Maisha Fabliha Shahid (AS, ’14) has a short list of tips which she hopes will save you time and strife:

To any future Honors students planning to complete a Capstone, I give the following advice, which I have arrived at after much trial and error:

–          Spend your time really thinking about the things you are interested in and passionate about, and choose a topic that will intrigue you even (and especially) after a year of studying it.

–          It can help to approach the project as several small studies or questions that need to be answered rather than getting overwhelmed by the scope of the entire thing.

–          Start early and make the process gradual, even if you get just a little bit done per week.

–          Your advisor will be an invaluable resource you should take advantage of even if – and especially when – you feel stuck, frustrated, and stressed.

–          The process will be difficult, but the sense of accomplishment after it all is wonderful.

Maisha’s Capstone, “’Adelante, con todas las Fuerzas de la Historia’: An Exploration of the Chilean Student Movement for Education Reform”, explores the reasons that the student movement arose in Chile when it did: factors including an uprising in 2006, a recent shift to conservative government, and generational differences that compel these students to mobilize. Her advisor was Prof. Azra Hromadzic.