How to choose an interesting topic for your Matura paper

Choosing the right topic is the first step to a good and successful Matura paper. This sounds easier than it is. The first basic rule: It should always be a topic that corresponds to your own interests. So you have to ask yourself the questions: Where are my strengths, what moves or fascinates me. Generally speaking, a Matura paper is the best chance to deal with problems, injustices, grievances or trends of our time.

Students should take advantage of this opportunity to find a topic they are passionate about. Researching and working on the Matura paper will be much easier for them. The question leads like a red thread through the topic and the entire paper.

The Matura paper may well be provocative and can therefore deal with a topic that carries a conflict such as: "Should the legal rules for animal transport be tightened?" Or: "Does religion impede steps of integration of migrants, or does it support it?" Or, "To what extent is advancing digitalization changing our economy, the world of work, and society and privacy?" Or more specifically, "What is the market power of digital global companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google?"

The individual examination of the chosen topic

The second basic rule is that the question should allow an individual and independent examination of the topic. It is therefore not enough to string together facts and figures that are already known. It is very important to describe one's own impressions, observations, and also experiences, to question them if necessary, and to include influences from one's own environment.

Once you have made your choice of topic, you will very quickly discover further aspects in your research that raise new questions. This can and should be addressed in the Matura paper.

Analytical thinking

For someone who thinks analytically and likes to evaluate facts as well as data, deals with experiments and explores his environment, a scientific job in the field of Physics and Chemistry is a good choice. Thoseinterested in biology can choose an environmental topic, but also cover biological research. For example, topics in food technology and nutritional science are fascinating. Is our food better or worse than it was 50 years ago?

This can then further lead to the booming health wave. How has our attitude to the body and its health changed, given the massive flow of information on the Internet? The flood of information about foods that one should or should not eat is hardly manageable anymore. The overabundance of so-called superfoods, which are touted with appropriate marketing, can be addressed, as can the mass of dietary supplements. Are these products a useful supplement, or can the same results be achieved with a correspondingly good diet? What influences are there from the side of the family, the circle of friends, in kindergarten, or at school? What thought processes are set in motion?

Last but not least, the recent event, the Corona crisis, is a topic that moves us all. Not only that, it has brought us a lot of restrictions in everyday life.

Literary figures and their influences

Anyone with literary talent and who is also interested in the humanities can deal with corresponding leading figures, such as famous authors - whether from past centuries or the present. This is also an opportunity to make comparisons between the characteristics of different literary periods and to examine their influences on our language today.

Our means of communication - language

In the field of languages, the different stages of development in the European area can be illuminated. To what extent did the Latin language have an influence, and why does hardly anyone speak it today? It has become a dead language, although it can be considered the basis of many European languages. The development of the planned language Esperanto and other constructed languages would give an interesting insight into why language is so important for mankind as a means of communication, and why new languages are created again and again.

A wide field - creativity

In the case of creative talent, the influences of fashion, as well as digital designers, who are becoming increasingly influential in the age of the Internet, on our society, could be examined. The topic could also be the flood of images on the Internet and how they influence us. A famous painting can be used as a starting point to go through the biography of its creator. One can also compare the biographies and works of famous artists, such as van Gogh and Andy Warhol.

Endless possibilities in the music and artist scene

And ultimately, the wide field of musicians, rock bands and performing artists offer an almost infinite choice of topics. For example, is the trend of "New Burlesque" more of a coincidence or is it a retro development? The self-portrayal of Dita Von Teese in contrast to the traditional glamour girl would be an interesting examination of how burlesque is accepted as a frontier in today's society.

Likewise, the juxtaposition of life circumstances would be interesting, such as Tchaikovsky's homosexuality, which was kept secret, versus the freedom of today's musicians or artists who, by coming out, are mostly accepted in our society today without any problems.

Artificially induced changes in physical appearance

The creative field also includes topics that deal with cosmetic applications in general. So if you want to pursue a career here, you can take a critical look at the latest trends, from fingernail design to surgical procedures and cosmetic changes to the face. This is accompanied by the ever-lowering threshold of acceptance in our society, as with tattoos, which are accepted by many people of all ages and professions. What used to be used only as a body decoration by primitive peoples has today almost become a status symbol.

Almost everything is politics

If you feel comfortable in a social environment and have considered a profession in this field, you can choose political issues. How do political activities and decisions of a parliament or government, as well as citizens' initiatives affect the population? Are politicians powerless, or do they make high-handed decisions? What systems are in place to ensure that citizens have some say? Which political decisions affect people's own lives? In this way, credibility in politics, in the media, and in society can be scrutinized. And the design of a school system is also closely related to politics. Anyone who takes a look at this will certainly find a great many approaches to a topic.

Conclusion

Whatever topics one turns to, it is important to describe one's own point of view. Likewise, the influences of one's own environment to which one oneself or even the whole family was or still are exposed. If you can then present approaches to solutions and develop ideas, you have a lot of material at your disposal.