For me, the hardest part of any project is getting started. New projects always feel like you’re lost in a big world with every direction leading to new options. The best way to get somewhere interesting is just start moving.
One of the most interesting elements of this class is the lack of a set directions on how our team accomplishes our goal. Previous classes set forth the required language, the desired outcome, and the specifics on how you implemented that outcome. With CS492, everything changes. Suddenly, you have a wide selection of tools and a project where “complete” is left to the imagination. This is both exciting and terrifying!
Just Start Already!
The best way I have found to overcome the anxiety that always seems to accompany new experiences is to just start moving. Type out notes. Sketch a framework. Do something or anything to just start moving! Starting early often means moving in the wrong direction. However, the act of starting starts the gears in motion, allowing me break through the nervousness and focus on the problem.
For my capstone project, I applied this practice by writing out what I wanted to accomplish, consolidating the project outline provided online with what I thought sounded interesting. started by writing out what I hoped to accomplish. I also watched several videos on how to code in unity and set up the repository in Github. These small acts made me feel more confident in the undertaking, got things organized, and was fun to do.
The Second Step
Despite my initial nerves calmed by the act of starting, I still found the project very overwhelming. The project just seems so big! To further “just get started”, I diagrammed a possible flow/architecture for the project. This is the diagram I came up with:
Sketching out diagrams like this help give you direction and help solidify what you want to accomplish.
Rough diagrams like this help me visualize the various steps along the way, breaking the project into more manageable chunks. They also give me direction. Even though the team hasn’t scoped the size or efforts of these chunks, diagrams can help split up an huge undertaking into smaller, and doable, steps.
Added Benefits
One added benefit of starting on a project is the process of starting might find holes in your thought planning process. For example, putting together the flow diagram made me realize that the team never discussed a very important part of the project in planning – how do you actually play the game! The project’s main goal is to allow users to create customizable card games, but we need a simple set of modifiable rules that a computer can follow when becoming an opponent. We are working on creating these now, but thank goodness for staring into the project!
Conclusion
For me, jumping straight into the work is the best way to start a project , feet first. Even if the project initially feels overwhelming, the act of starting helps calm my nerves, organizes the process, and allows me to better see the project’s bigger picture. Just doing something towards the end-goal makes big tasks seem smaller.
