how it choose which subject to do EE in

[RAfter]

is it hard to do EE in math or physics. many people say its hard to do it in math or physics. i have no clue on any topic. can you give me examples, so i have an idea. How about BNM. Ideally how along does it take to do an EE.

[Abu]

If you want examples, make an effort and see the Extended Essay Topics thread and the examples thread.

It can take between 4 hours (yes I am serious, someone gave me that figure) to months. Personally it took me less than 4 days of about 5-6 hours per day.

[Tilia]

I've heard that Maths and Physics are hard, but why not give it a try? One shouldn't listen too much to rumours.

I basically thought about my HLs, realized I didn't want to do it in a science and I wanted it to be written in English (language, not subject). That left philosophy, and I thought about what interested me and talked to my teacher about it, and now I'm narrowing things down to a reasonable topic.

Good luck!

[__inthemaking]

If you're really interested in math or physics, then it shouldn't be too hard for you.

It took me 3 days to write my EE but I pretty much wrote for 8-10 hours each day.

[IBSQUARED]

BNM generally scores better than math EEs. My EE took a few weeks to write after months of watching guppies create offspring in different temperatures.

[Vvi]

A student in my school two years ago wrote his EE (the 2500 words he had left to write) during our 40 minute lunch break. Apparently he has all the info he needed in his head, but just didn't get around to writing it until the afternoon it wad due. Which I find hard to believe, and I don't really want to know how bad his grade was (or how good it was). It would make me want to work even less.

I think that beats whoever told Aboo they took 4 hours to do it.

[Capa]

I think you need to be quite good at the subject you choose to do your EE in.

I look at EE as some bonus thing which I can get extra points in and therefore I went for the easiest (for me) thing I knew of (history)

[Vvi]

Also consider how much you actually like the subject you will be doing an EE on. This might sound obvious, but after weeks and weeks of editing you really won't want to look at your EE anymore. So if from the start you choose a topic you hate because you think it will be easy to get a good grade in, you will run into trouble in writing persuasive arguments and doing enough good research.

It might also be a good idea to pick a topic that you aren't emotionally involved with (for anyone doing a history EE). It might seem like a good idea initially do pick the Armenian Genocide or Holocaust (for example) because it's your country's history or whatever, but analyzing a war that ended in your citizens being killed is hardly likely to be unbiased. And since history EE's get marked on the basis of counter-arguments to your claims as well as your actual arguments, it might be a good idea to pick something "safer". Like a war in a country you have never heard of before.

Whereas if you pick a topic that fascinates you, you will have a decently fun time finding out more about it (EE research wasn't fun for me even though I liked my topic).

[Jakebert]

My IBC told us to not do anything we don't take as a HL subject, because to teach yourself the methodology and to do the essay is a lot of work. It's ok for some fields, but fields with a really technical and specific methodology like Psychology should be avoided unless you know how to write for Psychology.

[Chelleee]

there are many subjects that are considered to be more advantageous to get good marks and others that are titled suicide.

generally if you want good marks, people say go for language (eg. english) and to avoid group 4 subjects as experimentation is required which is not only very time consuming, but a pain in the ass. (im doing group 4, and im pretty much screwed right now)

also it is helpful if you acutally do the subject that your going to do your ee in as it provides background knowledge and also you tend to pick up the vocabs necessary to get good marks.

BUT, really, choose something that interests you. i dont care what they say. considering how much your going to be working on it, IT NEEDS TO BE INTERESTING! so even if ppl say: dont do this, dont do that. if its a) interesting and b) something you think you can handle...GO FOR IT!

[Icthys]

It is best to do an EE on the subject you enjoy the most. This will make it alot easier and enjoyable for you. Even though 4000 words sounds like alot, it actually isn't. Most of the people from my school found it difficult to keep to that word limit and not going over it.

[Aether]

Agree with Icthys, it must be the subject you are mostly interested. Or at least, a subject you won't think when you are in the middle of your EE: Why?! Why?! . The time you take...well, it depends mostly on the area and subject. If you are doing it in Lit, I know people that have done it over a night. In sciences however, mostly in experiments, you will obviously need more time.