Step by Step by Ryan

Step by Step by Ryan - December 2017 Scholarship Essay

The first step to any successful school project is planning. As soon as I get an assignment, be it a paper, presentation, or hands-on craft, the first thing I do is pull out a sheet of scratch paper and a pencil. I read over the guidelines, and start scribbling down ideas. It does not matter how crazy or out-of-the-box they might be - the more interesting, the better! If I am genuinely interested in the project, I always perform better, so unique responses to a prompt are incredibly helpful. After that, it is simply a matter of planning, executing, and polishing the idea.
Once I decide on a topic, I plan out the process I plan to use step-by-step, to make sure the entire idea is feasible. Nothing is worse than getting halfway done with a project before realizing that you do not have enough information to complete it or that the project does not meet the requirements. By mapping out every piece of the process, you assure that you can actually finish said process.
Only after completing a solid plan do I actually begin work on the project. I attempt to work on a small part of the project each day until the assignment is due, to avoid overwhelming myself. Procrastination is the enemy of a good grade. I pay special attention to the transitions between the parts of my project, if necessary - while I do cut assignments into more manageable pieces, I do not want it to look that way. It should flow seamlessly and coherently.
Even on smaller assignments, I always leave time to polish my work. Even the best writers, artists, and researchers make mistakes, and it is important to proofread your work to assure you turn in quality assignments. When presentations are involved, I also allow myself time to run through a mock presentation at least once. That way, I have an estimate of how long the presentation will last and I will be better prepared when I am speaking.
Good time management is always helpful on assignments, and planning is one of the best ways to achieve it. With an effective plan in play, it is only a matter of time until quality execution and an excellent final product fall into place.