How many essay titles can students choose from for their first assignment?

M: I know it’s early but do you know anything about the first assignment that we have to do?
W: Yes, it’s already up on the economics faculty notice board. There’s a choice of essays up there. I think there are about 10 you can choose from. I can’t remember any of the titles though apart from the one that I think I’m going to write about.
M: What’s that one then?
W: It’s about the short-term future of third world economies.
M: Ooh. I don’t like the sound of that. It seems very wide-ranging.
W: It is but remember that I spent some of the summer vacation travelling in Africa and Asia so that has made me more interested in the subject and I’ve also got some firsthand ideas on the subject.
M: Does the essay list mention how long the essays have to be and the deadlines?
W: Yes. You remember that last year all the essays had to be 3 ,000 words in length? Well, that’s gone up by a thousand words’.
M: Oh no! They’ll take ages.
W: I know. I was hoping that they’d stay at 3 ,000 words or only go up to 3 ,500, but no luck I’m afraid.
M: What about the deadline?
W: The first one has to be in by the 30th October and the: second by the 30th November. It looks like one essay a month like last year.
M: Well at least that hasn’t changed but as it’s the end of September now, that leaves only a month to get the first one done. I’m going to have got onto that straight away.
W: Yes, you’d better. If you want to talk about it, I’m going to be at the campus cafeteria at 1: 30 for lunch. We could go over some questions.
M: OK. See you then. Bye.
W: Bye.