Within a subject that interests you, identify an area of REAL interest to you. Keep in mind that we work on the EE for roughly a year, so your interest is important -- you need to be motivated to keep this up! What this "big idea" is will be different based on the subejcts you think about. 

For Example

History - dictators and their fall from power (this could lead to an EE about a specific leader and the factors that led to their downfall)

Economics - positive or negative externalities (externalities of consumption and production have been fairly common EE topics for Econ; picking a specific product or industry that interests you can help narrow this down further. In the past, we've had successful Econ EEs about the externalities of things like e-bikes.)

Literature - a big idea could be the works of a prolific author, a genre, etc. 

For the sciences, several of our students have considered potential majors or career paths when coming up with EE topics -- we've had Physics essays with links to architecture, multiple Bio essays with health / wellness connections, etc...

• DO NOT pick an EE subject purely based on your teacher for that subject (and likewise, do not dismiss a subject even if you have an issue with the teacher.) Students and supervisors spend a MAXIMUM of 5 hours working together on the EE. The overwhelming majority of your time will be spent working independently, or with some guidance from the EE coordinator.

• DO NOT just pick a topic because you like it. "Liking it" does not mean it is viable. While interest is a critical factor in the success of an EE, it is far from the only factor (and arguably not the most important factor, either.)

• DO NOT just do something that your subject teacher recommends -- again, you do need an interest to propel you through the process. Think about the recommendations you receive and put in the effort to "own" your EE topic.

Do not overlook World Studies! It can be GREAT. 

Do keep in mind that you MUST have a topic that fits one of the six global themes, and you must be able to use two DP subjects / disciplines to investigate your topic. If you cannot justify the use of two subjects, then the WSEE is not a good choice. 

If you're doing an EE that requires an experiment, you'd be very well served by starting the conversation about materials ASAP. Whether what you need is available or not has a MASSIVE impact on the viability of your EE topic. 

If it requires resources we do not have in school, it is sometimes possible to get them. Dr. Hu and Tr. Sara are our two lab gurus, but you also want to keep Tr. Mel, Tr. Ilah, Tr. Josh, and Tr. Dandi in the loop if the essay is in Chem, Bio, or Physics.