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169 Personal Essay Topics & Ideas

Published by at June 21st, 2022 , Revised On November 3, 2023

As the name suggests, a personal essay relates to the author’s personal life experiences. A personal essay is perhaps the most unique and common essay assignment at colleges and universities. 

It is a non-fiction style of essay combining multiple genres of writing. This task is invariably challenging, be it for accreditation or to pass certain coursework because you are required to use narrative and descriptive approaches to your essay writing. 

In most cases, you cannot retell a story or depict a person or an incident in a personal essay with 100% accuracy. Instead, you have to frame whatever occurred under a grander context. 

In a personal essay, you must express your experiences and thoughts about the paper’s topic. Here, the key to success is to make an effort to merge narrative and viewpoint. 

For many students, choosing a topic for their personal essay is the first step of the process. So we have provided many free personal essay topics for you to consider. Choose a topic that relates to your real-life experience. 

A personal essay is a truly creative way of speaking your feelings. If you choose an appropriate topic, it is a great exercise for learning to build a narrative.

To give you a head start, we have compiled a list of hundreds of personal essay topics and ideas. 

Personal Essay Topics about Personal Experiences

  1. Tell us about your first international journey.
  2. The worst thing that has ever occurred to you.
  3. How did your first day of school go?
  4. What is your favourite recollection of childhood?
  5. What is your favourite memory with the family?
  6. Have you had a nervous breakdown?
  7. When you were a kid, what games did you enjoy playing?
  8. The most difficult situation you’ve ever encountered.
  9. How did you meet someone special in your life?
  10. One of the people you admire the most.
  11. What are some of the things that bring you joy?
  12. How did you get into eating healthy in the first place?
  13. What did you do for the holidays?
  14. Did you carry a stray home with you?
  15. What method did you use to learn to drive?
  16. How did you meet the well-known figure?
  17. What did you learn from your adversaries?
  18. Describe the collisions you saw.
  19. A spot where you’d prefer to spend the rest of your life.
  20. When you’ve found the job of your dreams.
  21. Your most heartbreaking disappointment.
  22. Books that left an indelible mark on you.
  23. What irritates you the most?
  24. Your family’s customs.
  25. Do you have a technological addiction?
  26. What songs from today inspire you?
  27. What did you do to injure yourself?
  28. Describe a trip or vacation that went wrong.
  29. You’ve attended some fantastic concerts.
  30. Describe the terrifying nightmares you’ve had.
  31. Would you be able to survive if you didn’t have any money?
  32. Are you a fan of commercials?
  33. Tell me about a time when you were able to assist someone.
  34. How did you get over your apprehension?
  35. When you’re provoked, this is how you react.

Personal-Argument Essay Topics

  1. What do you have to spare?
  2. What drew you to environmental issues in the first place?
  3. What is the minimum amount of money needed to be content?
  4. What does it mean to you to be of a certain ethnicity?
  5. The significance of personal growth.
  6. In your family, there are male and female duties.
  7. Explain your perspective about feminism
  8. What does it take to be a good human?
  9. These are the most priceless moments in your life.
  10. Which is more important: money or happiness?
  11. Your perspective on the tattoo.
  12. Is it necessary to be fashion-obsessed?
  13. Your thoughts on cosmetic surgery.
  14. What a crucial decision it is to live a healthy lifestyle.
  15. Your most preferred holiday destinations.

Also Read: Controversial Essay Topics

Personal Cause-effect Essay Topics

  1. I don’t watch television for a variety of reasons.
  2. The impact of social media on my daily life.
  3. What motivates me to enrol in this particular college course?
  4. What inspired me to learn to play the guitar?
  5. Why do I participate in sports?
  6. What effect does frequent travel have on my personality and personal qualities?
  7. Why do I have a cat, and why would any other animal be able to take its place?
  8. Why is it so tough to solve math problems?
  9. What impact did this book (movie) have on my worldview?
  10. Why should I look up to my father as a role model?
  11. Why do I enjoy watching cartoons so much?
  12. What is the impact of being a twin on my brother and me?
  13. How did my parents instil in me a dislike for extracurricular activities?
  14. How does overscheduling negatively impact a child’s life?
  15. What impact did our annual family vacations have on our family relationships?
  16. What made me stronger as a result of my illness?
  17. What impact did attending church have on my life objectives and preferences?
  18. Why aren’t my parents on board with my life plans?
  19. How did my parents assist me in my studies?
  20. Why did going to college make me more self-reliant?

Also Read: Analytical Essay Topics

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Personal-Persuasive Essay Topics

  1. Listening to music might help you finish your homework faster?
  2. Is it true that hobbies might help you advance in your career?
  3. Is it ethical to purchase things that have been tested on animals?
  4. What is the significance of volunteering?
  5. Should drugs be made illegal?
  6. What are your thoughts on distance learning and online education?
  7. Everyone should go to their favourite restaurant.
  8. Things to do to assist in the survival of our globe.
  9. What can we do to improve the world?
  10. Is it possible to be stress-free?
  11. Is it necessary to prohibit zoos?
  12. How does online buying cause me to overspend?
  13. I don’t smoke for a variety of reasons.
  14. Things I’d like to be doing when I’m 70 years old.
  15. Why do I think students should go abroad for higher education?

Also Read: Criminal Law Essay Topics

Personal Essay Topics for College Students

  1. Have you ever had a crush on someone?
  2. What is your long-term professional goal?
  3. What does it mean to you to be successful?
  4. What role does freedom of expression have in your life?
  5. How would you leave your comfort zone if it became necessary?
  6. People you admire in your life.
  7. What do you despise the most?
  8. What did you like about your roommates?
  9. You intend to take a gap year.
  10. What was your first job like?
  11. Describe the philosophical problems you’d wish to overcome.
  12. What did you take away from your setbacks?
  13. You prefer outdoor activities.
  14. Describe your responsibilities.
  15. What inspires you to choose this specific course?

Also Read: Culture Essay Topics

Personal Essay Topics about Education

  1. How can a professor inspire you to improve as a person?
  2. What are the most effective strategies for giving a speech?
  3. Do you enjoy doing homework or think it is a waste of time?
  4. The most important lesson you learned at school or college.
  5. Do you find it difficult to study for school exams? 
  6. How do you deal with stress during exams?
  7. What’s your biggest fear about failing in exams?
  8. What was your second language, and how did you learn it?
  9. What drives you to work hard in school and pursue your goals?
  10. What good and bad decisions have you made regarding your subject choice in college?

Also Read: History Essay Topics

Personal Essay Topics about Relationships and Dreams

  1. Give an example of someone who taught you how not to do something by doing it badly.
  2. Write about the first person you ever became a friend with. 
  3. Do you have your criteria for the selection of your friends?
  4. On a fantasy vacation, who would you invite?
  5. Consider someone you see frequently but with whom you do not work or live. What lessons can you learn from them?
  6. What would you do if you could have any job in the world?
  7. In three months, where do you want to be? Is it six months? Is it a year?
  8. If money were no object, how would you spend a weekend?
  9. Who began as a stranger and evolved into a close friend in your life?
  10. Write about a time when you had a houseguest who you didn’t appreciate.
  11. Talk about someone you’ve lost in your life. What has changed in your life?
  12. Which celebrity would you most like to meet? What kind of advice would you like to get from them?
  13. What did you wish for as a child but never got?
  14. What kind of pet would you like to have?
  15. Who would you choose if you could live the life of any film or literary character?

Also Read: Expository Essay Topics

Easy and Good Personal Essay Topics

  1. What qualities do you possess that make you a good coworker or friend?
  2. Which location would you like to spend a thunderstorm?
  3. Could you go a week without using technology? 
  4. Is 2021 a year? What would it resemble?
  5. What personality traits would you trade with someone if you could?
  6. When you were younger, where did you like to go? What made it unique?
  7. Write about an instance when you thought you were correct but were proven to be mistaken.
  8. When you were a kid, what was your favorite thing to do?
  9. What would you do with a million dollars if you were only allowed to spend half of it on yourself?
  10. What do you consider to be the most important object in your home? Why?
  11. Write about a time when you learnt something unique from someone.
  12. What is the easiest way to learn bike riding?
  13. What portion of the 2020-2021 quarantine was the toughest for you?
  14. Is your current situation what you had hoped for?
  15. What was the first time you heard of a major news story?
  16. Write about a dish that transports you to another era.
  17. What was the most recent challenging issue you had to cope with?
  18. In a TED Talk or podcast, what could you want to learn?

Also Read: Law Essay Topics

Interesting Personal Essay Topics

  1. What brought you and your best friend together?
  2. The most courageous act you’ve ever done
  3. What distinguishes your parents?
  4. Overcoming fear is a life-changing experience.
  5. You’ve had a failure. You’ve had a disappointment.
  6. You encountered a surprising turn of events.
  7. Your favourite period
  8. A place you aim to avoid at all costs
  9. What would you do if you had unlimited power?
  10. Which superpower would you like to have?
  11. What would you do if you could change someone’s life?
  12. Where would you seek refuge?
  13. The most devastating loss you’ve ever suffered
  14. If you could go back in time, what would you change?
  15. Words that irritated me
  16. A book that has had a significant impact on your life
  17. When you have a strong desire to flee,
  18. Your best achievement in life
  19. One thing about the world you’d change
  20. If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be? What kind of teacher would you like to be?
  21. If you could live anywhere, which country you would go?
  22. Which museum would you prefer to visit if you are ever given a chance?
  23. Something a robot would never be capable of.
  24. An animal with the potential to rule the world
  25. The most important discovery of your life
  26. What is your hidden talent?
  27. Have you ever proposed to your crush?
  28. An event that altered everything in your life
  29. If you could create a charity, what would you do?
  30. When you needed love.

When writing a personal essay, you can certainly write on whatever topic you desire. The subject is probably not as important as you may imagine. What interests the audience is discovering your perspective, which can be seen as an illustration of your distinct personality. Please make the most of our great essay ideas list to start writing your essay and achieve your desired grade. 
Also Read: Nursing Essay Topics

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Essays and Personal Essay Topics

At EssaysUK, we believe in adding value to the field of education. We put students above monetary gains; therefore, we are providing free essay topics service where you can claim 1 free essay topic and a thesis statement for your essay. Our experts offer unique, interesting, specific, and manageable topics. 

The structure of a personal essay, like other essay types, consists of an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Start your personal essay with a strong opening statement and set up the narrative. End your essay by providing the story’s moral – how the experience (s) will help you improve your response to a particular situation in the future. Learn more about how to write a personal or narrative essay here

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