Are projects a common thing in college?

[Anonymous]

This is kind of a weird question, but my kid really gets into projects versus papers or studying tests. Overall a good student but I think they allow for some creativity and flexibility. Their high school does some but not a ton.

It got me thinking because it’s been a million years since I went to college, do kids do projects in college? Some types of schools or programs more than others?

[Anonymous]

Though I am guessing it depends on the major, our oldest kids, now college graduates in different majors from two different schools, worked on a lot of them.

[Anonymous]

You posted this twice. It depends on their major and the courses they choose. And what you consider to be a project. I think writing a paper is a project, just not a very fun one.

Yes college students do projects, but college is also a time to grow up and be able to learn the material without having it funnified with a project. The best projects are things that actually need to be done

I think kids look to their activities for projects as well.

[Anonymous]

WPI

[Anonymous]

When I was in college, I had zero but friends in other majors had them. I can't imagine that's changed.

[Anonymous]

As a business major a million years ago I had a group project in almost every class. I don't know if that was common then but I went to a "learn by doing" focused college.

My kids - data science major and environmental science major - seem to both do a lot of projects. Some solo, some group. Projects seem to increase as they've gone through college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WPI

+1 They've been project based since the 70s. They also have tests and papers, but the learning style is project oriented and very "real working world."

https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning

[Anonymous]

I hate projects, it feels like busywork..would much rather write a paper.

[Anonymous]

Did you not go yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a business major a million years ago I had a group project in almost every class. I don't know if that was common then but I went to a "learn by doing" focused college.

My kids - data science major and environmental science major - seem to both do a lot of projects. Some solo, some group. Projects seem to increase as they've gone through college.

+1. B School 30 years ago was so may group projects. I actually hated it and probably should have changed majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate projects, it feels like busywork..would much rather write a paper.

+1
My brother made a collage in his PhD program. !!

[Anonymous]

My college kid is doing a summer research project in his field, which means using a professional cartography tool to answer a question he chose, and writing it up in 20-30 pages. There is light supervision by a professor, and eventually, I suppose, a grade. The point is to deepen his knowledge of that topic, however. He already has nearly enough credits to graduate and still a year to go.

So in his field, a "project" usually ends up being a paper, regardless of what tools and software are used in the process.

[Anonymous]

Yes, both my kids had group projects (one is in STEM and the other was in humanities). My DD’s boyfriend has them, too (business).

[Anonymous]

I think Drexel has a philosophy that might suit your student.