Begin with the End in Mind by Natalie

Begin with the End in Mind by Natalie - December 2017 Scholarship Essay

Natalie Clum
Varsity Tutors
Scholarship Essay
12/09/17
Begin with the End in Mind
Clearly defining specific goals of the end product is the ultimate strategy for success in completion of school projects. Well-known author and speaker, Stephen Covey, has proposed there are “7 Habits for Highly Effective People.” Habit number two is, “Begin with the end in mind!” He explains how essential setting goals and knowing desired outcomes are critical to reaching them. In order to know which path to travel, a well defined desired “destination” must be established before any part of the journey can begin. Project components can be understood better when the end results are well understood. This is a “reverse engineering” or “backward thinking” approach. Defining success is the first step in achieving it.
As each rung in a train track is essential for the effective delivery of goods to its station, so are the specific components to a professors’ expectations for a project. Are the measurable components clearly defined? After defining what a successful project would comprise, questions for clarifications may need to be asked. Grading rubrics and evaluative measures can, in some situations, be subjective to the opinion of the professor whether or not the criteria is met, whether the solution or completion of the project has been effectively accomplished. Continuous communication throughout the completion of the project will guide these clarifications. If group work is required, all those involved must have the same understandings of the expectations and individual responsibilities in order to stay on the same path for creating and completing a successful project.
Piloting a project requires the ability to have acquired polished skills in the content area being studied. At the collegiate level, this knowledge may come through classroom lectures, classroom guided projects or self-driven teaching. This involves training through doing personal research on the project topic. The use of credible sources and knowing how to find those resources and apply this knowledge to the project assignment appropriately is imperative. Demonstration of accurate knowledge and well-versed in the vocabulary and concepts presented in the project is necessary to create a sense of validity and respect to the creator and author of the project.
Once the end result of the completion of the project has been determined, components have been clarified, the research and knowledge needed have been acquired, then creativity can become the final twist or additional thread to tie it all together. Plenty of time is needed for a project to get to this stage. Revision allowing for creativity can be established with unique vocabulary, common themes spread throughout the projects, new discoveries made, or original arguments claimed all with genuine “out of the box” thinking. This final step is a smooth landing on the runway allowing a project to leave an impression on the professor and other fellow classmates who may read or listen to a presentation of the project in its entirety. The ultimate goal is that the time and effort put forth in the journey will be worth the arrival to a destination of a successful project.