The one thing that I can say about my year over this senior project is that it has been pretty busy. At first it started with gathering all the info for my research paper and getting that complete first. Then after that I had to move on to working on my actual physical product and trying to get that complete. This took many, many months to get done, but the ending product that I came out with looks really great and I can't believe I made it with my own two hands. I am very happy with how the year turned out but glad that it is about over with.
This past two weeks I have been able to practice presenting my presentation to my teacher and classmates. At first the process was very nerve-wrecking and I was pretty scared to present to them all. Once I was done the first time I gained confidence in myself tremendously, so when the second time came around I was more assured of myself and ready to tackle my presentation. Practicing has given me the opportunity to hone my skills and figure out ways to improve them and make them better. Overall I am happy with how my practice runs have worked out and I thank my classmates and teacher for dedicating their time to listen to me present.
There is definitely some advice that needs to be passed on to the upcoming class of next year. For number one, don't put things on the back burner. Get assignments done a while beforehand. This will help to reduce stress greatly. For your project pick something that you know that you will enjoy or at least have an idea about and worked with in the past. Also, take time to pick out a good mentor and someone you'll enjoy working with.
To be honest I wouldn't make many changes to the senior project process. But if I could I would make a few changes like allowing more time for students to get things done. I would make the process a little easier and not so complex. I would attach more importance to deadlines and give awards to the students when they are met. I would change the people for which you could work with and allow some relatives who specialize in the area of work to help you out.
During this project with my mentor, Tom, there were times of ups and downs being unable to connect with my mentor to get things done and understand each other. The first challenge of this project to me was just getting things started. After that, it was smooth sailing for awhile with the project moving along at a successful pace. Then, the next problem to arise was the day I accidentally dropped a post and cracked the end. To fix this problem we had to cut a divot into the opposite end to make it look identical to the original end. After this problem was solved, it was now a race to the end to complete my project, which I did. The result was something that I am extremely proud of and is a product I can use my whole entire life.
Today I was finally able to finish my project with my mentor Tom. The last and final step that I had to do was drill in two holes per post and put in fittings so that they would all go together and tighten up. Once I got it together just right I found out I did a pretty okay job for it is very sturdy and safe. I am super proud of what I accomplished and can't wait to build more projects in the future!
I spent four individual days, which was at least 3 or more hours each of those days, putting varnish on all of the wood after I got done lightly sanding and dusting off the wood for each and every piece. This varnish really did help to make the wood sleek and feel like glass. I am so very proud of what I have accomplished with my project and how it looks. I also plan to use this project later in the summer for a 4-H project.
I was successfully able to apply the colonial oak stain to my project pieces. This stain really helped to brighten up and bring out the grain in the wood. I have taken a few pictures of this and shown some of my friends they seem to be quite impressed with my work. I am really looking forward to start putting the varnish on my wood to see how shiny and sleek it makes it look.
This weekend I made a trip to Mitchell, SD to pick out the stain and varnish that I will be putting on my finished senior project. Before I made my trip to Mitchell, my mentor gave me several suggestions of what would be a good finish for the wood, and to be exact I was given 30 or more choices to pick from. In the end I decided to chose a colonial maple color and finish which should give it a bright and inviting feel to it. I'm really excited to get the stain and varnish on so I can finally see how my masterpiece will turn out.
As March is now upon us I realize that I am indeed running out of time to complete my senior project. In the following weeks and weekends I will be picking things up to get my project done on time. Then I will have to do the finishing touches on my project, too. After that I'll have to put together a Power Point and present it. I will hopefully get done.
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AuthorHello! This is a reflective journal for me to write about me and my senior project with all the challenges I meet along the way. ArchivesCategories |