THE MAJOR TERM PROJECT

/in /by

This week I’m focusing on the individual as opposed to the group project.

These projects can be a portfolio, a grant proposal, a research proposal, a presentation, a summary journal–the list goes on. All of these types of projects have several key elements in common:

  • They count significantly toward the final grade.
  • They require research.
  • They usually require a written presentation, even if the main presentation is stand-up or portfolio.
  • They must be completed by a deadline.

They also share in common the potential pitfalls of:

  • Procrastination,
  • Perfectionism, and 
  • Underestimation of the amount of time and work required.

This is the week I work with my clients to make sure those pitfalls don’t chew large holes in the grade for a major project.

Let’s get started. If you start tomorrow, items 1 through 5 or 6 or even 7 can be done by Friday.

  1. Open a file for the project on your computer. Back this file up daily. Have a paper notebook and a file folder labeled with the project title.
  2. Read the syllabus and any other information about the project requirements. Jot these down in your project notebook or file.
  3. Analyze the rubric to see how the project will be graded. How much does each portion of the project count? How much do spelling, presentation, formatting, analysis, count? Jot your analysis down in point form for your project file. Note any questions you have about the requirements and rubric.
  4. Choose the topic if it is not assigned.
  5. Do a quick scan—no more than an hour or two—and jot down your planned approach in point form.
  6. Check the topic with the instructor.
    1. Check any questions you had about the requirements or the rubric. Write down the comments and suggestions in your project file.
    2. Check for project length (time, pieces, pages) and such details as minimum references expected.
    3. Ask for suggested reference sources considered reputable in the field.
  7. Take advantage of any library or learning center sessions on doing library searches and on using reference management tools such as EndNote–these tools will save you hours and hours over the course of your academic career.
  8. Schedule the project
    1. Target to finish a week before the deadline.
    2. See how much you can get done before reading week.
    3. Estimate how long each step will take, then multiply that estimate by 1.5.
    4. Pencil in
      1. Reviewing the literature and research,
      2. Revising your outline,
      3. Drafting your paper or summary
      4. Gathering materials for and preparing any portfolio or stand-up presentation elements,
      5. Practicing and timing your presentation–two practices minimum,
      6. Writing your paper–allowing two hours per page,
      7. Two or three days to investigate further references that you have discovered and to make any revisions required,
      8. At least one half day to proofread and polish. Many instructors are absolute sticklers about bibliographic and inline citation formats–it’s picky housework, but it’s money on the table.
      9. Celebration on handing in the paper.
  9. Allow for potential meetings with the instructor. If you run into difficulty, such as resources not being available or discovering that your idea had been proven to be untenable once you did a bit of research, go to them sooner rather than later.

You can see from this overview that starting the first of  March simply may not allow you enough time to do the job you want to do, and waiting until March will push completion of the project into the time that you want to start preparing for finals.

A thought: The more you get done before Reading Week, the more time you will have for Other Things that week. Or the more you will know what you want to get done on the project during Reading Week in addition to Other Things. You will also have avoided the Reading Week trap of planning to do too much on the project during reading week, not doing nearly as much as you planned to do, and scrambling ahead of the academic eight ball.

Over and over again I’m told that the most useful tool I have provided my clients is working with them on scheduling. It’s the strongest tool against the three pitfalls I mentioned above: procrastination, perfectionism, and running out of time.

Keep me posted. We can talk about techniques for specific academic challenges, time management, and maintaining motivation—Contact me at [email protected] .

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS  PLEASE DIAL 911.