There are many different IB Extended Essay subjects. If you’re looking at the list and thinking if Geography is right for you, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve spent years helping students with their writing, so I know how hard it can be to choose. It is, however, one of the easiest decisions for students who understand what makes this subject good.
Let me explain it to you. It is in Group 3 (Individuals and Societies), meaning the IB Geography EE subject blends academic structure with real-world relevance. This subject lets you look into how places are connected, how patterns appear in the environment or society, and how to use geographic theory to interesting case studies. That sounds much better than writing 4,000 words about something you don’t care about, right?
What Is the Geography Extended Essay Subject?
The Geography Extended Essay subject is an in-depth look at a clear geographical problem or trend. For IB students, it lets them choose a topic that fits neatly into either physical geography (like rivers, coasts, or climats) or human geography (like population growth, urbanization, or sustainability). Students pick a very specific research question and then use geographic methods to gather, sort, and review data that helps them clearly and systematically answer it.
Geography is different from some other IB EE subjects because it doesn’t focus on academic theory or literary analysis. Instead, you can connect your essay to the real world. You should think about real places, like your city, area, or even foreign case studies, as long as they help answer the question and meet IB standards. This means that you can use satellite pictures to look into the air quality in your neighborhood, the risk of flooding in a nearby valley, or the change in land use over time.
General IB requirements say that your EE on this subject must show a clear geographic basis. That means showing that you know about trends, connections, and processes. Saying that traffic jams are bad isn’t enough when you’re studying them. You need to find out how bad they are and look at things like transportation networks, land use, and even the role of infrastructure in different parts of the city. In other words, you need to show why things happen as they do.
I think this subject is very interesting because it combines fieldwork, theory application, and data analysis in a very interesting way. There is a lot of room for creativity, as long as it is based on thorough methods and geographic thinking.
Who Should Consider Writing a Geography EE?
The IB Geography EE subject isn’t right for every student, but from what I’ve seen over the years, it can be great for the right ones. If the next few statements sound like you, you’re definitely a good candidate.
Passion for Place, People, and Patterns
That being said, if you’re the type of student who often wonders why some places are easier to walk around than others or why flooding is worse in some areas, that will help you with your essay.
The fact that it connects real-life problems to critical thought is one of the best things about the Geography Extended Essay subject, in my view. You must look into real issues that impact people and the world. That can make the whole process feel much more interesting and important than writing about a topic you don’t care about.
Here are some signs that you’ll fit in:
- In your daily life, you often notice trends in your surroundings or in the people you meet.
- You like to ask “why” and “where” about events in your community and around the world.
- You are interested in subjects that blend the arts and sciences.
- You want your work to affect the world and mean something.
- You’re excited about the suggestions that you make maps, use location data, or look at poll results.
In my opinion, the students who do the best in school are interested in physical and human geography. Physical geography includes rivers, temperature, and landscapes; human geography includes growth, resource use, and population changes. Geography gives you a big-picture view, which is a huge plus, but you don’t have to be a master in both.
You Enjoy Research and Fieldwork
Because you can go outside, ask relevant questions, and gather real data for the IB Geography EE subject, you don’t have to rely on books or the Internet for everything.
What this could include:
- Creating surveys to find out public attitudes.
- Having conversations with people in the neighborhood.
- Measuring traits in a given environment (slope or land use).
- Using GIS or web sources to map out trends in the landscape.
I’ve seen that students who take the time to do careful, individualized research enjoy it more and do better on their assessments. IB likes detail, and you’ll get extra points if you make your EE personal and specific.
Skills in Critical Thinking and Map Interpretation
To be clear, this essay isn’t just about gathering facts. You’ll have to look at that data, find trends, compare factors, and then use your knowledge to make a strong case. That’s where you need to think critically.
You also need to know how to read maps, different charts, and data tables. Although you don’t have to use these visual tools, they are very important for explaining and supporting your ideas.
You don’t have to be the best student in your class, though, to do well here. The best students are the ones who are willing to ask tough questions and carefully go over their work again.
The Geography Extended Essay subject might be great for you if you like putting together ideas, making cases, and questioning simple conclusions.
Is the IB Geography EE Subject Hard?
Without a doubt, this is the question that students ask me the most. And to be honest, it’s a real concern. You agree to write 4,000 words, work on it for weeks, and do research in a way that is different from anything you’ve ever done before. However, the IB Geography EE subject is only hard if you don’t plan to take it or pick it for the wrong reasons.
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It Depends on Your Strengths
If you have the right attitude, the Geography Extended Essay subject is among the fairest and easiest to understand. This is a great place for students who like structured information, doing research by hand, and seeing data. A lot of students who had trouble with purely academic subjects like Philosophy or Literature did much better in Geography because it uses real-life examples, a practical approach, and well-defined geographic frames.
Of course, you’ll still need to make a good case and follow the rules of academic writing. Setting up a research question, doing background research, gathering data, reviewing your results, and coming to a decision are all parts of this. But Geography is based on things you can see or measure with your own eyes, so the process feels more solid.
If you can think visually, manage your time well, and do planned research, this subject should be easy for you.
Common Challenges Students Face
I’ll tell you the truth now. Some problems keep getting in the way of students.
It is hard to find relevant information that you can trust. Some students have wasted weeks looking for data that doesn’t exist for their chosen topic. That’s why I always tell people to pick a place or problem that they can visit, watch, or measure for themselves. Often, better Extended Essays come from local case studies because they let you do original fieldwork and gain direct data. Also, you care more about the results if they have to do with something close to you.
Students also have trouble putting theory into what they’ve found sometimes. You can’t just say what the data shows; you must also use regional models, principles, or theories to figure out what it all means. It means going over the main points of your IB Geography class again and using them to back up your analysis.
What Makes It Manageable
The IB Geography EE subject has one of the best-organized essay choices. That’s why I always tell my students they’ll be halfway there if they follow the EE guide and the standards.
Your Extended Essay supervisor will be there to help you. It’s their job to help you come up with a research question and plan your work. You can also find dozens of high-scoring EE case studies online in IB sample sources that you can look at to get an idea of what works.
It’s more important that the subject itself is easy to organize. Geography is based on facts, not long, vague statements like writings. You’ll be gathering real information, showing it clearly (with maps, charts, and EE graphs), and deciding based on measured results.
To Sum It Up
You’re probably still reading because you’re thinking about writing an Extended Essay on Geography, which is a good idea. It’s excellent for interested learners who want to see how theory can be used in the real world.
Many of my students have liked the process, gained confidence, and obtained good grades. If you like to ask questions, gather information, and write about topics with real-world relevance, this subject is something you should think about. And if you need help with your Geography Extended Essay, just contact us at IB Writing Service.
