Introduction

We all have completed final projects for a subject. In my opinion, this is the best way for students to demonstrate their learning in a productive, and enjoyable manner. It seems, however, that final projects have their own complications and issues, and students sometimes stress out over them. In this blog post, I will discuss about my past experiences completing final projects and share my thoughts and suggestions.

End of Semester/Course Options

Teachers have several options when it is time to test students on the material they have taught in class. Exams, final projects, or essays are usually selected by most teachers.

While these are all great options, they all have their own complications. Ideally, I prefer completing a final project, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect.

Why I Prefer Final Projects 

In my opinion, final projects are the best way to test a student’s knowledge in a course. It allows someone to convey their thought and ideas in a clear and productive way. Being overwhelmed during an exam can cause students to forget everything. A lengthy essay is less exciting, more boring, and less satisfying. I prefer final projects because they eliminate most of these complications.

Complications with Final Projects

To begin with, it usually takes students quite a long time to find the sources they need. Unless the material is in a textbook or notes, students are forced to scour the internet and spend hours searching. This is both unproductive and tedious.

I saw this happen to me once when completing my Buddhism project in grade 8. I was assigned to research one of the sacred places for Buddhism, but not all the websites had concise and relevant information. Thus, I was forced to piece together the facts and paraphrase them in my own words. This is extremely stressful, and I easily lost my temper.

Final projects can also be boring if it lacks the student’s interest. If they don’t enjoy researching and the material taught throughout the course, they won’t be motivated to work. Perhaps they just don’t care or the teaching method wasn’t right for them. Therefore, it’s important to keep final projects interesting, or at least be appealing.

This is perhaps the most annoying issue, and I’m sure mostly everyone has experienced it. It’s called Parkinson’s Law, and it plays a negative role in our daily lives.

Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to the time allowed for it. In this scenario, the teacher probably assigned the project due in at least a week, which means the student probably have an abundant amount of time.

However, this isn’t usually the case, especially if they dislike completing the assignment. They will most likely do a little each day, barely making any progress. As a result, they become more and more bored and mad.

I see myself in this sticky situation almost every day. For example, If I have a math worksheet that I don’t understand or is extremely monotonous, I will complete it at the last minute. This results in rushed work, which brings me to my next point.

Managing work can have a huge impact on one’s final project. Even if they’ve got all the necessary details, it could be totally disorganized. For example, they could have never-ending paragraphs on information, and disorganized topics. Therefore, It doesn’t matter which case it is, unproductive work management could lead to disorganization and wasted time.

The Solutions

Having said that, there is much complexity involved when it comes to final projects. Fortunately, I found some solutions on the web and from my past experiences as a way to ease some of that stress. Here is what I found.

My first and foremost solution is to come up with a plan. Having a mindset of what needs to get done at what time will keep them focused and time-effective. Complete a set amount of work each day, and leave a 1-2 day buffer gap to make any possible last-minute corrections.

Ask a classmate or a teacher for advice if there are no or very few reliable sources. Perhaps they have a suggestion for a website that may be helpful or informative By doing so, one will not spend hours surfing useless websites.

This actually happened to me when completing my cell-fie science project in grade 9. When I first began researching, I had difficulty finding reliable sources. All the websites I scoured had irrelevant information or just a huge paragraph. After changing my research topic, I found sources, but it took some time. My past experiences have taught me to ask students or teachers ask if they run into this problem. 

Although it may seem simple, this method is extremely effective. It’s better to conduct research based on one’s style. For example, watching videos may help someone learn better than reading notes, or vice versa. The goal is to minimize stress and boredom wherever possible. 

My Concluding Thoughts 

In conclusion, there is no wrong way to complete a final project. However, there are strategies to minimize the time and strain on someone, so they view it as an accomplishment. Whatever the issue may be, I would strongly advise my past experiences and thoughts so the next time a final project is assigned, it will be completed in an effective and timely manner. 

Works Cited

Final Thoughts Stock Illustrations – 173 Final Thoughts Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart – Dreamstime, https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/final-thoughts.html. Accessed 9 Feb. 2022.