If your instructor asks you to come up with a topic on your own, take the time to pick one that interests you. You will spend weeks or months reading and writing about this subject, so it is important that you select a topic that will hold your attention.

• The topic must fit the course assignment.
• To select a topic, think of a question that interests you about the material covered in the course.
• Then, rephrase your question into a statement, and you have your topic.

FOR EXAMPLE: If your question is "Who was Martin Luther King Jr. and why does he seem important?," then your topic might be "The Life of Martin Luther King Jr."