# How to Master the Extended Essay (EE) Without Burning Out
🎯 1. Choose Passion Over Prestige
Pick a topic you genuinely want to explore, not one that "sounds academic."
You'll spend 30+ hours on it — make sure it's interesting.
🧩 2. Define a Tight Research Question
The narrower, the better.
Example: "The impact of jazz on modern pop" → too broad.
✅ "How did Miles Davis'sKind of Blueinfluence harmonic structures in 21st-century
R&B?" → specific and researchable.
📑 3. Work in Layers
EE writing works best in 4 stages:
- Research and notes
- Rough outline
- Full draft
- Edits + reflection
Breaking it down prevents overwhelm.
🧘 4. Reflection = Easy Marks
The Reflection on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) is often neglected — but it's an easy 6
marks.
Write reflections honestly, not perfectly.
📲Get EE planning tools and exemplars in StudyIB
💬Ask seniors for EE advice in Discord