Plan those projects like a pro!
A lovely anon asked me eternities ago (sorry, sorry, I got caught up with procrastinating ;) whether I had a post about project planning or not and I thought : hey that’s a good idea let’s do it!
So here’s a long due “long ass post”, hopefully you see it and it helps out, anon!
Like our smol intestine (that’s a horrible analogy arrghh), this one comes to you in 3 parts!
*awkward silence ensues and all biology students mentally slap me*
Part 1 :
Stage 1 - learning you have a project
- Your professor just announced the project and probs gave you a choice of 3-4 topics to make your project on
- WRITE IT DOWN! EVERY DETAIL IS A GRAIL OF GOLD DON’T MISS IT
- Note it down in your bujo, if you have one and ALSO set a reminder for yourself on your phone for the nearest weekend!
Stage 2 - choosing your topic
- This is basic stuff, you obviously pick the easiest one
- BUT only if the other topics are like really really complicated
- Like I’ll pick global warming if the other topics are about rocket science
- *whispers* but I don’t do that
- Wut?? What do you do then you potato?
- I pick the topic nobody else is likely to pick
- Because chances are the entire class will make a fancy ass project on the easiest topic aka global warming in my case!
- And teacher’s gonna be tried flipping through the same information over and over again
- You have the chance to earn extra points just for choosing a different topic!
- Let’s say I chose an intermediate one - DNA model (wohoo what’s with me and biology huh huh huuuhh?), that instantly makes the teacher want to see what I did as its different from at least 40% of the class
Part 2 :
Stage 1 - finding information
- Rush to the Internet and find all possible things related to the topic.
- Flip through that textbook you never use because teachers like it when you use that ish
- Note down all references as you go researching so that your potato brain doesn’t have to remember all websites/books/articles later on
- Ask your teacher what they might be looking for in the project, they’ll most likely tell you
- Make a new folder and dump all the info you found in one place
Stage 2 - outline based planning
- Structure the project based on what length you require
- Keep all events/stuff in chronological order if possible
- Figure out what parts are important/major events and appoint them as your subtopics
- Sub-subtopics are very hot I like that and so will your teacher most probably
- The trick is to make it look so detailed and structured that even though you’ve written complete bs the teacher would want to give you points just for the Monica Geller level of organisation
- Try to limit yourself to 4 subtopics and 3 Sub-subtopics (just an idea, exceed all boundaries if you wish to)
- Don’t make it super lengthy or else the teacher might get tired going through your project and get irritated
- On a blank page, write your project title, introduction, subtopic 1, Sub-subtopic if you have any, subtopic 2, etc, conclusion.
Stage 3 - detailed planning
- Now go through that page and pick the first subtopic - what points must be present under it at all costs? Use the info you spent hours finding, don’t be a lazy potato (says the potato herself as she’s half hanging on the couch and half on the floor with potato chips and soda)
- Delete the useless points if required, typing it out should be faster
- Now as per your project type just match the points with the subtopics and boom you have a project!
Presentations :
- One subtopic per slide
- Minimum text, maximum graphics stuff
- In fact, adding graphs, charts, tables will spice up your intellectual illusion
- *in that irritating old woman voice* don’t WRITE the points, SHOW the points
Essay type :
- Your basic outline should be just fine
- Highlight subtopics and Sub-subtopics
- Colour code
- Imagine that this project is going to be your most famous studyblr post
- Make it as aesthetic as possible
- If all that jazz isn’t allowed, at least underline the keywords so that your teacher doesn’t have to read through the whole thing
Model making :
- You’re lucky, no need to write and remember!
- Youtube can get you by any complex model making diy
- Youtube it and live your life as a free butterfly
Part 3 :
Stage 1 - beating project procrastination
- You don’t wanna do it? Do the minor stuff instead like explaining the topic to someone or collecting pictures/info related to it
- Do it in spaced intervals, if you’ve started planning your project as soon as you learned of it, chances are you’ll be done in no time too!
- Give yourself breaks because that topic is going to haunt your wildest dreams (see what I did there, @taylorswift) for eternities
- Get somebody to push you to do it
- Do it with a friend if it helps
Stage 2 - doing the project
- Start as early in the morning as possible, and try to finish it all in a day
- Because if you stretch it out you’ll not want to do it anymore
- Keep all supplies ready and nearby
- Work like a boss and feel like one too when you’re done!
That’s it for this post, if you have any post requests don’t shy away and hmu because this potato can give you advice on almost anything (easy to say, I don’t follow it myself a lot of times but hey someone might yeah?) until then have fun potating!
