helpful to study the basics of teamwork. Conflict resolution practices are also important factors of interpersonal peer communication.
• Freshman experience. You can describe it in anecdotes or conduct some research. For instance, assess the challenges and barriers that first-year students face. Then, determine optimal mechanisms to overcome them.
• Teamwork and group activities. Describe appropriate ways to communicate with people in groups. Or, you can focus on the crucial features of effective teamwork .
• Research work experience. College education involves conducting many kinds of research. They refer to theoretical training and the practical study of subjects. In this regard, you can describe your personal research experience.
• The importance of self-education. Students often face the need to study some subjects on their own. Self-education and its aspects can be an exciting topic to explore. Focus on honing individual skills and overcoming academic challenges.
• A comparison of high school and college. For many high school students, the idea of college study is different from reality. You can describe the distinctions between the two levels of education. Give personal views on the learning process and common pitfalls.

Health Topics for College Students

• Healthy eating . In the wealthiest and poorest countries on Earth, healthy eating has very different meanings. Focusing on cultural variations of healthy eating has plenty of potential.
• Fast food and its popularity. People have never eaten so much fast food as they do now. Consider writing about this interesting trend and its health implications.
• Childhood obesity as a global health issue . Because of all the high-calorie foods available today, many children in industrialized countries have weight problems. This issue has some extraordinary potential for persuasive writing.
• The problem of alcoholism . Substance abuse problems such as alcoholism have been an exemplary subject of writing for a long time. You can contemplate the implications of this problem in your college essay.
• Teen pregnancy: risk factors . In many regions of the world, teen pregnancy rates are higher than ever . The phenomenon is often associated with poverty and lower levels of education.
• Smoking in public . Should it be outlawed? Is it a public health hazard or just fundamental liberty that the government is unjustified to control or even regulate?

• Why do people smoke ? All smokers have their initial justifications for starting to smoke, so perhaps use your essay to explore one or several reasons.
• Quitting smoking . Some people use tobacco substitutes like candies or even nicotine gum. Whatever the methods are, everyone struggles when trying to overcome an addiction.
• Smoking should be banned . This is an extremely strong stance, but these are often the most entertaining essays to write.
• Smoking and mood. Studying the linkage between smoking and mood is undeniably intriguing, especially if you smoke or know a smoker.
• Dangers of secondhand smoke . When a person smokes, nearby people also breathe in many of the toxins. You could write about the moral implications or the societal and health impacts of this phenomenon.
• Smoking and cancer. Everyone understands that tobacco use is linked to cancer, so attempt to take a novel perspective if you choose this topic.
• Smoking and cardiovascular disease. Long-term smoking has been linked to heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD.) Try to convince your reader of these very clear dangers in your essay.
• Peer pressure and tobacco use. The vast majority of smokers develop this habit at a young age because their friends or acquaintances are already smoking.
• Smoking in pop culture. In the past, movies and TV shows often depicted smoking. Your essay could explore how this pattern has evolved.
• Acquiring bad habits from family members. As pointed out by a famous public service announcement from the 1980s, addictions such as smoking can run in families. You could explain the implications of it.

Ideas for College Essay on Ethics and Society

• Abortion as a controversy . You could use this topic for an abortion debate essay. Rather than taking one position, try to do your best to present different perspectives.
• The case against abortion . In writing a pro-life essay , you need to offer various reasons to oppose abortion.
• The case for access to abortion. You may also consider a pro-choice essay . In this type of abortion persuasive essay, you need to emphasize the costs to individuals and society when women are denied access to abortions.
• Shoplifting and its consequences. Your essay could explore the motivation for this practice, methods of discouraging it, or even its implications to retail businesses. Maybe you can even detail a personal story about a friend who has shoplifted .
• Domestic violence in developed countries. Violence against women and children is frequent in all societies, so you can use your essay as an opportunity to explore domestic violence .
• Types of animal cruelty . Another woefully widespread form of abuse is animal cruelty. It can range from dog fights to factory farming and everything in-between.
• Capital punishment: pros and cons. The vast majority of governments have banned this barbaric practice. When judicial systems have the authority to take lives as punishment for crimes , there are profound social implications.
• Current events analysis. If you have difficulty picking a topic, open up a newspaper or go to your favorite news website . Your next essay can be on the first article you read that captures your attention.
• History of child labor . Under this subject, you could survey the decline of child labor over time. You might also want to consider atypical counterexamples of this trend.
• Child labor laws . Child labor doesn’t occur on a larger scale because it is banned by law. Take some time to research the effectiveness of these laws.
• Child labor across the world. In this essay, try to evaluate how child labor practices vary from one geographic region to another.
• Unemployment and child labor. Sometimes, there aren’t enough jobs even for the adults in a nation, not to mention children. Consider exploring why this happens.

Environmental Issues Essay Topics for College

• Local environmental issues . Success in college essay writing largely depends on one factor: you should pick a problem you are interested in or know a lot about. For example, describe what environmental issues you and your community face.
• The most urgent ecological problems. Burning issues such as pollution, deforestation , biodiversity loss , and scarcity of natural resources can jeopardize the existence of the human race if solutions are not found. You can come up with a perfect essay on any of these challenges.
• Solutions to environmental problems. Winning college essays often include describing and analyzing efficient or inefficient solutions. You can write about emissions restrictions , the use of renewable energy sources, and so on. Why are some solutions ineffective?
• Renewable energy. Solar energy, windmills, electric vehicles, and many other solutions are implemented every year, but environmental issues persist. Your essay can answer the following questions: Why is renewable energy underused? Why is the production of electric vehicles in its infancy, although it started at the beginning of the 20th century?
• Global and political perspectives on sustainability. Some countries, especially in Western Europe, are making significant progress in developing sustainable practices. However, some states focus on gaining economic well-being or supremacy, especially in the developing world. Will the US be one of the global polluters in the future?
• Global warming and how to stop it. This is an urgent contemporary issue that deserves particular attention. An essay on a climate catastrophe may prompt readers to discuss the problem. Describe the ways to avoid adverse consequences for nature and humanity.
• Water and air pollution. Write about the impact of pollution on individual spheres of life. For example, focus on the correlation between contamination and economy.
• The depletion of natural resources. Ecological issues are often connected with natural resources. They’re essential in industrialized societies. You can discuss the depletion of these resources in your college essay.
• The issues of waste disposal. Environmental activists are concerned about severe soil pollution . They also address the negative impact of landfills on ecology. All of this shows that waste disposal is an urgent issue. Study how much of a threat it poses for humanity.
• The dangers of animal extinction. Over the past few decades, many species have become endangered . You can review this problem as a consequence of industrial development.
• Deforestation’s consequences. This topic is closely related to the issue of mass extinction. Forests are a habitat for countless species of animals and plants. What adverse effects does deforestation entail?
• The economic impact of environmental problems. Focus on financial aspects and budget spending on pollution control . You can also highlight the importance of addressing challenges associated with climate change.

Topics for Funny College Essays

• Humorous stories and personal experiences. University essay writing can be enjoyable and even entertaining. Describe some of your adventures or make up a funny story for your assignment. Be creative !
• Interesting historical facts. You can find tons of funny stories if you dig deeper into history. Many entertaining events are well-documented. Choose one and write an essay about it.
• Funny and awkward situations. All students know what it’s like to be in an uncomfortable situation. Try to describe such an event in a comical way. It will allow you to look at it from a different perspective.
• Dealing with unexpected tests. Sometimes professors don’t warn their students about upcoming tests . Did it ever happen to you? You probably didn’t enjoy these experiences. Still, why not describe them in a humorous essay?
• Your personal teaching experience . This topic is suitable for student teachers. Have you tried teaching a whole classroom of noisy children? Successful or not, these experiences make great anecdotes.
• Excessive efforts. Some students put too much effort into education. Sometimes it pays off, and other times it’s all in vain. Does it sound familiar to you? Write an essay about it!
• Poor time management. Delays, late deadlines, and other time management catastrophes can form the basis of this essay.
• Jokes on classmates. Innocent pranks help maintain a friendly environment and even serve as team building . Describe the memories of such humorous situations in your essay.
• Your professors’ jokes. Not only students but also teachers are often inclined towards humor. Occasional jokes on their part can be a good essay topic for college. Such gags can contribute to maintaining interest in a learning environment .
• Least favorite lessons. Describe the most boring or unpleasant class you can remember in a humorous manner.
• Making friends with other students. Awkward and funny situations often accompany these experiences. They can serve as a topic for a great essay.
• Unexpected praise. It’s always a pleasure to receive unexpected recognition from teachers. It’s especially gratifying when you do something well by accident or without even trying. Did anything like that ever happen to you? Then write a short story about it!

Best College Essay Topics on Gender Issues

• Machismo: what is it? How was the term coined? What are areas of life negatively affected by this phenomenon? Think about sports, politics, or popular culture.
• Gender roles in modern societies. Many Harvard essays provide answers to the following questions. How are gender roles distributed in your country, community, family? What factors led to this distribution?
• Famous feminists. Explore the contributions of Lucrezia Marinella, Anne Bradstreet, Emmeline Pankhurst, Eleanor Roosevelt , Marlene Dietrich, Alice Walker, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and many other renowned women.
• Men’s views on gender. Writing a good college essay involves an analysis of different perspectives. It can be fascinating to examine men’s attitudes towards gender issues .
• Matriarchy as a social system. You can write about modern societies such as Bribri or Garo. Or, you can find examples of matriarchy in the past. What about Neolithic Ages or Bronze Age ?
• Biological differences between sexes. It can be an eye-opening experience to explore physical differences between men and women. Are they that different?
• Patriarchal society in today’s world. Assessing patriarchy as a trend can help identify key stereotypes and stigmas. How can we facilitate women empowerment ?
• Workplace gender discrimination . Even today, many women struggle to get promoted due to gender stereotypes. Biased attitudes are unacceptable in modern organizations. Where do they originate from, and what should be done about it?
• Conflicts between boys and girls at school. The foundations of interpersonal interaction are laid in a collective environment. Analyze students’ behavior patterns related to interactions between boys and girls. What are the most common causes of conflicts?
• Family violence from a gender perspective. Family violence is a grave social problem. In your paper, identify the underlying determinants of domestic abuse .
• The role of women in science . Assess the contribution of women scientists from different eras. You can focus on their specific achievements and auxiliary work. Both the humanities and the sciences are suitable for analysis.
• Individual duties in parenting. The roles of fathers and mothers in families are often separated. In your essay, analyze stereotypes and behavioral patterns related to parenthood. You can use specific variables such as the time spent with children.
• Women in male-dominated occupations. Assess the performance of women in positions usually occupied by men. You can study female CEOs, firefighters, or filmmakers. What are the career prospects for women in these fields?

Titles for College Essays on Diversity

• Cultural diversity’s importance . Many Stanford essays explore issues associated with cultural diversity and how it can affect individuals, workplaces, and societies.Many Stanford essays explore issues associated with cultural diversity and how it can affect individuals, workplaces, and societies.
• Ethnic diversity in different countries. The US is one of the most conventional examples of a melting pot. How do people of different cultural backgrounds co-exist there? What challenges do they face? How do they solve conflicts?
• Variety of religious beliefs. Religion is one of the most interesting subjects to write an essay on. You can concentrate on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and dozens of other religions. Scientology or Happy Science can also be excellent essay subjects.
• Diversity related to sexual identity . You can write an outstanding argumentative essay on same-sex marriages or the inclusion of issues such as transgender identity in the K-12 curriculum.
• Personal contribution to diversity development. Address the promotion of diversity as an important social phenomenon. Your essay will raise awareness of this practice.
• Children’s and adults’ views on diversity and ethnicity. This essay can highlight crucial aspects of interpersonal communication. You can pose questions from a child’s perspective. Do other people’s ethnic backgrounds play an essential role for children compared to adults?
• Cross-cultural management in modern organizations. Leaders of various companies promote this valuable practice. It’s highly relevant in today’s business environment. The trend of globalization is one of its crucial factors.
• Gender diversity in the management field. Issues related to the distribution of leadership roles are often discussed in the context of gender. In your paper, evaluate the perception of male and female managers. This analysis may reveal the existing trends and views on the issue of diversity .
• Gender diversity from a criminological perspective . You can evaluate the current situation in the legal field. Assess offenses committed by people of different genders. The proportion of female prisoners, the severity of crimes, and other essential aspects can be used as criteria for comparison. This work may help assess potential bias.
• Gender diversity in the army. Attitudes towards women in military service are interesting to discuss. In an essay, you can present distinctive opinions. Mention the importance of involving people of all genders.

Short Essay Topics for College

• Teenagers’ concerns . You can write a simple essay on the appropriate age to vote or the proper age to buy alcohol. You may also want to examine major reasons for misunderstanding between teenage children and their parents.
• Best something ever. An excellent way to start a college essay is to write about something you admire, such as your favorite movie. What can you learn from it?
• Someone inspirational. For example, why not write an essay about your favorite teacher? How did this person change your life?
• Political issues in the US. Many short college essays are concerned with political life. You can write a winning essay about Electoral College or the flaws in the US voting system.
• An abstract concept. You can define an idea in your short essay. For instance, write about consumerism and the existing definitions of this term. Which one is the most appropriate? Why?
• Modern social values . The topic refers to the shift in moral values. For example, you can discuss the roles of wealth and personal beliefs. Compare them with the values of past eras to highlight the changes.
• Contemporary addictions and methods to deal with them. Explore excessive smartphone use, gaming , and other new addictions. Include the ways of dealing with these problems.
• A management theory overview. This paper can summarize individual findings related to management. Alternatively, you can present one of the theories of business development.
• Proposal of a legal act. This topic is perfect for a law essay. For example, discuss the document’s purpose, stakeholders , and industry-specific implications. The intersection with other regulations is optional.
• A geographic location. A short essay format is convenient for a description of a specific place. You can start by providing the basic facts about it. Include its population, area, resources, and several other parameters.
• Definition of an economic term. In this short essay, analyze a term of your choice. For instance, discuss inflation , capital, clearing, or any other definition. Explain the term you’ve chosen in simple words.
• A science to study. Choosing a science to learn is a potentially daunting task. In your essay, assess any field of study you like. Describe their benefits and pitfalls. You can also mention career prospects.

Great College Essay Ideas in Visual Arts

• Historical periods in art. Your paper can dwell upon a specific era. Why did the Renaissance occur? What are the central peculiarities of Postmodernism ?
• Artists and their personalities. Countless Cornell essays on art provide insight into artists’ legacy. Your essay writing can become a fascinating process if you focus on Leonardo, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol , Artemisia Gentileschi , or Barbara Kruger.
• Prospects of artistic forms. You can use your imagination and think of the world in the 2100s. Try to predict the movements that will become popular in 100 years.
• Masterpieces. Essay writing practice is associated with the ability to narrow topics down. You can choose a specific work for your analysis from the following list: The Birth of Venice , The Scream , Starry Night , and Girl with a Pearl Earring .
• Different genres and styles in visual art . Many distinctive genres characterize visual arts. They differ in style, period, and other aspects. In your essay, you can describe impressionism, surrealism , cubism, abstract art, and other genres.
• Mediums in visual arts. Every art form is distinguished by the use of materials. Explore the peculiarities of oil paintings, prints, or watercolors.
• Art galleries to visit around the world. You may want to choose one art gallery and describe its history. Your essay will be even more interesting if you add the descriptions of the most famous artworks found in the museum.
• How auction houses work. Numerous art pieces and collectibles are sold at auctions. One of the world’s most famous auction houses is Sotheby’s. In your paper, present the workings of an auction of your choice. Add individual examples of profitable deals from its history.
• The most expensive art objects . The cost of many classical paintings is enormous. The prices are usually estimated by qualified experts. Explore this topic in your essay and include information on the most expensive art objects.
• The comparison of classical and contemporary art forms. Art is a dynamic environment that is constantly evolving. New genres and forms of expression appear regularly. In your paper, compare classical canvases with modern means of creative expression such as graffiti . What influences the emergence of new art forms?
• Rescued artworks and their history. History knows examples of great artworks that were found centuries after their disappearance. Your essay can study several art objects saved during wars.

Conspiracy-Related College Essay Topics That Stand Out

• Space exploration . If your essay requirements concerning the topic are not too strict, you can try to answer some of the following questions. Did “a giant leap for mankind” really occur? Why was the Moon project shut down? Is there life on Mars ?
• Wealth distribution. An excellent essay for college students can focus on the allocation of resources. Is there a league of people who own or control all the resources ? How did the world’s wealthiest people earn their money?
• Secret societies of the past and present. Does the Illuminati exist? Can such a secret society persist in the modern world?
• Catastrophes and reasons behind them. Why did Titanic drown? Was the curse of the Pharaoh real? Was the Chernobyl nuclear disaster an accident , or was it an unsuccessful experiment of KGB?
• JFK’s assassination . Who killed the most loved president? Why was the investigation so inadequate? Were any other countries’ agents involved?
• Aliens among us. Does Area 51 exist? What do governments hide? With questions like these, essay writing for college students can be exciting!
• Did Adolf Hitler escape after World War II? One of the most mysterious conspiracy theories is the possible escape of Adolf Hitler. Some people believe that the Nazi leader moved to Argentina after World War II . Your essay may discuss whether his suicide was staged.
• Is HIV an experimental biological weapon against humanity? The end of the 20th century was a difficult time. During this period, a suspicion arose that HIV was a biological weapon. Pharmaceutical companies and governments were blamed for this. What caused this conspiracy?
• Did Elvis Presley fake his death? Elvis Presley , the idol of millions, passed away long ago. However, many fans don’t believe in this outcome. A conspiracy theory was born that the musician faked his death. You can explore its implications and determine what it says about American pop culture.
• 5G cell towers exposure and accusations against Bill Gates . Explore the public fears related to the potential exposure to 5G cell towers. Include the experts’ opinions and assess the role of Bill Gates as one of the promoters of fast Internet.
• Flat Earth theory and its followers. In recent years, many flat Earth proponents have emerged worldwide. In your essay, compare their arguments with officially existing data. Why is this conspiracy so widespread?
• COVID-19 conspiracy theory. Certain groups of people doubt the threat of the pandemic. They believe that the coronavirus is a fictional problem. Your essay might focus on the evidence for the virus’s existence.

Other College Essay Topics

• Personal reasons to become a nurse
• US women’s rights movements in 1850-1900
• The importance of the “knowledge utilization” concept
• Ethical responsibilities to children
• Work-life balance in employed women
• The environmental impacts of the food and hospitality industry
• Personal time management challenges
• Conspiracy theories and distrust of experts
• Brazilian business from personal experience
• Panathenaic festival: personal experience
• Social stratification in the United States
• Leadership and personal philosophy of management
• Trends in atmospheric carbon concentration over 150 years
• How business organizations value diversity
• Personal experience: how being bullied shaped me
• Automation of insurance industry: personal reflection
• Environmental trends showing improvement
• Food processor description and how to use it
• Catharanthus roseus: description and its benefits
• Racial identity based on personal experiences
• Tap dance: history and personal attitude
• How educational institutions value diversity
• National Association of Social Workers code of ethics
• Continental mountain ranges and ocean lifecycle
• Personal experiences and social imagination
• Personal ethical framework – decision-making
• Creating personal business plan
• Sustainability and waste management
• Gun violence as the social justice issue
• Ethical theory and personal morals
• Reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases
• Arts and crafts movement in Melbourne
• Energy management and nuclear power plants development
• A personal code of ethics
• What’s significant about Mesopotamia geography?
• Personal budget planning: saving, investing, and donating
• Intersectionality of personal identities
• “Not so new” New World Order. Conspiracy theories
• Picture exchange communication system research
• Urbanisation impact on streams and rivers
• Savoring and flow in personal experience
• Personal leadership portrait: leadership reflections
• Researching of personal health recorder
• The notion of race through the prism of personal experience
• Students’ life in college: classes, exams, courses
• Spatial and social mobility: barriers and restrictions
• Air quality and pollution: solution measures
• Why understanding personal biases is important
• Human condition to adapt: factors
• Project management process description
• Criminal justice and workforce diversity
• The art style of Mueller analysis
• Quality measures description
• Haiti and Japan’s earthquake comparative analysis
• Ethical relativism and freedom of speech
• Common patterns of social behaviors
• Racial discrimination regarding attraction and romance
• Theory of caritative caring by K. Eriksson: description and main concepts
• Unfair treatment experience based on cultural diversity
• Madeline Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality
• DNA fingerprinting technology: description and use
• Gloucester City community description
• Violence against queer community and construction of gender
• American nation’s changes after the Civil Rights Movement
• Positive things to learn from Medieval culture
• Racial tensions and immigration in California
• Solar energy: advantages and disadvantages
• The Salem Witch Trials history
• Nuclear accidents danger analysis
• Risk, expatiating on its types, classifications and methods of control
• The impact of individualism, ethnic nationalism, and class rule on society
• Television, movies, and games’ relationships with culture
• Catastrophic organizational failure in examples
• Thermal power generating plant – impact
• Racial inequality, immigration, and healthcare in the US
• Scenario investigation of waste management in Australia
• Environmental science: main principles
• The important steps that are involved in the processing of images
• COVID-19 conspiracy: critical thinking
• Climate disruption: understanding the problem and its significance

✍️ Topics for Different College Essay Types

Below you’ll find writing prompts for problem solution, cause and effect, and definition essays. There’s also a section with personal statement essay topics. Check them out!

• In a problem-solution essay , you need to introduce an issue and suggest several ways to fight it. Usually, each body paragraph describes a different solution. This essay aims to convince the audience that these scenarios are the best ways to eliminate the problem.
• In a cause and effect essay , you need to discuss a problem, its reasons, and possible consequences. It’s better to pay attention to topics that involve multiple studies of the issue (you can read our cause and effect essay guide to learn more.)
• In a definition essay , you need to explain a term, concept, or idea. Sometimes a definition is only a part of a more extensive research paper. It’s crucial to study the topic from different perspectives to provide an extended definition. Before you start working on your essay, make sure that the meaning of the word you’ve chosen is not too simple.
• In a personal statement , you write about yourself. Writing a personal statement or a transfer essay is crucial when applying to college. How do you make it a winning paper? Read our personal statement guide .

Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Students

• How can students contribute to educational system changes in the United States? Discuss student communities and their impact on college life. Do students need to have more power and control over changes in the educational system?
• Ensuring access to clean water in developing African countries. Describe the achievements of charities that aim to help countries such as Ethiopia . You may also write about the costs of technologies that filter water. What are the possible solutions with a limited budget?
• How can you help make energy cleaner? Try to think about what you can do on campus that will enable clean energy access. Decide whether it should be a part of your curriculum.
• Ways of reducing plastic waste in oceans. Research the current efforts of environmental organizations and big businesses. Then, evaluate them and find the best solution.
• Healthy eating habits among children. Think about the right age to start educating children on healthy eating . Find several possible ways to develop the proper habits without forcing children.
• How can students address sustainability and climate change? Describe your participation in ecological projects, communities, etc. You can also discuss the possible things you and other students can do without spending too much time and money.
• Ways of stopping healthcare rising costs in the United States. Highlight the current problems of the healthcare model . What measures does the government take to solve them? Try to find the best way to optimize the resources.
• Psychological support for children who suffered from violence. Research the techniques specialists use when working with children. What do you find more preferable: therapy or medication ? Suggest how we can protect children from further offenses.
• How can we provide equal chances to children who want to receive an education? For this essay, find as much information as possible about financial aid , including grants, loans, and other projects. What’s the best way to make education accessible to everyone?
• Reducing homelessness in the United States. Study the factors that make people homeless and what the government does to fight it. Then try to come up with an action plan.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for College Students

• The effects of regular alcohol consumption on women’s health. Everyone knows that excessive alcohol consumption has highly adverse effects. In your essay, you can discuss the causes of alcoholism in women. Try to find specific information about diseases, psychological problems, and lifestyle changes related to them.
• What causes bullying among preschool children? Children might get violent due to many factors. Describe what beliefs and behavioral patterns influence their actions at preschool age.
• What are the economic effects of the 2020 lockdown ? Write about the changes in the labor market, remote jobs, and new opportunities. How did small businesses manage to survive in extreme circumstances?
• Lack of education in African countries: causes and effects. Discuss why children in some African countries don’t have access to education. Then, explain how it affects labor markets and economies. Make sure to choose only one country as a research subject.
• What will be the effects of implementing higher taxes on tobacco ? Will it inspire people to quit smoking or buy fewer tobacco products? Study the previous cases of such measures and predict the outcomes.
• How does social media affect communication in families? For this essay, research the impact of social media on family relationships. Do social media users communicate more or less with their closest relatives? on family relationships. Do social media users communicate more or less with their closest relatives?
• The causes and effects of glacier melting . Global warming, ozone depletion, and many other factors contribute to this process. Discuss how this issue influences people and animals.
• What would happen if everyone started using electric cars? Study the benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles . You might discuss the CO2 emissions and safety.
• What are the effects of animal hunting in the United States. We can call hunting a hobby, a sport, and even an illegal activity. In your essay, describe the current laws and why people want to hunt. How do these activities influence animals’ populations?
• The causes and effects of chemical pollution in China. China is the biggest manufacturer of goods in the world. However, the waste that the factories produce becomes dangerous for its ecology. In your essay, research how chemical pollution affects the everyday life and health of the Chinese people.

Definition Essay Topics for College

• Behaviorism in psychology and philosophy. Consider writing your essay on behaviorism as a psychological movement at the beginning of the 20 th century. Additionally, you can provide a broader definition by researching behaviorism in philosophy. century. Additionally, you can provide a broader definition by researching behaviorism in philosophy.
• How can we define egoism ? People interpret human behavior and character traits in different ways. Someone who seems to be an egoist to you can seem like someone with a sense of self-worth to another person. You can provide your own viewpoint on this issue.
• What is the definition of evil ? Some people believe in eternal evil , while others see evil even in the littlest bad things that happen to them. In your opinion, what makes someone or something evil?
• Does the term “commodification” only apply to goods? In the modern world, everything has value. Discuss the moral aspects of commodification and the limits of its application.
• What is your definition of the word “endurance” ? You can compare the physical abilities of athletes and non-athletes. Don’t forget to mention mental stamina that involves dealing with psychological pressure and overcoming difficulties.
• Does the word “ambition” have a positive or negative meaning? Naturally, you can’t give a single answer to this question. Instead, you can discuss both sides of this concept in your paper.
• How can you define the word “dualism”? Describe all the meanings of the word “ dualism ” in philosophy and daily life. Don’t forget to provide your understanding of the concept. You may also explain why this term is controversial.
• What does the word “identity” make you think of? Cover all the meanings of this word. Begin with a set of qualities that defines a person. Also, you may include a psychological interpretation of the term.
• What is your interpretation of the word “justice”? Discuss the legal definition of this concept. Also, you can write about the moral aspects and the subjective meaning of the term. Describe how justice is related to rewards and punishments and its place in the modern world.
• What are your thoughts about realism ? This term is used in many disciplines. For example, it’s prominent in literature and art. In your essay, you may describe realism as a philosophical concept and its different forms and perceptions.

Themes for Your Personal Statement Essay

• Your academic credentials. When writing about your academic achievements , it is appropriate to mention the major things like your degree or courses you’ve had. It’s better to focus on the moral lessons you’ve learned rather than your grades and certificates.
• Your personality traits. A successful acceptance essay will reveal your character. Admission officers want to know who the applicants are. Every university has its specific culture, so they should make sure you can fit in.
• An event that changed your life. Of course, your college entry essay can’t be just an enumeration of character traits. Describe some circumstances where your personal qualities manifested themselves. Again, it’s best to focus on the lessons you’ve learned!
• Commitment as your character trait. Your college admittance essay should also show your dedication. Why do you want to study there? Why do you want to take the course you’ve chosen? What are you ready to do for your alma mater?
• Humor in your life. Even Harvard personal statement essays are often characterized by humor. Write about your failures in a funny way, and admission officers will see your ability to stand up and fight.
• Academic goals and ways to achieve them. Choosing a field to study is a responsible step. You can describe this process in a personal statement . Justify your choice and mention the academic skills necessary for this particular field.
• Creative writing . When applying to a course in English, it can be effective to write a poem rather than a typical description of your educational background.
• Views on society and contemporary values. You can impress the committee by discussing your opinions. One convenient approach is to focus on modern society and its values. Analyze the foundations of a particular cultural environment and assess interaction gaps.
• Professional objectives you want to achieve. Without mentioning professional goals, a personal statement will be incomplete. One effective strategy is to evaluate the desired prospects you want to achieve. They can be related to education as well as work. Pay attention to relevant resources needed to acquire optimal skills.
• Cultural background from an ethnic perspective. A personal statement can be focused not only on your academic experience but also on your cultural background . Include the basic facts about your ethnicity, parents, beliefs, family values, and other information. This way, you’ll present yourself comprehensively and impartially.
• Self-evaluation over time: personal strengths and skills. Both short- and long-term perspectives are worth mentioning. Assessing individual development and career growth can provide you with a helpful timeline.

🚫 College Essay Topics to Avoid

When it comes to college essays, some topics might produce a wrong impression or offend your audience. That is why you need to know what kind of content is not suitable for your academic writing.

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Here are the most common examples of the topics that you should avoid:

• Your personal life. Better leave the stories about your breakups aside. For a successful application essay, you can focus on the other areas of your life. Try to choose a topic that will show how well you are suited for the college.
• Inappropriate humor. Provocative, mean, or cruel jokes are not suitable for college essays. Your audience probably won’t consider such humor clever or funny. If you are unsure if a joke fits your task, don’t hesitate to ask your professor.
• Tragic stories. This trope is critical to avoid when writing essays about yourself. It’s okay to mention tragic events, but it’s best to avoid making a pessimistic narrative out of your paper. Instead, you can describe such occurrences as challenges to overcome and focus on the positives.
• Sensitive or controversial topics. Avoid them if you know that they may offend your readers. Politics, religion, abortions, and cruelty are not the best topics for college essays. If your assignment requires writing an essay on one of those topics, make sure you don’t make bold statements or provoke your audience.
• Cliché topics. It’s better to avoid writing about your academic achievements, volunteering, or winning a sports competition. Admissions officers and professors have read similar essays thousands of times.
• Overly narrow topics . It’s good to choose a topic that stands out because it’s not cliché. However, it becomes harder to find enough relevant information if it’s too obscure or limited. Choose a topic like this only if you are sure you will have enough data to research.
• Insulting someone. Offensiveness is a wrong approach to your assignment that creates a negative impression. It’s crucial to stay objective and professional when it comes to academic writing.
• Fancy words. Avoid overcomplicating your essay’s title and its contents. It’s also not a great idea to begin your essay with a trite quote. Instead, it’s best to prioritize logic and clear structure during writing.
• Vague topics . It will likely make your essay lack a focus, which will come off as unprofessional. Make sure to always narrow your topic down to a particular issue.
• Untrue and unrealistic topics. It might be interesting to fantasize about impossible scenarios and get creative. Still, remember that you need to support your statements with solid evidence. It’s much harder to do when you deal with unrealistic topics.

We hope these college essay topics helped you make a great choice. If you need more proposal argument essay topics, feel free to use our topic generator . Let us know in the comments what topic you’ve chosen!

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✏️ College Essay Topic FAQ

Think about something that makes you genuinely interested. You will need to research the subject. So if you are bored from the outset, you won’t be able to do a good job and impress your readers.

A good topic doesn’t have to be very serious. It means that the subject under study should fascinate you. Then you would be able to make it enjoyable for others, too. Study something connected with your hobby, favorite author, or even a country.

To choose a good topic, you need to think about your assignment. Different issues are appropriate for argumentative, persuasive, and other types of essays. The main thing is that the subject should interest you. Your essay would be more exciting for the readers if you have fun writing it.

If you are lucky enough to choose a topic for yourself, you can have fun writing the essay. Don’t waste this opportunity! To figure out the best subject, think about your favorite things. If you want to share something with others, write an essay about it.

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Social studies is an integrated research field. It includes a range of topics on social science and humanities, such as history, culture, geography, sociology, education, etc. A social studies essay might be assigned to any middle school, high school, or college student. It might seem like a daunting task, but...

If you are about to go into the world of graduate school, then one of the first things you need to do is choose from all the possible dissertation topics available to you. This is no small task. You are likely to spend many years researching your Master’s or Ph.D....

Looking for a good argumentative essay topic? In need of a persuasive idea for a research paper? You’ve found the right page! Academic writing is never easy, whether it is for middle school or college. That’s why there are numerous educational materials on composing an argumentative and persuasive essay, for...

Persuasive speech is the art of convincing the audience to understand and trust your opinion. Are you ready to persuade someone in your view? Our list of sports persuasive speech topics will help you find a position to take and defend. If you need more options quick, apart from contents...

When you look for a good research paper topic, you can easily become the severest critic of any proposed idea. Some topics do not interest you at the very least, while others might shock your teachers. Where is the golden mean? Check out this list of top 100 research paper...

Can there possibly be anything fun about academic writing? It seems there is – what are all those fun persuasive speech topics then for, after all? However, creating a bunch of good topics might seem hard the first time around. No need to worry though – there’s always plenty of...

A persuasive speech on any topic is a performance designed to convince people about something and prove your point. Choosing a suitable topic is crucial for your speech’s success. Do you need some help with finding easy topics for a persuasive speech? Then check these fantastic and easy ideas from...

Do you know the secret place where people go to get their good informative speech topics? Looking for an interesting topic for speech? Congratulations, because you’ve just found it! So, if you’re ready to get some really good topics for an informative speech, all you need to do is to...

A proposal argument is an essay in which you describe a specific issue that needs fixing. It focuses on problem solutions. Are you interested in writing high-quality proposal essays? Or maybe you’re wondering what can make your writing truly outstanding? Here you will find answers to these questions as well...

Sometimes you just wish there was a marketplace with vendors shouting, “Topics for argument essays! Who wants inspirational topics to write about?” Well, you are lucky enough: you’ll find plenty of inspiring things here! Coming up with some argument essay topics is quite easy! In this article, you’ll find some...

Are you searching for original, thought-provoking, and really controversial debate topics? Here they are! Selecting any of these 25 controversial topics for debate from Custom-writing.org, you can guarantee a heated dispute in class or exciting polemics with your friends. But first, let’s figure it out, what is debate and how you should pick up great...

Perhaps, each person has unforgettable memories of school life. It might be their first day when everything seemed to be exciting and unknown. Or it might be some picnic or trip when they spent a great day outside with their classmates. Writing a high school experience essay requires you to...

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All people like adventures and traveling. Adventure essay writing is a nice opportunity to tell about the most amazing events of this kind you had in your life.

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Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center

• Teaching Resources
• TLPDC Teaching Resources

How Do I Create Meaningful and Effective Assignments?

Prepared by allison boye, ph.d. teaching, learning, and professional development center.

Assessment is a necessary part of the teaching and learning process, helping us measure whether our students have really learned what we want them to learn. While exams and quizzes are certainly favorite and useful methods of assessment, out of class assignments (written or otherwise) can offer similar insights into our students' learning.  And just as creating a reliable test takes thoughtfulness and skill, so does creating meaningful and effective assignments. Undoubtedly, many instructors have been on the receiving end of disappointing student work, left wondering what went wrong… and often, those problems can be remedied in the future by some simple fine-tuning of the original assignment.  This paper will take a look at some important elements to consider when developing assignments, and offer some easy approaches to creating a valuable assessment experience for all involved.

First Things First…

Before assigning any major tasks to students, it is imperative that you first define a few things for yourself as the instructor:

• Your goals for the assignment . Why are you assigning this project, and what do you hope your students will gain from completing it? What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you aim to measure with this assignment?  Creating assignments is a major part of overall course design, and every project you assign should clearly align with your goals for the course in general.  For instance, if you want your students to demonstrate critical thinking, perhaps asking them to simply summarize an article is not the best match for that goal; a more appropriate option might be to ask for an analysis of a controversial issue in the discipline. Ultimately, the connection between the assignment and its purpose should be clear to both you and your students to ensure that it is fulfilling the desired goals and doesn't seem like “busy work.” For some ideas about what kinds of assignments match certain learning goals, take a look at this page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons.
• Have they experienced “socialization” in the culture of your discipline (Flaxman, 2005)? Are they familiar with any conventions you might want them to know? In other words, do they know the “language” of your discipline, generally accepted style guidelines, or research protocols?
• Do they know how to conduct research?  Do they know the proper style format, documentation style, acceptable resources, etc.? Do they know how to use the library (Fitzpatrick, 1989) or evaluate resources?
• What kinds of writing or work have they previously engaged in?  For instance, have they completed long, formal writing assignments or research projects before? Have they ever engaged in analysis, reflection, or argumentation? Have they completed group assignments before?  Do they know how to write a literature review or scientific report?

In his book Engaging Ideas (1996), John Bean provides a great list of questions to help instructors focus on their main teaching goals when creating an assignment (p.78):

1. What are the main units/modules in my course?

2. What are my main learning objectives for each module and for the course?

3. What thinking skills am I trying to develop within each unit and throughout the course?

4. What are the most difficult aspects of my course for students?

5. If I could change my students' study habits, what would I most like to change?

6. What difference do I want my course to make in my students' lives?

What your students need to know

Once you have determined your own goals for the assignment and the levels of your students, you can begin creating your assignment.  However, when introducing your assignment to your students, there are several things you will need to clearly outline for them in order to ensure the most successful assignments possible.

• First, you will need to articulate the purpose of the assignment . Even though you know why the assignment is important and what it is meant to accomplish, you cannot assume that your students will intuit that purpose. Your students will appreciate an understanding of how the assignment fits into the larger goals of the course and what they will learn from the process (Hass & Osborn, 2007). Being transparent with your students and explaining why you are asking them to complete a given assignment can ultimately help motivate them to complete the assignment more thoughtfully.
• If you are asking your students to complete a writing assignment, you should define for them the “rhetorical or cognitive mode/s” you want them to employ in their writing (Flaxman, 2005). In other words, use precise verbs that communicate whether you are asking them to analyze, argue, describe, inform, etc.  (Verbs like “explore” or “comment on” can be too vague and cause confusion.) Provide them with a specific task to complete, such as a problem to solve, a question to answer, or an argument to support.  For those who want assignments to lead to top-down, thesis-driven writing, John Bean (1996) suggests presenting a proposition that students must defend or refute, or a problem that demands a thesis answer.
• It is also a good idea to define the audience you want your students to address with their assignment, if possible – especially with writing assignments.  Otherwise, students will address only the instructor, often assuming little requires explanation or development (Hedengren, 2004; MIT, 1999). Further, asking students to address the instructor, who typically knows more about the topic than the student, places the student in an unnatural rhetorical position.  Instead, you might consider asking your students to prepare their assignments for alternative audiences such as other students who missed last week's classes, a group that opposes their position, or people reading a popular magazine or newspaper.  In fact, a study by Bean (1996) indicated the students often appreciate and enjoy assignments that vary elements such as audience or rhetorical context, so don't be afraid to get creative!
• Obviously, you will also need to articulate clearly the logistics or “business aspects” of the assignment . In other words, be explicit with your students about required elements such as the format, length, documentation style, writing style (formal or informal?), and deadlines.  One caveat, however: do not allow the logistics of the paper take precedence over the content in your assignment description; if you spend all of your time describing these things, students might suspect that is all you care about in their execution of the assignment.
• Finally, you should clarify your evaluation criteria for the assignment. What elements of content are most important? Will you grade holistically or weight features separately? How much weight will be given to individual elements, etc?  Another precaution to take when defining requirements for your students is to take care that your instructions and rubric also do not overshadow the content; prescribing too rigidly each element of an assignment can limit students' freedom to explore and discover. According to Beth Finch Hedengren, “A good assignment provides the purpose and guidelines… without dictating exactly what to say” (2004, p. 27).  If you decide to utilize a grading rubric, be sure to provide that to the students along with the assignment description, prior to their completion of the assignment.

A great way to get students engaged with an assignment and build buy-in is to encourage their collaboration on its design and/or on the grading criteria (Hudd, 2003). In his article “Conducting Writing Assignments,” Richard Leahy (2002) offers a few ideas for building in said collaboration:

• Ask the students to develop the grading scale themselves from scratch, starting with choosing the categories.

• Set the grading categories yourself, but ask the students to help write the descriptions.

• Draft the complete grading scale yourself, then give it to your students for review and suggestions.

A Few Do's and Don'ts…

Determining your goals for the assignment and its essential logistics is a good start to creating an effective assignment. However, there are a few more simple factors to consider in your final design. First, here are a few things you should do :

• Do provide detail in your assignment description . Research has shown that students frequently prefer some guiding constraints when completing assignments (Bean, 1996), and that more detail (within reason) can lead to more successful student responses.  One idea is to provide students with physical assignment handouts , in addition to or instead of a simple description in a syllabus.  This can meet the needs of concrete learners and give them something tangible to refer to.  Likewise, it is often beneficial to make explicit for students the process or steps necessary to complete an assignment, given that students – especially younger ones – might need guidance in planning and time management (MIT, 1999).
• Do use open-ended questions.  The most effective and challenging assignments focus on questions that lead students to thinking and explaining, rather than simple yes or no answers, whether explicitly part of the assignment description or in the  brainstorming heuristics (Gardner, 2005).
• Do direct students to appropriate available resources . Giving students pointers about other venues for assistance can help them get started on the right track independently. These kinds of suggestions might include information about campus resources such as the University Writing Center or discipline-specific librarians, suggesting specific journals or books, or even sections of their textbook, or providing them with lists of research ideas or links to acceptable websites.
• Do consider providing models – both successful and unsuccessful models (Miller, 2007). These models could be provided by past students, or models you have created yourself.  You could even ask students to evaluate the models themselves using the determined evaluation criteria, helping them to visualize the final product, think critically about how to complete the assignment, and ideally, recognize success in their own work.
• Do consider including a way for students to make the assignment their own. In their study, Hass and Osborn (2007) confirmed the importance of personal engagement for students when completing an assignment.  Indeed, students will be more engaged in an assignment if it is personally meaningful, practical, or purposeful beyond the classroom.  You might think of ways to encourage students to tap into their own experiences or curiosities, to solve or explore a real problem, or connect to the larger community.  Offering variety in assignment selection can also help students feel more individualized, creative, and in control.
• If your assignment is substantial or long, do consider sequencing it. Far too often, assignments are given as one-shot final products that receive grades at the end of the semester, eternally abandoned by the student.  By sequencing a large assignment, or essentially breaking it down into a systematic approach consisting of interconnected smaller elements (such as a project proposal, an annotated bibliography, or a rough draft, or a series of mini-assignments related to the longer assignment), you can encourage thoughtfulness, complexity, and thoroughness in your students, as well as emphasize process over final product.

Next are a few elements to avoid in your assignments:

• Do not ask too many questions in your assignment.  In an effort to challenge students, instructors often err in the other direction, asking more questions than students can reasonably address in a single assignment without losing focus. Offering an overly specific “checklist” prompt often leads to externally organized papers, in which inexperienced students “slavishly follow the checklist instead of integrating their ideas into more organically-discovered structure” (Flaxman, 2005).
• Do not expect or suggest that there is an “ideal” response to the assignment. A common error for instructors is to dictate content of an assignment too rigidly, or to imply that there is a single correct response or a specific conclusion to reach, either explicitly or implicitly (Flaxman, 2005). Undoubtedly, students do not appreciate feeling as if they must read an instructor's mind to complete an assignment successfully, or that their own ideas have nowhere to go, and can lose motivation as a result. Similarly, avoid assignments that simply ask for regurgitation (Miller, 2007). Again, the best assignments invite students to engage in critical thinking, not just reproduce lectures or readings.
• Do not provide vague or confusing commands . Do students know what you mean when they are asked to “examine” or “discuss” a topic? Return to what you determined about your students' experiences and levels to help you decide what directions will make the most sense to them and what will require more explanation or guidance, and avoid verbiage that might confound them.
• Do not impose impossible time restraints or require the use of insufficient resources for completion of the assignment.  For instance, if you are asking all of your students to use the same resource, ensure that there are enough copies available for all students to access – or at least put one copy on reserve in the library. Likewise, make sure that you are providing your students with ample time to locate resources and effectively complete the assignment (Fitzpatrick, 1989).

The assignments we give to students don't simply have to be research papers or reports. There are many options for effective yet creative ways to assess your students' learning! Here are just a few:

Journals, Posters, Portfolios, Letters, Brochures, Management plans, Editorials, Instruction Manuals, Imitations of a text, Case studies, Debates, News release, Dialogues, Videos, Collages, Plays, Power Point presentations

Ultimately, the success of student responses to an assignment often rests on the instructor's deliberate design of the assignment. By being purposeful and thoughtful from the beginning, you can ensure that your assignments will not only serve as effective assessment methods, but also engage and delight your students. If you would like further help in constructing or revising an assignment, the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center is glad to offer individual consultations. In addition, look into some of the resources provided below.

Online Resources

“Creating Effective Assignments” http://www.unh.edu/teaching-excellence/resources/Assignments.htm This site, from the University of New Hampshire's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning,  provides a brief overview of effective assignment design, with a focus on determining and communicating goals and expectations.

Gardner, T.  (2005, June 12). Ten Tips for Designing Writing Assignments. Traci's Lists of Ten. http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/034.shtml This is a brief yet useful list of tips for assignment design, prepared by a writing teacher and curriculum developer for the National Council of Teachers of English .  The website will also link you to several other lists of “ten tips” related to literacy pedagogy.

“How to Create Effective Assignments for College Students.”  http:// tilt.colostate.edu/retreat/2011/zimmerman.pdf     This PDF is a simplified bulleted list, prepared by Dr. Toni Zimmerman from Colorado State University, offering some helpful ideas for coming up with creative assignments.

“Learner-Centered Assessment” http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/learner_centered_assessment.html From the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo, this is a short list of suggestions for the process of designing an assessment with your students' interests in mind. “Matching Learning Goals to Assignment Types.” http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/How_to/design_assignments/assignments_learning_goals.html This is a great page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons, providing a chart that helps instructors match assignments with learning goals.

Additional References Bean, J.C. (1996). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fitzpatrick, R. (1989). Research and writing assignments that reduce fear lead to better papers and more confident students. Writing Across the Curriculum , 3.2, pp. 15 – 24.

Flaxman, R. (2005). Creating meaningful writing assignments. The Teaching Exchange .  Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008 from http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Sheridan_Center/pubs/teachingExchange/jan2005/01_flaxman.pdf

Hass, M. & Osborn, J. (2007, August 13). An emic view of student writing and the writing process. Across the Disciplines, 4. 

Hedengren, B.F. (2004). A TA's guide to teaching writing in all disciplines . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Hudd, S. S. (2003, April). Syllabus under construction: Involving students in the creation of class assignments.  Teaching Sociology , 31, pp. 195 – 202.

Leahy, R. (2002). Conducting writing assignments. College Teaching , 50.2, pp. 50 – 54.

Miller, H. (2007). Designing effective writing assignments.  Teaching with writing .  University of Minnesota Center for Writing. Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008, from http://writing.umn.edu/tww/assignments/designing.html

MIT Online Writing and Communication Center (1999). Creating Writing Assignments. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://web.mit.edu/writing/Faculty/createeffective.html .

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• Sustainability

Ten Bates professors share their favorite writing assignments

By Emily McConville — Published on January 30, 2019

The students’ assignment: Write an op-ed about lead poisoning in Lewiston-Auburn. Or write a caption for a photo, or text about a campus tree. Write about how strange quantum theory is, or write a competitive book review in Japanese.

Their professors’ goal: Through solid writing, get students to persuade or inform. Help them understand the course material, whether it’s mathematics, environmental studies, or history. Get them to consider their own writing mistakes, or build up to a larger project.

Your assignment: Read about these 10 professors’ all-time favorite writing assignments, which they presented to their colleagues in the fall. What’s your favorite?

Biblio Battle Project

Instructor : Keiko Konoeda, Lecturer in Japanese

Course : “Advanced Japanese II”

Lecturer in Japanese Keiko Konoeda teaches a section of Beginning Japanese I. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

Assignment : Each student writes a book review in Japanese, then turns that review into an oral presentation for the class. After each presentation, students discuss the book, and at the end, the participants vote for the book they most want to read. The assignment was inspired by  Biblio Battles, a popular form of competition created by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan.

Why she likes the assignment : “I believe in combining writing and speaking, especially in the context of language courses, I also like to make writing assignments not only to develop writing expertise, but as a stepping stone to developing speaking. Many adult learners who learn a language in the classroom tend to develop writing before they become more comfortable in speaking.”

Op-Ed on Lead in Lewiston

Instructor : William Wallace, Lecturer in Education

Course : “The Environment and Social Justice,” First-Year Seminar

Assignment : First, write a two-page essay comparing and contrasting the issue of lead paint in Lewiston-Auburn neighborhoods with the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich. Then, write a newspaper-style op-ed about the lead paint issue, using an op-ed about the Flint water crisis as an example. 

As they geared up to turn in their final op-eds, Wallace’s students received help from, among others, Karyn Butts of the  Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention; former American Cultural Studies lecturer Christopher Petrella, and Lewiston Sun Journal reporter Lindsay Tice. 

Why he likes the assignment : In their course evaluations, the students “said it was one of the highlights of the semester for them, because they felt like they were learning a new skill they didn’t know before. They knew how to write, but this was a type of persuasive writing that was politically active and important to them.”

Faulty Sentence

Instructor: Myra Wright, Lecturer in English

Course : “Reading Cats & Dogs,” First-Year Seminar

Lecturer in English Myra Wright teaches a section of “The Literary Insect,” her 2017 First-Year Seminar. This fall, she taught “Reading Cats and Dogs” to first-year students. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

Assignment : Students submitted a one-sentence analysis of the John Keats poem “To Mrs. Reynolds’ Cat” — but made sure the sentence contained one writing error the professor corrected in previous coursework. The class then discussed each sentence, complimenting each other’s writing, identifying the error, and discussing solutions.

Wright was inspired by Associate Professor of Politics Leslie Hill, who had told her about a similar process of identifying errors with her students.

Why she likes the assignment : “It allows me to be a real stickler but also make more friendly the work of doing excellent editing at an investigative, imaginative, and critical level.”

What Makes an Expert?

Instructor : Adriana Salerno, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Course : “Calculus I” (largely taken by non-math majors)

Assignment : Read “What Makes an Expert?” from Ken Bain’s What the Best College Students Do , then write an essay connecting the reading to your experience of taking the midterm exam. Address which example of an expert from Bain’s chapter resonated with you, the approaches to learning you take, and how you can improve your performance in the class.

Why she likes the assignment : I have so many students who are like, ‘I’m so bad at math, I’m not very good at this, I’m just here because I have to be.’ There’s a lot of that anxiety coming into a class like Calc I. This helps them think of how these experiences can be transferred to other things.  … This kind of work, understanding that writing is also thinking and processing, gets them to do certain things that are really helpful in math.”

Natural History of a Tree

Instructor : Brett Huggett, Assistant Professor of Biology

Course : “Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees”

In 2015, Julia Fisher ’16 (right) of Philadelphia and Samantha Purnell ’18 of Portland, Ore., measure a tree on the Historic Quad. Their data was part of a webpage documenting the various species of campus trees. (Josh Kuckens/Bates College)

Assignment : Photograph and write a short essay about one campus tree species. Then, tag each tree with a small plate indicating the species name, family, and a QR code linking to a webpage with the student’s pictures and natural history essay.

Why he likes the assignment : “Writing is heavily emphasized in biology. Students are well-trained in the structure of scientific writing and the format of abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion. I felt there was a niche to create a writing assignment that asked students to write for the general public and step out of the framework of the rigid scientific structure.”

Toward a Philosophy of Nonviolence

Instructor : Stacy Smith, Lecturer in the Humanities

Course : “The Roots of Nonviolence,” First-Year Seminar

Assignment : Having read three texts that influenced Martin Luther King Jr. at the time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, write a letter to King about these texts, asking King what you want to ask him and saying what you want to say. Use King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” or James Baldwin’s “Letter to My Nephew” as a model. Alternatively, write a prose essay using as a model King’s chapter entitled “My Pilgrimage to Nonviolence” from his book Stride Toward Freedom .

Why she likes the assignment : “I am really interested in cultivating student voice. I feel like I was quite successful as a student, and throughout my academic career, writing in a way where I wasn’t really there. What I’m interested in at this stage of my teaching career is cultivating the ‘alive’ human being, within the student and the teacher, in an academic setting. The personal is intellectual, and the intellectual is personal. This assignment is capturing that.”

Thinking About a Research Paper

Instructor : Joe Hall, Associate Professor of History

Course : “Maine Environment and History”

Associate Professor of History Joe Hall delivers the 2018 Convocation address in August. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

Assignment : In no more than four pages, explain how two works are helping you think about your 20-page research paper. Put the works in dialogue with each other. The grade on the final research paper replaces the grade on this preliminary assignment, if the final paper is better. 

Why he likes the assignment : “The most useful element of the paper as a writing assignment was that it enabled me to tell all of them, because all of them needed to do this, how to use transitions to make an argument that consists of more than one piece. For a research paper, that is absolutely fundamental. Often, the single piece of advice I give my students for all of their papers is, ‘You have a really good summary of this piece and a really good summary of that piece. Tell me why they’re part of the same paper.’ That transition is where your argument is, and now you have an essay.”

Reflective Writing in Quantum Chemistry

Instructor : Lynn Mandeltort, Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Course : “Quantum Chemistry” (mostly upper-level chemistry majors)

Assignment : Write two responses — a paragraph at the beginning of the semester, several pages at the end — to the strangeness of quantum theory, but also accurately describe quantum theory. “Construct concise, specific, logical prose connecting the ideas we have discussed thus far, while tying in your own experience.”

Why she likes the assignment : “In these technically based courses, students can go through the motions and give you an answer and not tell you why it matters or if that answer makes sense. What good is science then? … Writing is something you to do communicate broadly and make sure you understand something in a course like chemistry.”

Lewiston Triptych

Instructor : Jane Costlow, Clark A. Griffith Professor of Environmental Studies

Course : “Lives in Place” (mostly first-year and sophomore non-majors)

Assignment : Read an essay on how nature is embedded in urban spaces, even if we don’t recognize it as nature. Draw or photograph a material object at Museum L-A in downtown Lewiston, and take a picture of “nature” in Lewiston. Caption the photograph with a quote from the essay, and write a 300-word essay that connects the museum object and the photograph, offering a reflection on nature in L-A.

Why she likes the assignment : “These are wonderful essays about Lewiston-Auburn. If there’s not enough writing about Lewiston-Auburn, maybe my students can be doing some of that writing.”

Podcast Guest Profile

Instructor : Michael Sargent, Associate Professor of Psychology

Course : “Searching for the Good Life,” First-Year Seminar

Pictured in 2014, Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Sargent hosts a storytelling event he founded. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

Assignment : To prepare for a group project involving making a podcast about an interesting person’s work, write a profile of your subject — focusing not on broad biographical details, but on specific aspects of their work. Develop one or two questions the work raises for you.

For example,  students in the group interviewing a former deputy chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense wrote about such topics as a documentary film the deputy produced, women in the Department of Defense, and artificial intelligence.

Why he likes the assignment : Full disclosure, “this is not my favorite assignment,” Sargent says. “I used to have them write their own eulogy, and I’m really lucky that did not blow up in my face, at least to the best of my knowledge. I’ve dropped that assignment. I’m not taking any more chances.”

This assignment, however, was “ writing in the service of some other purpose, and that made it come to life for them. They weren’t just writing for the sake of writing, valuable as it is. They were writing because they saw this as essential to help them get ready for these interviews.”

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Academic integrity

What is academic integrity, academic integrity is:, ‘the expectation that teachers, students, researchers, and all members of the academic community act with:  honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.’ .

What does academic integrity mean for students?

Each class you take, exam you write and assignment you complete will have different rules depending on the instructor. 

But no matter what you are required to do to earn your degree, Dalhousie University expects all students to be responsible learners , which means that you will complete assignments yourself and acknowledge sources of information and ideas when they are not your own, among other things. 

The Statement on Intellectual Honesty is Dalhousie's main academic integrity policy for students and includes definitions of types of academic offences and penalties. 

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What does academic integrity mean for faculty.

Faculty members can promote a culture of academic integrity at Dalhousie by setting clear expectations for students, creating an environment where academic integrity is encouraged, and reporting suspected academic integrity offences.

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The academic integrity process at dalhousie.

The University Senate is responsible for setting academic regulations, including those that govern academic integrity. 

Each faculty has an academic integrity officer that reviews allegations according to the Faculty Discipline Procedures Concerning Allegations of Academic Offences   Allegations that cannot be resolved at the faculty-level are heard by the Senate Discipline Committee . 

Learn more about Dalhousie’s academic integrity process

• Visit the Senate Discipline Committee page
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For information regarding the academic integrity process, policy and senate discipline procedures, contact us at [email protected] .

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Honors Student Kobe Philips Transforms Interest in Biodiversity into Unique Education Journey

• April 16, 2024
• Audio-based Story

University of South Florida (USF) senior Kobe Phillips, majoring in ecology & evolutionary biology, has consistently pursued a diverse range of interests during his time at the Judy Genshaft Honors College. Phillips has maximized the college's resources and interdisciplinary environment to engage in various projects and research opportunities. Notably, he has created and taught his own course and established an organization that integrates his passions for ecological advocacy, art, and infrastructure, providing unique opportunities for Honors students.

"The Honors College allowed me to be creative and not just stick to what my major was," remarked Phillips. In his final semester, Phillips is focused on his latest endeavor and hopeful legacy: an organization he founded called the 3D HAB-Lab. 

HABITAT CHALLENGES

In 2023, the Honors College unveiled its new, state-of-the-art building, ushering in eager Honors students excited to call this new space home. However, they weren't the only ones to embrace this new environment.

Accompanying the influx of bright students were buzzing bees, bustling birds, and other wildlife drawn to the newly landscaped surroundings. Observing these changes, Phillips recognized an opportunity to leverage the unique design and technology studios within the Honors building to promote and enhance biodiversity. Alongside Honors Professor Tina Piracci, Phillips founded the 3D HAB-Lab (short for habitat lab) with a mission to address biodiversity loss.

The 3D HAB-Lab endeavors to mentor, teach, and engage USF students in fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting, utilizing them as tools for restorative habitat design. Students are encouraged to align their interests in engineering, design, art, and ecology to develop practical solutions for habitat loss both locally and globally. The lab encompasses all design-build projects aimed at advancing animal architecture and conservation biology.

“I’m excited to create a community that not only helps to improve our local ecosystems with our preexisting projects, but also work with other students to create new structures, whether it be oyster growth on clay 3D printed parts, or bat boxes using laser cuttings,” explains Phillips. 

ROOM TO GROW

As students collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, they are not only working together on innovative endeavors but also cultivating a diverse community of scholars from various backgrounds, ranging from biomedical engineering to English. This illustrates how the 3D HAB-Lab serves as a space where every discipline contributes significantly.

Philips himself provides a sterling example of how the Honors College empowers students to apply what they’ve learned in classroom in a myriad of different ways. Beyond spearheading initiatives like the 3D HAB-Lab, Phillips has taught his own course at the Honors College titled "Rooted in Place," which led to the growth of the Judy Genshaft Honors College Community Garden. Additionally, he is a UN Millennium Fellow, captain of the rowing team, has studied abroad in Germany, and has undertaken numerous research projects.

With students like Philips and others leading the way, the future is bright for ideas aimed at addressing climate change and biodiversity protection.  

“The problems we face in the future of biodiversity don’t have to just be solved by the ecologist, they can be solved through the poet, the designer, and the engineer,” says Philips. “I hope that students take away the idea that if you have an idea or “out-there” project, you don’t have to wait to start trying.”

"By utilizing arts and fabrication technology like 3D printers, we can innovate how natural habitats integrate into the built environment." – Honors student Kobe Phillips

Up next, Philips plans to pursue graduate study at Cornell University after considering opportunities at Washington University and University College in London. But his time at USF will always serve as a reminder of how interdisciplinary thinking can provide the perfect platform for translating passions into impactful action.

“I have had the opportunity to pursue self-studies and passion projects, and the Honors College and USF Office of National Scholars has certainly facilitated experiences I've had," said Phillips. "It's crazy to think that this is not a common thing at any other university. This is unique to us."

To learn more, follow the 3D HAB-Lab on Instagram .

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Committed to intellectual curiosity, global citizenship, and service across three unique Tampa Bay campuses, Honors News shares the exceptional stories of the Judy Genshaft Honors College.

Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

The History of Moscow City

• Categories: Russia Travel and Tourism Industry

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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Reds' TJ Friedl: Rehab assignment 7-to-10 days away

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Reds manager David Bell said Friday that Friedl (wrist) could be about 7-to-10 days away from beginning a rehab assignment, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Friedl has been building up strength in his fractured right wrist and ramping up his activity level. Things are going well so far and if he continues on the same pace it sounds like he could be cleared for games before the end of the month. While there's no timetable yet for his return to the active roster, Friedl makes for a viable stash if you have a free IL spot.

Reds' TJ Friedl: Remains limited to light activity

Reds' tj friedl: scheduled for mri, reds' tj friedl: placed on injured list, reds' tj friedl: could be back in six weeks, reds' tj friedl: may avoid 60-day il, reds' tj friedl: out with fractured wrist, our latest fantasy baseball stories.

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19 Unique And Fabulous Experiences In Moscow

• Destinations

Thinking of visiting Russia? When visiting such a famous city, one must, of course, visit the iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists. Once you’ve seen the sights that are on most travelers’ lists, it’s time to branch out and visit some of the lesser-known sites, and there are some fascinating places to see and things to do.

I know this list is long, but I just couldn’t help myself. You probably won’t have the time to see them all. But that’s okay. Just scroll through the list and choose what sounds the most interesting to you. Where possible, make sure to book in advance, as things can get crowded, especially during high season.

1. The Red Square, Kremlin, And Surroundings

Red Square (Krasnya Ploshad) is the heart and soul of Russia, and where much of the country’s history has unfolded. This is the most famous landmark in Moscow and indeed the whole country, it’s an absolute must-do! The square is always full of people and has a rather festive atmosphere!

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

This is the famous church with the rainbow-colored, onion-domed roof. The cathedral was commissioned in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible and according to legend, the Tsar thought it was so beautiful, that he ordered that the architect’s eyes be cut out afterward, so he could never build anything more beautiful! He wasn’t called Ivan the Terrible for no reason!

Lenin’s Mausoleum

The “love-it-or-hate-it” of tourist attractions in Russia. A glass sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. It may seem a bit bizarre to display the mummy of a person, but it has been there for almost half a century and the 2.5 million visitors who come each year, clearly feel the queuing and thorough body search are worth it, to be in Lenin’s presence.

Pro Tip: no photos and no loud talking are allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Eternal Flame

There is an Eternal Flame in honor of an unknown soldier on the left side of Red Square. The hourly changing of the guards is worth seeing.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president. You can see it from the outside, or you can take an excursion to one of the museums located inside. This is the biggest active fortress in Europe, and holds a week’s worth of attractions! Once behind the 7,332-feet of walls, there are five squares, four cathedrals, 20 towers, various museums, and the world’s largest bell and cannon to see. Worth a special mention is the Armory Chamber that houses a collection of the famous Faberge Eggs.

Pro Tip: You can only go inside the Kremlin if you are part of a tourist group.

2. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre translates to “The Big Theatre” in Russian, and the building is home to both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera — among the oldest and most famous ballet and opera companies in the world.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to get an inexpensive ticket, so if you’re reading well in advance of going to Moscow then try buying tickets on the official website . Last-minute tickets cost around $250 per person. If this is out of your budget, about an hour before a performance, you can try buying a ticket at the entrance from a reseller. Most can speak enough English to negotiate the price.

Tour the Bolshoi Theatre: You can take a group guided tour of the Bolshoi Theatre which focuses on the history and architecture of the theatre and behind the scenes. There’s an English language tour that lasts 2 hours and costs around $300 for a group of up to six.

3. Luxury Shopping At GUM And TSUM

Russia’s main department store, GUM, has a stunning interior that is home to over 100 high-end boutiques, selling a variety of brands: from luxurious Dior to the more affordable Zara. Even if shopping is not on your Moscow to-do list GUM is still worth a visit; the glass-roofed arcade faces Red Square and offers a variety of classy eateries. TSUM, one of the biggest luxury malls in town, is right behind the Bolshoi and GUM. It’s an imposing building with lots of history, and worth a visit just for its design and its glass roof.

4. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This is one of Russia’s most visited cathedrals and is a newer addition to the gorgeous array of Muscovite cathedrals, but don’t let its young age fool you. After perestroika, in the early 90s, the revived Russian Orthodox Church was given permission to build a cathedral on this site. It did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church. The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes, gold, gorgeous paintings, and decor!

The cathedral is located just a few hundred feet away from the Kremlin and was the site of the infamous Pussy Riot protest against Putin back in 2012.

Pro Tip: Bring a shawl to cover your hair as is the local custom.

5. Gorky Park

Moscow’s premier green space, Gorky Park (Park Gor’kogo) is the city’s biggest and most famous park. There is entertainment on offer here for every taste, from outdoor dancing sessions to yoga classes, volleyball, ping-pong, rollerblading, and bike and boat rental in summer. In winter, half the park turns into a huge ice skating rink. Gorky Park is also home to an open-air movie theater and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also Muzeon Art Park, a dynamic contemporary space with a unique collection of 700 sculptures. It is located right in front of Gorky Park.

6. Sparrow Hills Park

If you take a walk from Gorky Park, along the Moscow River embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbor, it has a great panoramic view of the city

Pro Tip: You can take a free walking tour to all of the above attractions with an English-speaking guide.

7. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow, and see all the famous landmarks, but from a different angle, is from the Moscow River. Take a river cruise. Avoid the tourist crowds. There are little nameless old boats that do the cruise, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience take the Radisson Blu cruise and enjoy the sights with some good food and a glass of wine.

8. Metro Hopping

Inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro system is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Started in Stalinist times, each station is a work of art in its own right. I’d recommend touring the stations between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This way, you’ll be able to properly see it without the crowds. Ideally, I’d recommend taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide with GuruWalk, who will tell you stories of forgotten stations and how the history of the country is interconnected with the metro development. If going by yourself, then I definitely recommend checking out: Mayakovskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kievskaya, Kropotkinskaya, Kurskaya, and Novoslobodskaya stations.

Visit the free Moscow Metro Museum: For real train enthusiasts, located in the southern vestibule of Sportivnaya station is a small free museum. Here you can take a peek into the driver’s cabin, see a collection of metro tokens from different cities, and see different models of a turnstile, traffic lights, escalator, and more.

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings and the one with the best view is the main building of the Moscow State University. Although this is a little outside the city center, the view is more than worth it.

10. Izmailovsky Market

Mostly known for the city’s largest flea market, the district of Izmaylovo is home to a maze of shops where you can get just about anything, from artisan crafts to traditional fur hats, handcrafted jewelry, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and antiquities. It’s also one of Moscow’s largest green spaces. There are often no price tags, so be prepared to haggle a bit. Head to one of the market cafes for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

The History of Vodka Museum is found here, and the museum’s restaurant is the perfect place to sample various brands of the national drink.

Once you’ve covered the more touristy spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer, and the places below will also be full of locals! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend the spots below!

11. Moscow City

With a completely different vibe, Moscow City (also referred to as Moscow International Business Center) is like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressive tall glass buildings. Here is where you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, like Ruski Restaurant, the highest restaurant both in Moscow City and in Europe. Moscow City is great for crowd-free shopping and the best panoramic views of the city.

12. Tretyakov Gallery

Tretyakov Gallery started as the private collection of the Tretyakov brothers, who were 19th-century philanthropists. They gave their private collection to the government after their deaths. If there is just one museum you visit in Moscow, I recommend this one!

13. Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno was a residence of Catherine the Great more than two centuries ago. It became derelict during the Soviet era but has now been fully renovated. With its opulently decorated buildings, gardens, meadows, and forests, Tsaritsyno Park is the perfect place for a green respite in Moscow.

14. Kolomenskoye

A 10-minute metro ride from the city center is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, where you can get an idea of what Russia looked like 200 years ago. You’ll find ancient churches (one dating back to the 16th century), the oldest garden in Moscow, and the wonderful fairytale wooden palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great.

15. Ostankino TV Tower

Built in 1967, Ostankino TV Tower was the tallest free-standing construction in the world at the time, it’s still the 8th tallest building in the world and the highest in Europe. It’s also the best observation deck, with a glass floor and 360-degree views. The speedy elevators take you 1,105 feet in next to no time.

Pro Tip: You need to book in advance; entrance is based on specific ticket times and the capacity is limited and only a certain number of tourists are allowed per day. Don’t forget your passport, you’ll need it to get through security.

16. Zaryadye Park

Zaryadye is a newly opened, landscaped urban park so new you won’t find it in a lot of tour guides. The park is near Red Square and is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and floodplains, depicting the variety of climatic zones in Russia.

These last three suggestions are a little quirky, but all are really worth checking out.

17. Museum Of Soviet Arcade Games

Release your inner child playing on 66 arcade machines from the Soviet era! What a great way to spend a couple of hours when tired of visiting museums and palaces. The staff speaks excellent English and are happy to explain how the games work.

18. Moscow Rooftop Tour

Take a 1-hour private Moscow rooftop tour with an experienced roofer. I can just about guarantee none of your friends will be able to say they’ve done it! For your comfort, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Take your camera, there are some amazing photo opportunities out there!

19. Sanduny Banya

This classical Russian bathhouse opened its doors in 1808 and is famous for combining traditional Russian banya services with luxurious interiors and service. If you enjoy spas and saunas, then you should experience a Russian bathhouse at least once in your life! Go with an open mind and hire a specialist to steam you as it’s meant to be done — by being beaten repeatedly with a besom (a leafy branch)! This is said to improve circulation, but is best done by a professional!

So there you have my list of things to do in Moscow. I could have gone on and on and on, but I didn’t want to try your patience! There are so many things to do in this vibrant city that you’ll definitely need to allocate several days for exploring.

Here are some other reasons to visit Moscow and Russia:

• 7 Reasons To Put Moscow On Your Travel Bucket List
• Russia 30 Years (And 30 Pounds) Ago
• Massive Mysterious Craters Appearing Again In Siberia

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveler, yoga teacher, trail runner, and mother of two. When she is not climbing or traveling she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, taking climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.

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Scholarly squirrels: Exploring the dynamics of Texas A&M’s campus wildlife

Ongoing project will provide undergraduate wildlife students with hands-on field experiences.

April 19, 2024

While Reveille is the undisputed First Lady of Aggieland, one might argue the Texas A&M University campus is also home to a smaller, more mischievous unofficial mascot — the campus squirrel.

Beginning this month, students in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management , RWFM, will use various field techniques and statistical analyses to provide quantitative insight into the world of these bushy-tailed, campus rodents.

Campus wildlife provides unique learning opportunities

Of the eight squirrel species that call Texas home, the highly adaptable Eastern fox squirrel has seemingly found its niche in the open, park-like environments of universities across much of the state. With a variety of habitat options, an abundant food supply, and relatively few predators, it’s no surprise that these campus squirrels flourish.

Ty Werdel, Ph.D., RWFM assistant professor, said this provides the perfect opportunity to integrate accessible, field-based monitoring with academic coursework. 

“The presence of urban wildlife on campus enables our students to conduct research and practice key technical skills in their own backyard,” Werdel said.  

Project launches this spring

Led by Werdel and RWFM graduate students, undergraduates enrolled in Techniques in Wildlife Management will set traps located in trees to capture 12 squirrels across campus. Once the animals are captured, students will collect data such as sex and weight and equip the squirrels with micro-GPS collars.

Werdel said these GPS collars, like very small pet collars, have no detrimental effect on the daily activities of the wildlife wearing them and will provide researchers with fine-scale spatial insight into their movement and behavior.

To mitigate stress on the animal and ensure human safety, only trained personnel will be allowed to handle the squirrels; however, wildlife students will assist in the process. Further, the trapping will take place only in the early morning or late evening hours to avoid the hottest portions of the day.

“It’s important for us to ensure this process results in the least amount of stress possible for the squirrels,” Werdel said. “Prior to even starting this work, we obtained a research permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and approval from the Texas A&M Division of Research Animal Use Protocol.”

Information collected sheds light on the campus squirrels

In addition to monitoring general movement patterns, the GPS collars, other survey methods and statistical modeling will enable students enrolled in two additional undergraduate courses — Wildlife Population Dynamics and Urban Wildlife and Fisheries — to determine the campus squirrel population, as well as home ranges and habitat preferences across the landscape.

For example, thanks to an existing geographic information system, GIS, database of campus trees, along with data on building density and roads, students can correlate squirrel activity and density with particular landscape features. This helps researchers better understand which campus elements squirrels most prefer or avoid.  

Further, students will monitor and assess squirrel mortality, locate and monitor nesting dens, and estimate squirrel populations on campus based on surveys.

“This project will enable students to learn and implement an array of basic wildlife techniques including radio telemetry, census methodology, trapping, GIS and statistical analyses,” Werdel said. “Beyond gaining an understanding of the population dynamics of urban squirrels, this project is really about equipping our students with the skills needed to successfully enter the career field of wildlife management.”

Building on existing campus data

This isn’t the first time Texas A&M students have investigated the behavior of campus squirrels. Twenty-five years ago, Roel Lopez, Ph.D., head of the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management and director of the  Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute , launched a similar project.

“At the time, urban squirrels had never been studied in Texas and had rarely been studied in the U.S.,” said Lopez, then an assistant professor. 

This project spanned six years and led to numerous findings, including that male squirrels on the Texas A&M campus are more likely to die from highway-related deaths than females.

Department faculty were able to revive this project thanks in part to financial support from an alumnus of Texas A&M’s wildlife program.

“College Station and the Texas A&M campus have urbanized and changed drastically since the initial study,” Lopez said. “This will provide an amazing opportunity to see if these changes have affected how these animals use the landscape.”

Werdel said understanding the impact of urbanization on all wildlife species is extremely relevant as cities continue their outward expansion and overlap with wildlife habitat.

“The project’s primary objective is to prepare our students with the technical knowledge and skills needed to conserve and manage any number of wildlife species in an evolving environment,” Werdel said. “While this research is specific to our campus, students will be able to apply what they learn through this project to future wildlife management endeavors.”

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