As vague as it can get, just like how concise it can be.
Project Work often is deemed a heavy hurdle for countless
of JC-1 folks. With the mental stress of bothering will the outcome be an A, a
less than desirable B (or if it’s gotta get any worse, a C) at the very end. At
around March each year, the battle to secure the first “A” in the graduation
certificate would begin, as one get to know their comrades (whether you like it
a not) and the question of the year. That’s the motivation for even bothering
about PW in the first place. Isn’t it?
At some point in time, at the very least, people would be
naturally be thinking: “What kind of projects will guarantee myself an A”, “Will
I need to tank the whole ton of s**t? (Will my team members “pangseh” me?)”, or
“How do we even start??”
All these are perfectly normal, until when you find that you
are dwelling on it for too long. So, what constitutes to an “A-grade” project?
In lecture, the tutors would likely go through samples after samples of
projects, and breaking up on possible answering directions to the question set
by the exam board. But, what it takes for a successful project is to look
through what the whole idea of Project Work is about, and whether your project
(be it analysis or ideas) are sensible and well prepared. Here are some of the best
proven practices and important mind-set that are gathered from the experiences
of top performing PW groups, as well as from senior subject tutors.
The “Problem Solving” Mind-set.
Think of PW as a faulty system on the run, as if you are an
engineer or a service provider who is needed to solve the glitch (Yeap legit I
mean by that!!! This is probably how application in real-life is exercised in
the curriculum). The thing about PW is that it is there for you to present solutions
to the problem somewhere in your society (just that the question gives a vague
direction of where to look up to). No matter how the question changes, the
pattern and format won’t deviate much. Your job is to convince your “boss” on
the best possible solution that one can’t pick much on in any way. As long as
you find the link between PW and the idea of getting it solved (1x good one).
You are probably on the right track.
Find Meaning in the Project
The motivation to do well lies in the fact of knowledge that
the thing we do have meaning in it, where we deem it is worth the effort. This
is a mind-set that is hard-coded into every single human on this world (as long
you are mentally sound, at the very least). We takes the task of importance
seriously when it matters in our lives and when we have a feeling of it having
a good outcome. Results will definitely show on the attitude of your group
towards the project. (Whether it is a big thing that pumps adrenaline of
excitement into you that you would want “chiong” a lot into and make sure it is
perfect, or some crap that often requires meeting of deadline and thinking
probably it will “sway sway” award you with a distinction grade)
Drill Hard to the root of the Problem
(Make some Depth in Your
Work)
More often than not, the root cause of PW groups finding
themselves going around the circle (you know it when you simply can’t get their
WR or EOM ideas to make smiles on their PW tutors, or can’t make sense on
convincing yourself out of the stuff you write) is that they are not able to
identify the real needs over the issue, what is the real thing that cause the
issue to be that complicated. Take note, PW is nowhere like a classroom
discussion where you can simply pass it off with some random ideas at the back
of your head (This is the places in your WR and OP where either led to your
group scoring straight Bs, or the reason revolving around EOMs on why some in
the group got A while others, a B). What the examiners look at is your amount
of understanding and awareness on the issue you are working on, as well as your
maturity of thinking by the amount of senses you put into the analysis and the
workability of the ideas your presented in your WR or OP.
This common problem is very easy to comprehend and attended
to as long as you understood what the hell is going on for the previous point
on the “Problem Solving” mind-set. You might have realised it, the whole idea is
the same all along. No point going around the surface of the issue and present
something that can be easily brushed aside by a very basic counter-argument. Similarly,
get your depth of analysis by looking at the solution as a whole. Foresee the
possible problems that arise as a by-product of the solution, or why something
of a similar sort failed previously and how different will yours be (if any). This
is an effective way to balance between Creativity and Sensibility.
Effective Content
The key to getting any effective ideas into play is to know
the subject matter well enough. No EoMs and WRs aces without the writer knowing
what it takes.
It’s Everyone’s Part
You might have heard rumours from people around, that
someone or two in the group would be a tanker that “tah” everything for u. The
truth is, this often fails big time, as big as the fantasy-like imagination that
some charismatic player is godly enough to settle everything, or when you think
being handed to a team with the smart ass with the best PI guarantees good
stuff. That nonsense is more like settling for early straight Bs and Cs. It is
a must for everyone in the group to be focused and on the ball at the pace fast
enough to know what is happening, or enjoy seeing the work being hanged there
for days and weeks without consensus or effective progress. One or few
masterminds can’t make an organisation work. That should be the saying. Don’t
learn the hard way when you and your team struggles to pull together sh*t to
hand in a seemly proper WR or a passable OP that you aren’t confident of at all.
That the baseline of a good PW experience. There is a lot of
room to play with. It can be as far as making PW into an actual project
executed on the ground, an extreme example (heard it turned out well but extremely
risky).
Your seniors and PW Tutors are your good friends on the job. Some good
advises may help you in the process. A side note, if you want do pay some
attention on to others under a different tutor. Every tutor have their slight variation
in their teaching styles and insights, and not all fits your group. (esp. when
PW scripts are cross-marked by different tutors at the end). Try to get
objective and neutral insights from different sources to help you evaluate the
part and parcels of your project.
END (hope it helps and all the best~!)
