What makes a good essay topic? My professor's advice finally clicked 🎯

[Dina]

I met with my professor to discuss my essay topic and she gave me a framework that actually makes sense. She said a good topic should be:

1. Specific enough to cover in your page limit — not "World War II" but "how propaganda posters in Mississippi recruited Black soldiers during WWII"
2. Interesting to YOU — because you'll be spending weeks on it
3. Researchable — enough sources available
4. Arguable — not just facts, but something you can take a position on

A CUNY writing guide says to ask yourself: "What questions do you have about the material? What controversies exist in the field? What connections can you make between course concepts and your own interests?"

For my history paper, I started with "women in the 1920s" (too broad). Then "flappers in the 1920s" (still broad). Then "how flapper culture was portrayed in Mississippi newspapers vs. national magazines" — specific, researchable, and actually interesting to me!

The guide also suggests "mining your textbooks" — look at the footnotes and see what sources the authors cite . Those are often key texts in the field and can lead you to more sources.

Another tip: "think about what puzzles you" . What didn't make sense in class? What contradicted what you thought you knew? Those questions often make the best topics.

For students who've written papers they actually enjoyed: how did you find your topic? What made it work?

 

[Matilda]

Okay so I'm an RA now and I want to give you the other side. We're trained to build community, but honestly? It only works if residents want it. I can plan all the events in the world but if nobody shows up, nothing happens. My first semester, my hall was quiet. I was trying too hard. Second semester I stopped planning big events and just started hanging out in the common area doing homework. People started trickling in. We'd study together. Talk. Order food. It became organic.

The belonging doesn't come from the RA. It comes from the residents connecting. The RA just helps clear the way.