Mountain into Molehills by Andrea

Mountain into Molehills by Andrea - December 2017 Scholarship Essay

Projects can seem overwhelming when they are first assigned. Whether it is a problem set, a presentation, or a portfolio, whether for a subject loved or one detested, the immensity of the undertaking can be overwhelming when it is first received. Often, it can feel next to impossible to complete it all, no matter the amount of time allotted. However, there is an approach that I have found to make even the most monstrous assignment easily manageable. The most important keys to success on a school project, or a project of any type, are planning, prioritization, and pacing.

Before anything else, a plan must be made. First and foremost, this provides the student with the opportunity to take a detailed look at all the requirements of an assignment. Often, assignment types, such as papers, may seem familiar but later have an unexpected component the student did not notice due assuming they already understood the expectations. However, taking the time to carefully review the assignment and portion it in to manageable pieces ensures the student is fully aware of the task at hand. Even more importantly, it makes the overall assignment more manageable, because the pieces are more accessible, and less intimidating to work with. In the same way that it would be impossible to leap from the base to the top of a mountain in one bound, taking the project as a single objective can seem like a superhuman feat. Instead, planning the trip in smaller jaunts with waypoints along the way can make it not only accessible but even enjoyable.

Once the plan is in place, the pieces need to be prioritized. So many times, students get discouraged when looking at a major project, because it seems like too much to handle. That is because, when taken as one task, it is. Now that the student has assessed the assignment and broken it down into smaller tasks, the student can identify where to start. This tool is even beneficial for solving more complex math and science problems: just identify where to start, and go from there. For some types of projects, the starting place is going to be more universal. When writing a paper, the topic must be selected, resources identified, research done, then outlining, then assembling and writing. However, other projects may lend themselves for more individualized starting positions. In the instance of a problem set, one student may find that a specific type of problem gives them trouble, so they will have marked all those problems in the set, and they may want to tackle them first all together to get them out of the way. Another student may find it easier to work through the problem set questions that they are most comfortable with first, leaving those that involve more thinking and research for later. The important thing is to identify the starting line. Once that is done, the course of the rest of the work progresses more naturally because, instead of looking at the mountain as a whole, the student is just looking at the base camp and starting to walk their way up to the next post.

In projects, as in life, consistency is key. The plan and the priorities are useless if they are not implemented at a consistent pace. One of the most common mistakes students are notorious for making is leaving all the work until the last minute and running out of time. However, the reverse can be equally problematic. If a particularly eager student does a large portion of the work on the first night, they may easily burn themselves out on the project, or instead take too much of a break after the initial burst and have trouble getting back into the groove of it later. Consistently putting in work and pushing forward is the best way to ensure the work gets done in a thorough manner that the student can be proud of, without causing undue stress. With the paper, for instance, they may want to go to the library the first day and just identify sources, then come back the next and take notes from one source, then the next another day. Alternatively, they may want to go find one book and work from it immediately. An important consideration is what gives the individual student a sense of accomplishment, which will help propel them forward. With the problem set example, a student may want to work through all the problems that come easily to them on the first day to give themselves that sense of accomplishment, then take a type of problem to work through each day after that. This way, the student never has to do too much at once, and can take a sense of pride from the work they are doing day by day rather than stress at what is left undone. Instead of trying to climb the mountain in a day, exhausted and discouraged, they can enjoy the trek up and the sites along the way.

It can be difficult to adjust long-formed project habits. However, if students make the effort, it will pay off. Planning out the work, prioritizing it, and pacing themselves, students can avoid stress, and be proud of their work.