With the Extended Essay’s final deadline finally behind the DP2 students, the hallways have been feeling lighter. Among students who have completed this rigorous process is a Psychology student who explored her interest in politics with the passion for her subject. She reflected on her process and shared honest advice for future Extended Essay writers.
What subject did you choose for your Extended Essay, and what inspired that choice?
– “The subject I chose was Psychology. I decided to pick Psychology as I really like it as a subject I take in school, and I wanted my topic for the Extended Essay to be something related to politics, as that is something I plan on studying in the future. I thought Psychology would be the best subject to examine these topics.”
How did your research question evolve from your first idea to the final version?
– “I ended up changing my research question quite a few times, especially with the help of my supervisor. I had to mold it into a question that focused more on Psychology than politics, as well as something that wasn’t too vague, but not too limiting. I had to pick key words that described what the studies I intended on using included, and something that would be specific enough to fit within a 4000 word essay.”
What part of the Extended Essay took the most time or effort for you?
– “There were quite a few things which were time-consuming. Overall, of course, the process of writing the essay itself.. However, I would say that the research process took the most time, as when I submitted my outline, the studies I had picked were not compatible with my research question and with my topic. My supervisor advised me to change the studies I had originally picked, so that took a while, as it was hard to find studies completely related to my research question that fit the IB criteria, and of which the full versions were accessible.”
How did you manage your time, especially during the last few weeks before submission?
– “Time management was quite hard for me. Unfortunately, even though I had hoped to work on my time management, that didn’t end up working out too well, as I kept putting things off, especially before writing the draft. However, after writing the draft, I figured out a way to keep myself motivated, and manage my time by setting internal deadlines for myself.”
What role did your supervisor play, and how did their feedback influence your final version of the essay?
– “My supervisor was very helpful throughout the process. He helped me a lot with finding appropriate studies, giving me advice on the draft, and his comments and feedback really helped me fix the draft and, finally, submit something I am proud of.”
Did you face any major challenges while working on your Extended Essay, and how did you overcome them?
– “As I previously mentioned, a big challenge was finding studies appropriate for my topic, subject, research question, and criteria, but I managed to overcome this with the help of my supervisor and by doing lots of research.”
What is one thing you learned from completing such a long independent project independently?
– “I definitely saw what it is like to set your own deadlines for a project that takes a while, so it must be time management. Additionally, since it was a project we worked on for months, my general takeaway is mostly related to my ability to focus on distributing time wisely.”
What advice would you give DP1 students who will soon be starting their Extended Essay process?
– “I would say to think about the things that they enjoy, and try to connect that toa subject they like. When you are working on something you like, it is definitely much easier to stay motivated.”
How did you feel after submitting your Extended Essay?
– “I felt very relieved to finally be done with it, as well as proud to have come up with this idea, as this is one of the few things on this level I have done myself. Overall, it was very rewarding.”
Aylin’s experience shows that the Extended Essay is as much about personal growth, as it is about academic achievement. From navigating setbacks to managing her time, she prepared for future independent work. As DP1 students begin thinking about their own topics, her insights offer a reminder that choosing a topic you enjoy can make the journey meaningful.
