What is a personal project?
For the freshmans out there who will be experiencing personal projects next year, here is a brief recap of the process from start to finish. Just like any project, the first phase would always be the planning process that maps out all the steps and procedures for producing the final product. This part is where students submit proposals, and organize schedules before the research phase. Where students gather the necessary information in order to complete their final products. Any notes, interviews will be recorded and used later in the final report. This part in my opinion was the most work heavy because of all the detailed documentation I had to put in my process journal. (where you record your progress on the project) Be sure to make your notes organized and comprehensive, cause this will come in handy in the final report.
As a recap, students are expected to type up a 3500 word report that documents the whole process after completing their final product. That may seem like a lot, but trust me, it’s pretty easy to exceed the word count if you don’t keep track. Fitting in 6 months worth of notes into a research paper. This might be a common misconception, but the final report is much more important than the final product. That’s why you need to balance out your time, and don’t put too much time into your final product. After All, you are only graded on the quality of your final written report. Finally, a presentation is given in the exhibition hall that displays all the hard work students had completed in the semester long project.
What makes personal project beneficial to future IB students?
The format of personal project is fairly similar to projects students will be encountering in the IB curriculum. It is a great way to get students warmed up for IB, and prevents them from struggling in 11th or 12th grade. Assignments like the EE(extended essay) are self-directed research papers completed through independent research, along with similar writing formats with personal projects. EE also encompasses a similar dynamic where several students are assigned to an instructor.
Besides gaining additional knowledge on a particular subject. Personal projects also allow students to develop principles and knowledge that would later allow for success in the IB. Students can build up good time management skills through planning the project, and better self management skills by steering free of procrastination. As a result, students are more focused, on task and are more adept at organizing their schedule. In doing so, students are more prone to become balanced individuals.
How do you better organize your time?
In the end, there’s not really a big secret or anecdote to generating a successful report. It really all boils down to time management: how students choose to organize and spend their time. Trust me, bad time management really undermines the progress of the project and will ultimately decrease the quality of the final product/report. In addition, it might also affect your normal work in school apart from personal projects. I don’t think you want to stay back after school till 4:30 everyday, catching up on your missing work. Which was what I had to go through as a direct result of my procrastination. From the beginning, how you choose to organize your entire project can have a real impact on your final product. I’d suggest you start to contemplate and formulate a goal that is reasonably achievable but not too challenging.You must factor in your pre-existing daily work load, and the prerequisites you have on your chosen topic. That way you can create a product you can complete under the time restrictions without much unnecessary stress later on. However, if you are really struggling, you should consult with your instructor. They are insightful and helpful resources you should be utilizing in your project. With the help of your instructor you can make adjustments to your project that would allow you to finish your product on time. Other times, it really depends on yourself, how committed you are at this project. Do you choose to procrastinate or do you choose to make progress? Personal project is challenging, yet it is a great learning experience everyone should get. I know this may sound very cliche, but try to spread out your work. Work on your project in your spare time, try to make the best out of it everyday. That way it decreases your workload at the very end of the project.