Senior project, the most anticipated, yet extremely dreaded, project of the year. It marks the end of senior year and the beginning of a new journey outside of high school. Along with it come hours of tedious research, classes of presentations, and long nights of worrying. “I can’t wait to start it and get it over with. It definitely adds a lot of stress in my life,” said senior Caroline Rocchio, as she ponders what she will do to prepare for what is to come in the next seven months. Here are five tips that can help any person overcome the obstacle that is senior project:

1. Choose a topic that you are interested in. Make sure that the project is something that you are willing to invest all of your time in and will be interested in learning more about. The research process and presentation will flow nicely if the topic intrigues you. As an English teacher, Ms. Melissa Grinnell has witnessed many projects and knows what is fundamental for a good senior project. She said, “Be sure you choose something you find interesting or would like to know more about, because essentially, you are going to be married to it for seven months. You don’t want to get bored with it.”

2. Pick a research-based topic. All students must be able to communicate how their research process is going and how it is guiding them through their work. Whether a student hosts an event, conducts a study, creates a product, provides a service, or improves a system, research is necessary. Applying the knowledge discovered through the research process is the basis of this project.

3. Select a focus. Pick a theme or idea that will be the focal point of your work. This way, you can keep yourself on track and not be distracted by unnecessary details. For example, if a person was to make a documentary about how music affects her life, it would be helpful for her to highlight a certain type of music that affects her. By narrowing it down, the project will be more clear.

4. Do not procrastinate. Start the process early so when it is the middle of May, and you are starting to prepare for presentations, you’re not frantically scrambling to throw things together. Manage your senior project time, while also leaving space for any jobs, homework, sports, and other extracurricular activities.

5. Stay organized. Keep notes, research, sources, and interviews in a designated area of a binder. It is advantageous to label and color-code anything that seems chaotic. Your future self and your teacher will thank you when everything you need for the big presentation day is neat and organized.

Senior project can sometimes be the “wrinkle” in a senior’s journey towards graduation. However, with these five tips, you can try to find your way. Senior Mckenna Horner said, “I’m nervous, yet excited. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”