What defines me? Where do I start with my identity essay? If you were struggling with writing a self-identity essay, you are at the right place. This article will analyze the approach for writing a college essay about identity and offer some identity essay topics to guide your topic selection. 

What is an identity essay?

A self-identity essay is an essay geared toward explaining your beliefs, personality, and interests to a reader. This analytical narrative encapsulates your highlights in life and reactions to how various moments define you. 

Simply put, a self-identity essay is a narrative about yourself. 

How to write an identity essay

Often, students take the identity essay lightly seeing they are the subject of the narrative. Many often end up surprised at how hard it is to define oneself and confused as to where to start. Let’s look at the approach to writing an identity essay and some tips to start your paper.

Process of writing an identity essay

1. Brainstorm

You are a product of your experiences from childhood up to this moment. Although each moment has led to the person you are, some experiences have provided much bearing to your life. 

Bearing this in mind, it is great to coalesce all the moments you find meaningful and organize your narrative before you put the pen on paper. The failure to do this may result in a paper lacking flow as you pursue the fond memories that spring in mind as you write your essay.

2. Outline

After jotting your key moments, organize them to achieve flow and lead towards the key idea on which you want to base your identity. Are you looking to define your empathy, persistence, or perseverance? Plan your experiences to highlight how this attribute was developed and how it currently defines you.

3. Draft

With your outline ready, you can proceed to write your work while adding the necessary information to make your narrative catchy. The draft allows you to gauge the gaps in your narrative, allowing you to fix your paper before submitting the final draft. 

4. Revise

An error-laden paper does little good in the way of your final score. After writing your paper, set aside time to proofread your work and fix any grammatical and structural errors. 

How to start a cultural identity essay

Often, students find themselves stuck with ‘I am, ‘I do’ openings in their essays and thus fail to hook a reader. Like other essays, the introduction for an essay on identity and culture should whet your reader’s appetite into knowing more about you. 

Some of the best methods to start an identity essay include:

• A famous quote

e.g. We are defined not by our birth name but rather by our actions and although our name is often used to refer to us, our personality is what makes an image in the minds of people we interact with. In my case, I have come to discover an innate fondness for making people feel better about themselves. A need to elevate one’s confidence for I have experienced the downward spiral of lacking self-esteem.  

• Rhetorical questions

e.g. In what way is an individual unique from a crowd? Are we not the product of our surroundings? Does our self-identity surpass our surname and fashion taste? Are we defined by our failures, achievements, interests, or actions? I believe that we are made unique by our actions and not by our failures. 

Tips for writing a self-identity essay

• Select a narrow idea that can highlight the traits you want to define within the provided word count. 
• Use definitive words to paint an image in your reader’s mind. 
• Use transitions to achieve a sense of flow in your narrative
• Proofread your paper to eliminate various errors

Essay topics on identity

Interesting identity essay topics

1. Racial identity – identity development process 
2. Why do teenagers need to forge their unique identities? 
3. How does your favorite music shape your individuality? 
4. What traits, attitudes, and actions make up a man’s identity? 
5. Identity and art 
6. Personality development and the things that most impact it

Cultural identity essay topics

7. Who are you now, and where do you envision yourself in the next 15 years? 
8. The concept of your identity throughout your life
9. What part does your family have in the development of your personality? 
10. Cultural identification and socialization’s significance in learning 
11. Globalization’s effect on identity and culture 

Gender identity essay topics

12. What are by far the most vital elements of identity and culture?
13. How does culture influence identity? 
14. How childhood cultural experiences shape personality?
15. Why should you think about cultural identity when making commercials? 

Personal identity essay topics

16. Ethnic background serves as a prism through which people see other aspects of society
17. Social identity and self-identity: transgender community issues
18. Religion’s influence on self-identity 
19. The importance of cultural identity preservation 
20. Understanding personal identity’s importance

Also, these essays require a different approach to illuminate the problem and apply the solution to all aspects of the issue you are analyzing. This article will break the problem solution essay down to help you prepare an outstanding paper. We will also highlight some problems to write about, inspiring your topic selection. 

What is a problem and solution essay?

A problem and solution essay is an essay that analyses an issue to gauge the problems it causes and suggest mitigation. For this, the analysis should be thorough and supported with proof showing the existence of the perceived problem.

The mitigation should also be analyzed highlighting how it will eradicate the problem and various implications associated with the solution. 

Parts of a problem solution essay

Although a problem and solution essay resemble a regular paper, the parts of the essay may vary a bit. The problem solution essay comprises the situation, the problem, a solution, and an evaluation. 

1. The situation

The situation is alike the introduction of a standard paper. This section gives a scope of the current state while hinting at where the problem lies. This section could be approached in an oratory manner by describing how an institution/ machine could be working if the problem was not in place. 

2. The problem

This section analyses the problem while citing relevant evidence to associate the negative phenomenon with the issue. Here, you may tie down various shortcomings to your problem while describing the extent of the issue. 

It is key to note various related issues arising from your problem to better analyze how the solution satisfies all these aspects. 

3. The solution

This part of the essay should tackle various methods that can be used to maneuver a problem. These methods include; adding resources or finances, removing various constraints, sensitizing people, enforcing policies, and changing leadership. 

When analyzing your solution, pay attention to the various challenges you could encounter and highlight the mitigation for these obstacles. 

4. Evaluation

The evaluation section, concludes your paper by summarising your essay and highlighting the benefits of resolving an identified problem. Be keen not to introduce new ideas in this section, instead, cover all the ideas that you have tackled in your problem solution essay. 

How to write a problem solution essay

1. Identify a topic

The initial step to writing your essay is analyzing the assignment to determine various problems you could discuss. Like other essays, be keen to select a specific problem that can be exhausted within the provided word count. 

Also, ensure that you select a familiar topic, to easily address the research and apply the concepts you have learned to resolve the problem. Our last section highlights some problem solution topics to guide you in topic selection. 

2. Prepare an outline

After conducting your research, jot your key points down and organize them into relevant sections. Doing this will allow you to gauge the completeness of your argument and achieve a flow of the ideas contained in your paper. 

3. Draft

After outlining your work, go about writing the first draft. The outline will help you to stick to a topic and easily express your arguments. Feel free to share your draft with a friend or your tutor to get input on the areas that could use some correction. 

25 Best problem and solution ideas for your essays

Fun problem solution essay topics

1. How do we put an end to gun violence? 
2. The solution to the issue of undocumented immigrants. 
3. Here’s how we would put an end to sexual harassment in institutions. 
4. How do we address the issue of student loan debt? 
5. The most effective techniques to handle stress in university. 

Problem and solution essay topics

6. What teachers can do to keep pupils from trying to cheat on examinations. 
7. how to keep drugs and alcohol off campus 
8. Bullying can be eliminated in schools. 
9. The quick fixes for an abusive marriage. 
10. How can racism be eradicated in the current world? 
11. Why is college so pricey? 

Problem solution essay topics for high school

12. Are there any solutions? 
13. Simple answers to our trash issues. 
14. Methods for promoting independent music 
15. How to Avoid Teen Pregnancy 
16. Can schools aid in the prevention of childhood obesity? 
17. Using online education to cut education expenses 
18. Is gun control an effective strategy to prevent mass shootings?

Topics for problem solution speeches

19. The Perils of Social Media Addiction 
20. What Causes Water Pollution? 
21. What are the most effective ways for avoiding procrastination? 
22. How can students begin earning money while still in college? 
23. How can we persuade people to use public transportation? 
24. How can inmates be rehabilitated so that they can contribute to society? 
25. How does being ethical help sales?