Towards the end of your college journey, you require to give an account of how well you studied and what you learnt through engaging in a Capstone Project. Your academic advisor will direct you with the best way to do the project to get the best grades and graduate effectively.
Although Capstone Project varies from universities, the way this project will be presented to you by your academic advisor will make you feel like it’s the highest project that you will ever do in your academic year, but the time spent on the project is worth it because it will gain you exposure and more knowledge.
What is a Capstone Project?
A Capstone Project or experience is a project students in the final year of studies do, to showcase what they have learnt from the first year until the last year of education in a particular program. Applying it into a specific idea to create something new and solve a particular problem.
On the other hand, the name “Capstone” explains the final crowning period of your stay in college. It implies a stone on the outside wall that everyone can see showing that you have almost finished the degree you are studying in school.
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Examples of Capstone Project ideas
Capstone Project vary from program to program, here are some of the projects students can involve in:
- Computer Science: Develop exam management software to make record-keeping easy and result assessment accessible to students from their respective homes.
- Agricultural Science: A student in agricultural sciences can do a scientific experiment on some seeds and determine the solution to the poor colouring of leaves in a plant.
- Electrical engineering: A student can develop a home control system to reduce power usage in the house.
Prerequisites of Capstone Project:
Just like the project is done towards the end of the academic study in college, it implies that the student has got excellent academic performance to excel from the first year until the final year. Thus the Prerequisites of the Capstone Project is the knowledge you gained from all the studies you did through your entire stay in college.
Classes that you need to take to do well in the project are more of research and practical classes, leadership and public speaking to help the student explain what he/she has researched.
Types of Capstone Project:
There are five basic types of projects for final year students. They include:
- Case Studies: In a situation where there is a spread of a disease, the case study in the capstone project will be to find a solution or cure and reduce the spread of that disease or epidemic.
- Program Evaluation: This is applicable in the case of the development of a solution to an existing problem just like in the context of an examination management system.
- Outcome-based Evaluations
- Surveys
- Focus Groups.
Of all the five, the most common among universities are the Case Studies and the Program Evaluation.
Why Capstone Projects:
There are various goals or benefits of the project;
- To solve a thriving problem in the school, department or within the program of study.
- The project helps a student to pick out a field in which he/she is passionate about and explore more on it.
- To analyze what the students have acquired so far in the course of study from the first year until the last year.
- The project can be a way to advance on a specific solution to a problem and make it easier faster and more assessable.
- Capstone Project exposes the students to critical and creative thinking skills.
- Since the project exposes the student to the art of public speaking, the student has to improve their speaking styles to do well in the project.
- The project makes you give more attention to your discipline so that you will have something to defend after studies in college.
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How long does it take to complete a Capstone Project:
Capstone Project differs from school to school. In some schools, the project is about a semester, in some, it’s more than one semester, while in some programs, it’s about 10 weeks’ quarter or more.
If you want the project to take less time, you have to start preparing for the project on time by staying in touch with your academic advisor.
The advisor will look through a list of topics that you can study and ask you to select the best. On the other hand, if you still find it difficult to choose from the topics of your advisor, the advisor can ask you to get the best topics that you can study effectively and deliver efficiently.
How to do well in a Capstone Project:
- Start preparing on time.
- Identify a problem in your field and seek a solution to it as the project.
- Do the best topic you find comfortable.
- Have a sufficient amount of previous research project as references to your existing project.
- Do extensive research on the topic and submit the steps to your academic advisor.
What is involved in a Capstone Project?
Just like every school is different, that’s the same way the Capstone Project is different in each. It could come in different forms like a series of advanced courses or a comprehensive exam.
For you to do well in a Capstone Project, you need to select a topic that you will research on. It’s best you submit a list of proposals containing the topic you are to handle and submit to your advisor. If the proposal is accepted your advisor, then you further your research on the topics you already submitted.
Capstone Project Grading:
At the end of the research and documentation, you are graded based on how well you performed and the authenticity of your results by the experts.
Awards of Capstone Projects:
Outstanding projects get awards from the school and tends to be funded into a bigger project.
I know of a friend that started a brand out of his capstone project. The project was all about the development of a payment system for the school fees and all forms of online payment. That project was furthered by the school and it gave the young guy an edge over others after graduation.
On the other hand, outstanding projects can give you access to travel abroad and further on the research.
Final tips:
When it comes to going well in a Capstone Project, preparation is key. Stay in contact with your supervior and put in your best into the research.
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