Guidelines for Carrying Out the Project

For most students, the hardest part of the Honours year is managing their time so as to work consistently on the project throughout the year amongst the short-term pressures of course work assignments and exams. Start your project early (that is, in March) and keep at it. Your project is worth a lot of your final marks for the year! Do not get bogged down spending a disproportionate amount of time on small course work assignments which are worth relatively little in your overall mark.

A rough timetable for your project should be:

• 1st week of semester. Choose project and supervisor.
• First 6 weeks of Semester 1. Do background reading - typically 5 to 10 papers. Understand the problem and why it is important.
• Rest of Semester 1. Plan how to solve the problem. Undertake preliminary tests of your approach. Write interim report.
• First 9 weeks of Semester 2. Finish most of the implementation or proofs in your project work. First draft of your report.
• Rest of Semester 2. Write your report, and perform extra research suggested in the writing up stage.

Some ideas which may help your research and time management are:

• Arrange a weekly meeting time with your supervisor. Attend the meeting even if you have not completed anything.
• Keep a research diary where you write down your research ideas, progress on the project and a log of your meetings with your supervisor. This is a hurdle requirement for CSC417 Communication and Research Skills.
• Allocate 25% or 40% of your time to your project as appropriate. Regardless of course work requirements, spend at least one day a week on your project.
• Choose reasonable weekly and monthly goals in consultation with your supervisor.
• Read the background material critically - look for the underlying ideas, limitations and usefulness.
• Start writing early. Do not leave it until the last 4 weeks. Your interim report should form the basis of the first draft of your final report.
• Get help with your interim and final reports:
  • your supervisor will help with structure and contents
  • Ms Anita Jawary and Ms Jill Turnbull will help with presentation
  • other students can help - form a self help group.
• Practise your talks. In the final talk a working demonstration or video is often impressive.