From choosing the right topics to cooperating with your team, creating a rough draft, bringing the idea into reality, and finally presenting. Every step-in capstone requires strategy, focus, and creativity. This guide will hopefully help you through all these steps.
What exactly is capstone?
What is capstone? It is a graduation requirement project, and you will most likely take in your senior year. Think of it as a grand final in your high school journey, a project that expects you to apply everything you have learned up until now into a real problem. As one of our teachers described it “In capstone students are looking to create a technical solution to a problem that exists.” The project can be about anything, but the goal is always to make an impact. For example, a team of IT students are building an app that helps students get connected to clubs in Fairchild Wheeler. Some are carrying out surveys concerning matters in school campuses. Capstone can be anything; what matters is how you carry it out.
What makes capstone difficult?
“There’s a heavy problem in the beginning… coming up with a feasible idea that can be carried out” said a capstone teacher. You want an idea that’s meaningful but also possible at the same time. Don’t try to build the next Google map in one semester. There is also a technical aspect of it. For example, the team who are building an app, that is a lot of work to be done, can they do that? Can they program that app? Not to mention, all the necessary steps in capstone, from coming up with an idea to doing all the technical aspects and finally presenting, need to be done in the span of one semester. So, time management is a big factor in Capstone.
How to prepare before you even start?
If you are a junior reading this, take notes! In order to succeed at Capstone, focus on developing core skills like time management and research, as one of our teachers said, “Get used to finding research that matches an supports what you are doing”. Since you will be assigned into teams with people you may not know, communication skills are also important. It might also be beneficial to investigate projects done by other students and start to think about what you should do.
Capstone is more than just a graduation requirement, think of it as an opportunity to create, lead and solve challenges. Good luck with your project.
