Intro
In this final part of the Final Year Project (FYP) Success blog series, I build on the first blog where I discussed getting the idea for your FYP to now implementing your Final Year Project. Before diving into this blog, I recommend that you go back here to read the first part of this blog series. Now let’s discuss how you can gain FYP success.
The supervisor: Choose wisely
The supervisor is the guide and the go-to person who will be along with you on your journey during the final year project, the ups, downs, and the in-betweens and it is important to make sure to align yourself with the best supervisor you can. There are two fundamental questions you need to ask yourself before picking your supervisor and this decision steered my course to FYP success and you should answer these questions before choosing your supervisor.
Are they subject matter experts in your final year project? This may be a factor for those who need technical guidance on their FYP and depend on that expertise to guide them.
Are they experienced in supervising final-year projects? This may be a factor for those who may value soft skills rather than technical guidance; a supervisor who can communicate effectively and has experience with all aspects of the FYP journey.
Your supervisor does not need to have both, truthfully my one had the latter but having at least one of these types of supervisors will dramatically improve your chances of a successful final year project.
You can have a simple idea turned into a first-class grade with a great supervisor
The supervisor effect
The art of virtual networking
Virtual networking has now become a staple in the ways and means of working so it is important to understand virtual networking as this extends to your relationship with your supervisor, showcasing your final year project, and much more. Utilized effectively, you can use it to keep in contact with peers, build a network of useful contacts, and much more. I recommend you check out our blog here on the art of virtual networking to learn further.
The Structure: The document outline
Now that you have your idea and the supervisor, let’s imagine you’ve had your initial meeting with your supervisor and you are adjusting to the virtual technology. Now it’s time to structure and plan your final year project. Below is a breakdown of how you can build the road map of your FYP, the template, and ultimately the contents page.
Know the concept of your FYP
Again, with the first part of this blog series, it is fundamental you know the purpose of your FYP as this will carry you throughout your FYP. The solution might change, the topic might change but, the premise of the overall purpose of your FYP will unlikely be changed so always keep that in mind.
Know the mark scheme
As you build your FYP it is important to study the mark scheme as this is what your supervisors use to grade your FYP. For example, what weighs more i.e. the research? The product you build? The presentation? Also, by how much? Once you have an understanding of what is important in the mark scheme you can begin to build the outline of your FYP report and prioritise how much time and effort you put into each section of your FYP based on the mark scheme.
Know the methodology
The methodology is used as a guide to building your product and quite often is a requirement for your FYP, and whether it is a research methodology or a software development methodology, there are various ways you can build your FYP and this should come down to the concept of your FYP, your style of working and the mark scheme.
Know where to find information
All the previous points can only be taken advantage of by knowing where you can find this information and this is where your supervisor can be utilized. The supervisor has been through this situation and they can guide you to the best places to find information and examples. Again, this point highlights how instrumental your supervisor is.
The Structure: The routine
As you begin to piece together the roadmap to completing your final year project, you understand the mark scheme, can prioritise tasks, and you have your contents page outlining your final year project. The next stage is to prioritise your time. You must make sure you are aware of the following two things:
- Your university timetable
- Your non-working hours
Once you begin to understand this you can start to build a structure (a plan of action) around this, something we explain with the RISE methodology.
The RISE Methodology
The RISE methodology is embedded in the SkillStruct way of working and one of the principles of the RISE methodology is Structure. We often discuss this when speaking to our members or going into schools and it is very applicable here. By focusing on structure, a routine, a disciplined approach, you can apply yourself effectively when building your FYP. You can check out our blog here which details the RISE methodology in its entirety.
Access to SkillStruct University
As mentioned previously having a support network is very important to your overall FYP success. At SkillStruct we provide that network via SkillStruct University, the name of our virtual network where we provide young people events, resources and support including for FYP. If this is something you want to learn more about and gain access to, check it out here.
The Conclusion
This completes the 2 part series of having a successful final year project. In essence, what it comes down to are the idea and the implementation. This 2 part series should provide the answers for those thinking about their final year project and currently in their final year. As discussed previously the RISE methodology indicates things can be evaluated and changed, the important thing is to be aware of this and be able to adapt to those changes early.
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SkillStructor MO.