Look for the situation below that you most closely relate to, and start there .
Some students consider the broad, open topic assignment a nightmare.
They would prefer that the teacher assign a specific topic which has built-in direction and focus. Here we are talking about something much broader. For instance, this broad, open topic assignment might be assigned in a history class or a biology class by a teacher who wants students to explore various subjects related to the class but leaves the content and its focus in the hands of the students. The only directions given are the date due and the length of the paper. In the absence of this teacher-direction, students must learn to consider and select a topic that will be not just suitable, but ideal, for themselves.