How to Write an Essay on My Favorite Subject in School: See Sample Essays. Learn how to write a compelling essay about your favorite subject in school with our complete guide. Includes step-by-step outline, sample essay, writing tips, and examples to help students craft engaging academic essays that showcase their passion for learning.
Writing about your favorite subject in school is more than just stating what you enjoy most—it’s an opportunity to showcase your passion, reflect on your learning journey, and demonstrate your writing skills. Whether you’re tackling this assignment for English class or preparing for college applications, this comprehensive guide will help you craft a compelling and memorable essay.
Why Do Students Write Essay/Composition?
When teachers assign essays about favorite subjects, they’re looking for several key elements. They want to see your ability to articulate why something matters to you, how you connect emotionally and intellectually with learning, and your capacity for self-reflection. This type of essay reveals your personality, values, and academic interests while allowing you to practice descriptive and persuasive writing techniques.
The essay also serves as a window into your educational experience. It shows teachers how you engage with different subjects and what motivates you as a learner. For college applications, it can demonstrate your academic passions and potential areas of study.
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Choosing Your Favorite Subject Strategically
While authenticity is crucial, consider which subject will make for the most engaging essay. Your favorite subject should be one where you can provide specific examples, memorable experiences, and clear reasons for your preference. Popular choices include:
STEM Subjects like mathematics, biology, chemistry, or physics work well because they offer concrete examples of problem-solving and discovery. You might describe the moment when a complex equation finally made sense or when you successfully completed your first lab experiment.
Literature and Language Arts provide rich material for discussing how stories have shaped your worldview or how writing has become your voice. You could explore how a particular novel changed your perspective or how poetry helped you express difficult emotions.
History and Social Sciences allow you to discuss your fascination with human behavior, past events, or current affairs. You might write about how learning about a historical period made you understand present-day issues differently.
Creative Subjects such as art, music, or drama offer opportunities to discuss self-expression, creativity, and the joy of bringing ideas to life. These subjects often provide vivid, sensory experiences to describe.
How to Structure Your Essay Effectively
Opening with Impact
Your introduction should immediately engage the reader and clearly establish which subject you’re discussing. Avoid generic openings like “My favorite subject is…” Instead, try starting with a specific moment, an intriguing question, or a vivid description.
For example: “The periodic table hung on the classroom wall like a colorful puzzle waiting to be solved, and I found myself staring at it every day during lunch, wondering how those tiny squares could contain the secrets of everything around me.”
Developing Your Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on a specific reason why this subject captivates you. Strong essays typically include three to four main points:
Personal Connection: Explain how the subject relates to your life, interests, or future goals. This might involve discussing how mathematics appeals to your logical thinking style or how literature helps you understand human emotions.
Specific Experiences: Include detailed examples of memorable moments in class, projects you’ve completed, or concepts that particularly excited you. These concrete details make your essay more engaging and credible.
Skills and Growth: Discuss what you’ve learned and how the subject has changed you as a person or student. This demonstrates self-awareness and reflection.
Future Aspirations: Connect your favorite subject to your potential career interests or continued learning goals. This shows forward-thinking and ambition.
Crafting a Memorable Conclusion
Your conclusion should reinforce your main points while looking forward. Rather than simply restating what you’ve already said, consider discussing how your favorite subject will continue to influence your educational journey or life choices.
Writing Techniques for Maximum Impact
Show, Don’t Tell
Instead of simply stating that you love science, describe the excitement you felt when your volcano erupted in chemistry class or the satisfaction of finally understanding photosynthesis. Use sensory details to make your experiences come alive for the reader.
Use Specific Examples
Vague statements like “I enjoy learning new things” don’t distinguish your essay from thousands of others. Instead, mention specific topics, assignments, teachers, or moments that illustrate your points. If you love history, don’t just say you find it interesting—describe how learning about the Industrial Revolution helped you understand modern technology.
Maintain Authenticity
While you want to present yourself positively, avoid exaggerating or being overly dramatic. Genuine enthusiasm is more compelling than forced excitement. If your favorite subject is physical education because it helps you manage stress and stay healthy, that’s just as valid as loving advanced calculus.
Connect to Broader Themes
The best essays about favorite subjects connect personal interests to larger ideas about learning, growth, and human nature. You might discuss how studying foreign languages has taught you about cultural differences or how mathematics has shown you the beauty of logical reasoning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many students fall into predictable traps when writing about their favorite subjects. Avoid choosing a subject simply because you think it sounds impressive—admissions officers and teachers can spot insincerity quickly. Similarly, don’t spend too much time explaining what the subject involves rather than why you love it. Your reader likely already knows what biology or English literature entails.
Another common error is failing to provide enough specific details. Generic statements about enjoying “hands-on learning” or “creative expression” could apply to any student. Make your essay uniquely yours through personal anecdotes and specific examples.
Finally, resist the urge to criticize other subjects to make your favorite seem better by comparison. Focus on the positive aspects of your chosen subject rather than explaining why you dislike others.
Sample Essay Excerpts and Analysis
Strong Opening Example: “The first time I solved a quadratic equation, I felt like I had cracked a secret code. The variables that had seemed meaningless suddenly formed a pattern, and the answer emerged as clearly as if someone had whispered it in my ear. That moment in Algebra II changed how I saw mathematics forever.”
This opening works because it starts with a specific moment, uses vivid language, and immediately establishes the emotional connection to the subject.
Effective Body Paragraph: “My fascination with biology deepened during our unit on genetics when I traced my family’s eye color through three generations. Seeing how dominant and recessive traits played out in my own family tree made abstract concepts concrete. When my grandmother mentioned that her father had the same unusual green eyes as my cousin, I realized that science wasn’t confined to textbooks—it was written in our very DNA.”
This paragraph succeeds by connecting academic content to personal experience and showing how learning enhanced the student’s understanding of their own life.
Tips for Different Academic Levels
Elementary and Middle School Students should focus on specific activities, projects, or topics within their favorite subject. They might describe a science fair project, a book that captured their imagination, or an art project they were proud of. The emphasis should be on enthusiasm and concrete experiences rather than complex analysis.
High School Students can incorporate more sophisticated reasoning about why they connect with their subject and how it relates to their future goals. They should demonstrate growth over time and connect their interests to broader academic or career aspirations.
College Students writing about favorite subjects from their school years should reflect on how those early interests influenced their current studies or career path. They can analyze how their understanding has evolved and what those formative experiences taught them about learning and personal growth.
Making Your Essay Stand Out
To create a truly memorable essay, consider focusing on an unexpected aspect of your favorite subject or an unusual way it has influenced your life. Perhaps your love of mathematics led you to appreciate the geometry in art, or studying history inspired you to become more politically engaged in your community.
You might also discuss challenges you’ve overcome in your favorite subject. Sometimes the most compelling essays explore how initial struggles led to deeper appreciation and understanding. If you once found your now-favorite subject difficult, explaining that transformation can make for powerful storytelling.
Consider incorporating quotes, either from notable figures in your field of interest or from teachers who have influenced your learning. Used sparingly and effectively, quotes can add depth and authority to your essay.
Step-by-Step Essay Outline Template
Before diving into your full essay, creating an outline helps organize your thoughts and ensures you don’t miss important points. Here’s a simple template you can follow:
I. Introduction
- Hook: Start with an interesting moment, question, or observation
- Subject identification: Clearly state your favorite subject
- Thesis statement: Preview the main reasons why this subject is your favorite
II. Body Paragraph 1: Personal Connection
- Topic sentence about how the subject relates to you personally
- Specific example or story
- Explanation of why this connection matters
III. Body Paragraph 2: Memorable Experience
- Topic sentence about a significant moment in this subject
- Detailed description of the experience
- What you learned or how it affected you
IV. Body Paragraph 3: Skills and Future Goals
- Topic sentence about what the subject has taught you
- Examples of skills you’ve developed
- Connection to your future plans or interests
V. Conclusion
- Restate why this subject is important to you
- Reflect on how it has shaped you as a student
- Look forward to continued learning
Complete Sample Essay: “My Favorite Subject in School”
Why Literature Class Changed My Life
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 AM, I practically sprint to Mrs. Rodriguez’s English Literature classroom. While my classmates drag their feet and complain about having to read “boring old books,” I can hardly contain my excitement. Literature has become more than just my favorite subject—it’s become my window into understanding the world and myself. Through memorable characters, powerful themes, and the magic of storytelling, literature class has taught me empathy, critical thinking, and the beauty of human expression.
My love for literature started with a personal connection that I never expected. During our unit on coming-of-age novels, we read “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. As someone who often felt like an outsider myself, switching schools three times before high school, I immediately connected with Ponyboy Curtis. His struggle to find his place between different worlds mirrored my own experience of never quite fitting in anywhere. When Ponyboy realized that “nothing gold can stay,” I understood that feeling of losing innocence and facing harsh realities. That book didn’t just tell a story—it told my story, and I realized that literature could speak directly to my heart.
The most memorable experience in literature class happened during our poetry unit last spring. Mrs. Rodriguez asked us to write and perform our own poems about something that mattered to us. I was terrified of speaking in front of the class, but I had written a poem about my grandmother’s immigration story. When I finally worked up the courage to share it, something magical happened. The room fell completely silent, and afterward, several classmates shared their own family stories. Maya, who usually sat quietly in the back, told us about her father’s military service. Jake opened up about his parents’ divorce. Literature had given us permission to be vulnerable and real with each other. That day, I learned that words have the power to build bridges between people.
Literature class has taught me skills that extend far beyond analyzing metaphors and writing five-paragraph essays. Reading diverse authors like Maya Angelou, Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has expanded my perspective and taught me to see the world through different lenses. I’ve learned to question what I read, to look for underlying meanings, and to think critically about the messages authors convey. These skills help me in other subjects too—I can analyze historical documents in social studies and even approach science articles with a more questioning mindset. Most importantly, literature has improved my writing and communication skills, which I know will benefit me in any career I choose.
Looking toward the future, I plan to continue studying literature in college and possibly pursue a career in journalism or publishing. I want to tell stories that matter, just like the authors we’ve studied have done. Literature class has shown me that words have power—they can comfort, challenge, inspire, and change minds. Whether I become a journalist uncovering important truths or an editor helping other writers share their stories, I know that my love for literature will guide my path.
Literature class has fundamentally changed how I see the world and my place in it. It has taught me that every person has a story worth telling and that reading those stories makes us more compassionate human beings. While other subjects teach me facts and formulas, literature teaches me about life itself. Every book we read, every discussion we have, and every essay I write adds another layer to my understanding of what it means to be human. That’s why literature isn’t just my favorite subject—it’s become part of who I am.
What Makes This Sample Essay Effective
This example works well because it follows several key principles we’ve discussed. The writer starts with a vivid scene that immediately shows their enthusiasm rather than simply stating it. Each body paragraph focuses on a specific aspect—personal connection, memorable experience, and skills/future goals—with concrete examples that bring the writing to life.
Notice how the student doesn’t just say they like reading books. Instead, they explain exactly how “The Outsiders” connected to their personal experience of changing schools. They describe a specific classroom moment with the poetry unit, including details about classmates’ reactions and what happened afterward. This makes the essay feel authentic and engaging.
The essay also demonstrates growth and reflection. The writer shows how literature has changed them as a person and connects their favorite subject to their future aspirations. This kind of forward-thinking impresses teachers and shows maturity.
Practice Exercise for Students
Now it’s your turn! Choose your favorite subject and spend five minutes brainstorming answers to these questions:
- What specific moment or experience in this subject stands out most in your memory?
- How does this subject connect to your personal life or interests outside of school?
- What skills have you learned that you use in other areas of your life?
- How might this subject influence your future goals or career interests?
- What would you say to convince a friend that this subject is worth studying?
Use your answers to create your own outline, then draft your essay. Remember, the best essays come from the heart—write about what genuinely excites you, and your enthusiasm will shine through to your readers.
Final Thoughts on Crafting Your Essay
Writing about your favorite subject in school is like introducing your best friend to someone new—you want to share what makes them special and why you enjoy spending time together. The key is to be genuine, specific, and reflective while telling your story in a way that helps others understand your passion.
Don’t worry if your first draft isn’t perfect. Good writing comes from rewriting, and even experienced authors revise their work multiple times. Focus on getting your ideas down first, then go back to improve your word choices, add more specific details, and make sure your paragraphs flow smoothly together.
Remember that every student’s essay will be different because every student has unique experiences and perspectives. Your favorite subject might be woodshop, advanced calculus, or ancient history—what matters is that you write about it with honesty and enthusiasm. When you share what truly excites you about learning, your readers will feel that excitement too, and that’s what makes an essay truly memorable.
