Hi- I've applied to study Biology at uni, so I've made my EPQ on ageing- ways we can prevent it , to what extent we can prevent it and what issues there are with preventing it. I think definitely begin writing now- I wrote mine in summer as I knew this year would be pretty busy and stressful without also having to worry about writing 5,000 words! I wouldn't do too much research before starting- do enough to ensure your topic isn't too broad or narrow and so you have a rough idea of paragraphs/focus points of your essay. It's important to put pen to paper and just start it- you can always change and re-draft etc.