Over the years, the senior project has created a mixed reaction among students. Some feel that it’s a fun way to explore their interests and learn more about a potential career they may want to pursue. Others feel that it’s unnecessary and it causes additional stress. Whatever side of the fence you may be on, it’s always interesting to see how the senior project impacts students and their futures. English teacher and Senior Project Coordinator, Denise Orsini loves the senior projects because “they are student-selected projects where students are able to pursue something of their own interest. They are able to apply academic kills to pursuits beyond the classroom.” Senior Elizabeth Kneip says she thinks that “the senior project will help all of us in the long run once we have graduated high school. I Iike the freedom to learn about any (approved) topic that you choose. ”The key to a successful senior project may be simpler than you imagine. According to Kneip, “the key to a successful senior project is picking a topic you’re interested in. If you want to learn more about your topic, then it will be much easier to write your paper, present your senior board, and work with your mentor. ”It’s important to pick a topic you genuinely want to learn about, since the point of this project is to prepare students for the future and to get them thinking about career options. “It goes well beyond a school wide assignment; it can open doors to future opportunities,” Orsini explains. “In high school, you have the choice to take classes that interest
you, so you have a greater idea of what you want to do for your senior project and what you want to study in college so that you can enter the workforce,” Kneip adds. Although senior projects offer a lot of freedom, they also require the skill of time management. This is not the time to procrastinate. The project requires a lot of time, interest and motivation, which helps to prepare students for college
coursework. The senior project is designed to help students transition from having “endless guidance in high school” to college where you are “on your own,” says Kneip. Orsini shares the steps of the senior project: “One: get topic approval from your seminar teacher (if you haven’t received it yet), two: contact [your] mentor to set up a time to discuss the senior project and your expectations on how the mentor can help you. Three: begin your project. Four: begin [your] dialectical
journal.” Her advice on the project is, simply, “Don’t procrastinate!” The senior project enables students to strive as individuals, demonstrate the success they can achieve in a field they’re interested
in, and have a little fun along the way.
you, so you have a greater idea of what you want to do for your senior project and what you want to study in college so that you can enter the workforce,” Kneip adds. Although senior projects offer a lot of freedom, they also require the skill of time management. This is not the time to procrastinate. The project requires a lot of time, interest and motivation, which helps to prepare students for college
coursework. The senior project is designed to help students transition from having “endless guidance in high school” to college where you are “on your own,” says Kneip. Orsini shares the steps of the senior project: “One: get topic approval from your seminar teacher (if you haven’t received it yet), two: contact [your] mentor to set up a time to discuss the senior project and your expectations on how the mentor can help you. Three: begin your project. Four: begin [your] dialectical
journal.” Her advice on the project is, simply, “Don’t procrastinate!” The senior project enables students to strive as individuals, demonstrate the success they can achieve in a field they’re interested
in, and have a little fun along the way.