ENGL 120 Cuyamaca College Wk 7 Brainstorming Possible Ideas for Essays

Pre-Writing: Brainstorming Possible Ideas for Essay 2

For the Week 7 Discussion Board, you will be asked to submit 3 possible topics for essay 2.

As I mentioned for essay 1, many students begin with a strong idea for their topic selection, and will continue with that topic; however, on occasion, students are not as happy with their topics as they had initially thought they would be. Since it is more difficult to come up with new possibilities when you are feeling under pressure of a deadline coming up, it is good practice to begin with two or three strong topics. It is just like taking a sweater when you are going out in the evening. You won’t need it if you take it, but if you don’t take it, it will probably be the coldest night on record.

I hope you have fun reflecting on the many people you’ve encountered in your life and who may have made an impact on you!

Brainstorming Possibilities

• Someone you have known for a long time
• Someone you have known for a short time
• Relatives
• Friends
• Coaches
• Employers
• Neighbors
• School acquaintance
• Anyone who had authority over you, or for whom you felt responsible
• Anyone who helped you during a difficult time
• Anyone who made life more joyful for you
• Anyone whose advice/actions influenced you
• Anyone who taught you something important about yourself
• Anyone who ever inspired strong emotion in you – admiration, envy, disapproval, fascination
• Anyone whose values/behaviors led you to question (or reinforce) your own
• Someone you worked with that taught you something.
• Someone that you were competitive with at work.
• Someone that you worked collaboratively with either at school or work.
• Someone who served as a positive role model
• Someone who helped you to feel a part of a community and made you feel you had something positive to contribute
• Someone who helped you develop a side of yourself that you didn’t realize was there.
• Anyone who supported you in something you wanted to achieve
• Someone who taught you how to be kind to others