Choosing what your IB Extended Essay (EE) will be is not just some assignment – it is your chance to know more about the studies you are engaged in! It’s your academic power where you get into a world of research, discovery and yes even night time snack run and study session.
Now, let us turn to the ways you can nail this opportunity and potentially boost your IB Diploma score while at it.
Why is IB EE So Important in Your IB Diploma?
Your IB Extended Essay is such a big thing! It is one of the three constituents of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alongside ToK (Theory of Knowledge) and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service).
Not only is it a component of the diploma but if done correctly it can earn you that extra point that you need for university placement. In addition, it is a good chance to know what university research is like. The best part? A good EE can help you gain some extra marks and get you nearer to the better grade you wanted to get.
How To Choose The Best IB Extended Essay Topic?
Strategic Approaches to Choosing Your Topic
Personal Interest:
First of all, select an area that brings joy when considering getting out of bed in the morning. This is where choosing something you are interested in can make a significant difference between writing an essay that feels like a chore and one that makes you curious.
Subject Focus:
Focus on the topics you are already studying. Do you love mathematics or do you find history quite interesting? IB subjects can be used as a starting point to help you make your choice. This approach helps you avoid falling into a pit that you cannot handle, and that in itself can be a great strength when getting into more complicated areas.
Future Goals:
Do you have your eye on a certain course or career? Your EE should be used to provide you with an advantage. If the dream is engineering, then something in the sciences could be ideal. Or, if you’re considering graduate school, why not choose subjects concerning human rights or environmental policies?
Stages of Planning and Preparation for Your Research
Begin your journey of the extended essay by laying the right footing with proper preparation and planning.
First list all possible topics you can think of, and then eliminate those that cannot be researched due to lack of resources or your personal preference.
Develop a clear plan of how you are going to work, what type of data you may use, where you can find it, and what questions you will try to solve.
Find individuals who can help you – think about teachers as they are knowledgeable in your area of focus.
The more detailed you are with your initial plan, the more you will be able to stick to it and manage your time well.
Choose IB Innovators for in-depth consultation
Maximising the Use of Resources for Support
There is no harm in utilising every opportunity that is within your disposal. Your school library may contain books and journals that are not available on the internet. Your EE supervisor can be of great assistance and help you develop the research question.
Further, search for journal articles and papers in the academic databases such as JSTOR or Google Scholar. Just always bear in mind that using different sources enriches the view on the topic and makes the essay stronger.
Acquiring Basic Research and Writing Skills
Your IB EE is a good chance to improve your knowledge of research as well as your creative writing skills. You will find out how to collect information, process it and make conclusions. This also incorporates reasoning and coming up with a logical flow of the essay and a good and convincing tone of the argument.
These are not only academic skills but are also beneficial at any phase of life. Therefore, it is about time that you learn how to write academically and do research. It will come in handy in the future!
Personal Development and Learning Analysis
Think about the skills and the perspectives which you develop while completing your EE. It can help to identify new skills or weaknesses that you have never considered before, for example, time management, stress coping mechanisms, and feedback. It will be very useful as you progress through your academic and personal development.
Towards Interdisciplinary and Innovation in Practice
If you are interested in a few subjects, it is recommended to choose an interdisciplinary programme. For example, you could double major in IB Economics and IB Environmental Systems & Societies and then focus on the economic effects of climate change policies.
Solutions to Some of the Challenges of Research
One should expect that there will be some difficulties when he or she is doing the research. It is possible that you will find that there is actually very little information out there on your topic or that the information that is out there is 180 degrees from what you were expecting.
These challenges will let you learn how to adapt yourself and think logically. It will be beneficial to cultivate problem-solving skills in the present in order to solve future academic and career constraints.
How should an IB Extended Essay Be Structured?
In most cases, the 4000 word count of an IB Extended Essay is divided into different parts. While the IB does not mandate a strict structure or distribution of word count across different sections, a typical breakdown could look something like this:
- Title Page: Your IB EE should start with a title page, clearly mentioning your topic and credentials. You can take help from different templates available online.·
- Introduction: Gives an overview of the research question, explains the purpose of the essay and captures the reader’s attention on what to expect.
- · Body: Organises arguments, analyses and evidence within subdivided sections of the essay in order to support the thesis statement.
- · Conclusion: Summarise the findings, discuss their significance and then give the answer to the research question without further information.
- · References/Bibliography: Provides lists of the sources that have been directly quoted, informed, and inspired the work, which are crucial for credibility but are not counted in the total number of words.
Does Consulting an IB Tutor Make Any Difference?
Hiring an IB tutor will be very helpful in your journey of the IB Extended Essay. Teachers also help to fine-tune your research question and paper organisation, as well as to meet the IB requirements.
This makes them useful because they guide you to useful sources of information and keep you on track due to their specialisation.
Tutors also help out with time management, by setting achievable goals so as to avoid cramming. They also provide feedback that is constructive and critical in enhancing not only the essay but also writing skills in general.
Also, a tutor is confidence-inspiring as he or she provides encouragement and guidance. This kind of help can go a long way to make a difference between a good and a bad essay and your success
FAQs
What is a passing ee score?
A passing grade in EE is D or better and it can attract up to 3 bonus points in conjunction with Theory of Knowledge towards the awarding of the IB Diploma.
Is writing ib ee in a week possible?
Completing an IB EE in a week is very difficult and should not be encouraged, as the quality of the work depends on the amount of research and planning.
Is there any way to choose the best ib extended essay topics
Yes, choose IB EE topics that are of interest to you, and that fit your academic background and your future academic or career plans for the most interesting and easy EE.
Can the extended essay be about anything?
The extended essay should be in one of the Diploma Programme subjects and must be in response to a research question from the specific subject.
How many hours should an EE supervisor spend?
Ideally, a supervisor should dedicate an average of 3-5 hours to the student to assist and review throughout the process..
What should I write my EE about?
Select an area of interest in an IB subject you take while ensuring that you can easily cover it and that there is enough material to research the topic effectively
