When assigning essays, teachers often must pick between hyper-specific essay prompts and excessively vague ones. Unfortunately, exceedingly specific prompts limit students’ creativity, result in an over-reliance on a prompt, and result in unnecessary frustration. Therefore, teachers should strive to create a broader prompt that allows creativity to flow, results in nuanced writing, and lowers pressure on students.

Particular prompts tend to contain claims within themselves and connect one or two topics to each other. Narrowing focus can be helpful in guiding students and encouraging pupils to explore certain concepts. However, it can also prevent students from delving into related topics and learning to explore the connection between ideas themselves. When given an extremely limited range of topics to explore, teachers inadvertently force students to ignore complex relationships between concepts they find themselves intrigued by and, therefore, restrict students’ creativity and the discussion of unique ideas.

Not only does a limited range of topics result in less creativity from students, but it can also, unfortunately, result in students over-relying on the prompt. Since hyper-specific prompts often include requirements for the substance of the essay and the thesis, writers can sadly fall into the trap of largely focusing on the exact question and formation of the question instead of directing their focus towards improving their writing skills, such as argumentation and critical thinking. An essay from one of these starting prompts will often be a product of a student checking off requirements and fitting their writing into rigid parameters. This type of writing tends to remain mainly surface-level, and it lacks nuance and complexity.

Another drawback of heavily detailed essay prompts is added stress and pressure. When students who struggle with perfectionism are faced with a specific essay prompt, they can often see any diversion from the prompt as incorrect and fear that it might negatively impact their grades. This also contributes to more surface-level writing and results in students feeling pressured to meet all expectations they find in the prompt. Moreover, students may feel unnecessary anxiety over including every component that the prompt mentions. As detailed prompts usually include a plethora of components, students may feel overwhelmed at the challenge of reaching every perceived expectation.

Teachers must toe the line between hyper-specific prompts and excessively vague ones. While simply picking one extreme or the other may be easier on teachers, discovering a balance between both extremes should remain an instructor’s goal.