Let’s start out by defining exactly what a capstone project is. This paramount work of art will be the sum of your entire academic program and the biggest test of all the skills and knowledge you’ve picked up during the course.
A capstone project is meant to test your knowledge of a particular subject, and its application in the real world. It could be a thesis that analyzes a research problem with your own set of objectives, a documentary that represents all you’ve learned, or even a PowerPoint Presentation. (Although. we wouldn’t recommend the last one if you want your evaluator to remain awake and alert through the exam.)
Typically a mandatory component of your degree, this project affirms your creativity, your ability to grasp knowledge, and how effectively you communicate it.
But how do you make it perfect? Follow these 5 simple steps to find out!
#1 Select your topic carefully
Over the course of your project, you will probably change your topic a hundred times to suit your evolving research.
The best way to handle this situation is to identify a broad area of research, narrowing it down over time to suit your interests. Plus points if your topic is unique!
However, make sure not to get too carried away in the attempt to stand out by overestimating yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your capstone project be!
#2 Effective time management
We’ve all heard the saying “time and tide wait for none” along with many other time-related idioms and metaphors. As hard as it may be, making a perfect capstone project is going to take some time and hard work.
Break everything down to the last process to make things easier. Prioritize, organize and then structure what are going to do. As a fun activity, you could devise a detailed timeline laced with incentives (movies, a night out, snacking!) to complete deadlines.
#3 Regularly communicate with your mentor or guide
With everyone, first with your guide. Approvals get easier when you know what your professor wants and when he/she knows where you’re headed. It’s possible that you might find yourself in a rut for ideas or drowning in a sea full of them!
That’s where your capstone guide will save the day and your project! So keep your professor in the loop. Talking with peers and brainstorming with your team is also a great way to weed out bad ideas and keep the creative juice flowing, so just keep talking!
#4 Practice your defense presentation
If it wasn’t hard enough that you had to conceptualize and create your entire capstone project — you also have to defend it when the time comes. Maybe even in front of a panel.
Seeing as there will be an oral presentation, make it count! And what makes a man/woman perfect?
So keep practicing! Plan on the issues you will address, and offer information that’s over and above your written thesis. You should also address the key sections of your project; while carefully avoiding a ‘Cortana’ voice.
Practice in front of your friends and family, with an initial warning to be as objective as possible. This will help you develop your content, rule out unwanted information, and even help with managing your time!
#5 Proofread the capstone before you submit it!
I know I said practice makes perfect, but proofreading can improve even perfection. You’ve spent a lot of time on your project, and this is effectively going to make or break your program.
Why leave that perfect grade to chance, just because you were too tired/lazy to proofread your capstone project? Haters going to hat (pun intended!), but that shouldn’t cost you an error-free document! It’s perfectly normal to err on grammar and spelling, but that’s no excuse not to edit and proofread your project at least once before submission.
And who better to help you out with proofreading your capstone project than PaperTrue? We understand that you’ve poured in every bit of your knowledge and heart into that document, and we want to help you make it perfect.
Head to our website (we don’t mean to make these cap puns, I swear!), and we’ll connect you with an expert editor today!
Originally published at https://blog.papertrue.com on February 28, 2018.
