Chapter IIIIDEAS FOR COMPOSITIONS
My first play, circus, funeral, visit to a dentist’s, dance, county fair, Fourth of July, airplane ride, sleigh ride, or meal in a sorority house.Extracts from the real diary of a real freshman.My favorite newspaper artist, cartoon, or comic strip.Earning money while going to college or during the summer.Write the chapter of your autobiography that will be headed “Early Years.”My hobbies or aversions.How I won a prize or competed at a county or state fair.What is the well-dressed young man or woman wearing this season?My favorite magazine.My favorite recipe.Write an account of a student mass meeting.How does any organization to which you belong compare with rival organizations?How does it feel to belong to a fraternity or how does it feel not to belong?Write an article for your high school paper telling why your college is the best.Write a letter home asking for money.Write a history of your reading.Describe some locality you know intimately such as your neighborhood or your home town.Where I eat.When I made my big mistake.Taking a psychological intelligence test.The secret of making good fudge.How I spend my spare time.Give directions for making something such as a radio receiving set, an apron out of an old shirt, or anything that you can make that most persons can not.The joys of hunting, camping out, canoeing, going to the theater, dancing, sitting around and talking, or anything else that you enjoy doing.How I learned to swim or how I taught someone to swim.An embarrassing situation.When the joke was on me.My nicest compliment.Freshman registration.My favorite movie star.What is the best outdoor sport?My most hated instructor.A railroad station at train time.Men or women I have worked for.Running a high school paper, athletic team, or annual.What will you do when you leave college?An exciting moment.What is one important thing that ought to be changed in the way your college is conducted?If you were the principal of the high school from which you were graduated, what changes would you make?How does it feel to be red-headed, left-handed, bald, or fat?Why I am or am not a church member?Describe how to give a dinner party for eight persons.Are prices here higher than they are at home?The most interesting person I know.The perfect roommate.The happiest person I know.My idea of a good time.Go to church Sunday and write an account of the sermon.Write an account of the next athletic contest, banquet, or public lecture you attend.Write an account of an interesting recitation.One of your instructors this week will spend part of the class time discussing a problem of college, city, state, nation, or world interest. Write an account of what he says.What do you think of dogs, cats, or rabbits for pets?A day’s fishing.Why should anyone study Latin, Greek, mathematics, or any subject you like or dislike?What is the matter with the college paper?What do you think of the country, the city, or the small town as a place in which to live?How should a living room be furnished?How could you decrease your expenses one-fourth?Draw a rough floor plan of the sort of house in which you would like to live and explain its advantages.How to distinguish fifteen kinds of trees, birds, or automobiles.What is your pet extravagance or economy?Tell how to dress on $100, on $200, and on $500 a year.An automobile camping trip.A backyard garden.A Sunday school picnic.Who are the half dozen greatest men or women who have ever lived?How should a kitchen be laid out?What are the tests of a good national fraternity?How could more students be interested in debating?Write an account of an interesting college tradition for your high school paper.If you were Santa Claus, what would you give your home city for Christmas?Pick a football team from the heroes of fiction or of history.Write a good sized advertisement that could be sold to some merchant who does not advertise in one of the college publications.What are the ten leading colleges in the country?What is an educated man?My alarm clock.Write a plea to induce young men and women to stay on the farm or in the community where they were reared.Should the higher grade go to the student who does well in his daily work or to the student who does well in an examination?A woman’s place is in the home.How much money will it take to satisfy you five or ten years after graduation?Do college athletes get too much publicity?If you could arrange it, would you have your brother or sister earn some, all, or none of his or her expenses while going through college?Every high school graduate should earn his own living for at least one year before he is allowed to enter college.Describe the conditions under which your father and mother started housekeeping.Recommend ten books for a classmate who has never been accustomed to read for pleasure.What do college students read in the newspapers?Rules of etiquette undergraduates ought to follow.If you were a vocational adviser, what vocations would you advise the ten classmates you know best to follow?If you could spend the summer in travel, where would you go?What advice would you give to a boy or a girl who is going to enter your college next fall?Being afraid.A gloomy holiday.How to furnish and decorate a north room.What are the advantages of a small or of a large college?Buying a new car.What should be considered in criticizing an amateur dramatic performance or a speech?What is the leading honor an undergraduate can win at your college?How many things will you buy before you buy a car?If you had an assured income for the rest of your life, how would you spend your time?Should a washing machine be in every home?What is a gentleman?What are the tests of a good town?Describe some eccentric person you know.Describe the appearance of a friend so well that a stranger could pick him out of a crowd.Write a short story based on a movie.Write a movie based on a short story.How do the fraternity chapters at your college compare with one another?Write a letter to your mother to reach her on Mother’s Day.Write a letter to your father inviting him to attend Homecoming.My mother’s flower garden.Our bird shelf.How to keep cool in hot weather.Pick an “all” team from the football players you have seen this fall.Sounds that keep me awake at night.Taking care of the baby.The tribulations of a landlady.Describe a scale by which students could rate their professors.What are the advantages of making your own clothes?Write in play form an account of a family quarrel or an account of what happens between the halves of a close football or basketball game.In praise of idleness.Take three small boys to a soda fountain and have an ice cream eating contest.Children should be seen and not heard.Tell why your father, mother, brother, or sister ought to be chosen mayor, superintendent of schools, cashier of the bank, or anything else.How would it be possible for you to be elected president of your class, win a letter in athletics, make Phi Beta Kappa, run 100 miles in 48 hours total time, earn $2,000 within the next year, or something else that now looks improbable?What would happen if you could see a copy of a newspaper that would not be printed for another month?What would you say if called on to speak at a college mass meeting?Tipping ought to be abolished.What will ten of your most intimate friends be doing ten years from now?
My first play, circus, funeral, visit to a dentist’s, dance, county fair, Fourth of July, airplane ride, sleigh ride, or meal in a sorority house.
Extracts from the real diary of a real freshman.
My favorite newspaper artist, cartoon, or comic strip.
Earning money while going to college or during the summer.
Write the chapter of your autobiography that will be headed “Early Years.”
My hobbies or aversions.
How I won a prize or competed at a county or state fair.
What is the well-dressed young man or woman wearing this season?
My favorite magazine.
My favorite recipe.
Write an account of a student mass meeting.
How does any organization to which you belong compare with rival organizations?
How does it feel to belong to a fraternity or how does it feel not to belong?
Write an article for your high school paper telling why your college is the best.
Write a letter home asking for money.
Write a history of your reading.
Describe some locality you know intimately such as your neighborhood or your home town.
Where I eat.
When I made my big mistake.
Taking a psychological intelligence test.
The secret of making good fudge.
How I spend my spare time.
Give directions for making something such as a radio receiving set, an apron out of an old shirt, or anything that you can make that most persons can not.
The joys of hunting, camping out, canoeing, going to the theater, dancing, sitting around and talking, or anything else that you enjoy doing.
How I learned to swim or how I taught someone to swim.
An embarrassing situation.
When the joke was on me.
My nicest compliment.
Freshman registration.
My favorite movie star.
What is the best outdoor sport?
My most hated instructor.
A railroad station at train time.
Men or women I have worked for.
Running a high school paper, athletic team, or annual.
What will you do when you leave college?
An exciting moment.
What is one important thing that ought to be changed in the way your college is conducted?
If you were the principal of the high school from which you were graduated, what changes would you make?
How does it feel to be red-headed, left-handed, bald, or fat?
Why I am or am not a church member?
Describe how to give a dinner party for eight persons.
Are prices here higher than they are at home?
The most interesting person I know.
The perfect roommate.
The happiest person I know.
My idea of a good time.
Go to church Sunday and write an account of the sermon.
Write an account of the next athletic contest, banquet, or public lecture you attend.
Write an account of an interesting recitation.
One of your instructors this week will spend part of the class time discussing a problem of college, city, state, nation, or world interest. Write an account of what he says.
What do you think of dogs, cats, or rabbits for pets?
A day’s fishing.
Why should anyone study Latin, Greek, mathematics, or any subject you like or dislike?
What is the matter with the college paper?
What do you think of the country, the city, or the small town as a place in which to live?
How should a living room be furnished?
How could you decrease your expenses one-fourth?
Draw a rough floor plan of the sort of house in which you would like to live and explain its advantages.
How to distinguish fifteen kinds of trees, birds, or automobiles.
What is your pet extravagance or economy?
Tell how to dress on $100, on $200, and on $500 a year.
An automobile camping trip.
A backyard garden.
A Sunday school picnic.
Who are the half dozen greatest men or women who have ever lived?
How should a kitchen be laid out?
What are the tests of a good national fraternity?
How could more students be interested in debating?
Write an account of an interesting college tradition for your high school paper.
If you were Santa Claus, what would you give your home city for Christmas?
Pick a football team from the heroes of fiction or of history.
Write a good sized advertisement that could be sold to some merchant who does not advertise in one of the college publications.
What are the ten leading colleges in the country?
What is an educated man?
My alarm clock.
Write a plea to induce young men and women to stay on the farm or in the community where they were reared.
Should the higher grade go to the student who does well in his daily work or to the student who does well in an examination?
A woman’s place is in the home.
How much money will it take to satisfy you five or ten years after graduation?
Do college athletes get too much publicity?
If you could arrange it, would you have your brother or sister earn some, all, or none of his or her expenses while going through college?
Every high school graduate should earn his own living for at least one year before he is allowed to enter college.
Describe the conditions under which your father and mother started housekeeping.
Recommend ten books for a classmate who has never been accustomed to read for pleasure.
What do college students read in the newspapers?
Rules of etiquette undergraduates ought to follow.
If you were a vocational adviser, what vocations would you advise the ten classmates you know best to follow?
If you could spend the summer in travel, where would you go?
What advice would you give to a boy or a girl who is going to enter your college next fall?
Being afraid.
A gloomy holiday.
How to furnish and decorate a north room.
What are the advantages of a small or of a large college?
Buying a new car.
What should be considered in criticizing an amateur dramatic performance or a speech?
What is the leading honor an undergraduate can win at your college?
How many things will you buy before you buy a car?
If you had an assured income for the rest of your life, how would you spend your time?
Should a washing machine be in every home?
What is a gentleman?
What are the tests of a good town?
Describe some eccentric person you know.
Describe the appearance of a friend so well that a stranger could pick him out of a crowd.
Write a short story based on a movie.
Write a movie based on a short story.
How do the fraternity chapters at your college compare with one another?
Write a letter to your mother to reach her on Mother’s Day.
Write a letter to your father inviting him to attend Homecoming.
My mother’s flower garden.
Our bird shelf.
How to keep cool in hot weather.
Pick an “all” team from the football players you have seen this fall.
Sounds that keep me awake at night.
Taking care of the baby.
The tribulations of a landlady.
Describe a scale by which students could rate their professors.
What are the advantages of making your own clothes?
Write in play form an account of a family quarrel or an account of what happens between the halves of a close football or basketball game.
In praise of idleness.
Take three small boys to a soda fountain and have an ice cream eating contest.
Children should be seen and not heard.
Tell why your father, mother, brother, or sister ought to be chosen mayor, superintendent of schools, cashier of the bank, or anything else.
How would it be possible for you to be elected president of your class, win a letter in athletics, make Phi Beta Kappa, run 100 miles in 48 hours total time, earn $2,000 within the next year, or something else that now looks improbable?
What would happen if you could see a copy of a newspaper that would not be printed for another month?
What would you say if called on to speak at a college mass meeting?
Tipping ought to be abolished.
What will ten of your most intimate friends be doing ten years from now?