After reading MYP/IB Personal Project - Part 1, getting started may seem a little overwhelming.  Once you understand everything, the process become much easier.

Picking a Supervisor:

When you pick a supervisor for your project be sure that he/she has some past experience with your topic. You want a supervisor who can not only oversee your project, but help you along the way if needed. You will experience road bumps, so choose wisely.  You want a supervisor who can help you get through all the hardships so your project can be amazing.

Also, be sure to chose a supervisor that you know and like. This may seem obvious, but choosing the wrong supervisor can make for a miserable experience.

Plan of Action:

The objective of the first meeting with your supervisor will be to complete a Plan of Action (POA). The POA lays out the steps to complete your project. Your POA has to include: links to Areas of Interaction (AOI), Approaches to Learning about the topic, project time line, project description, and a plan for sharing this information with your supervisor.

Be sure to consider the following things when creating your plan of action:

• Where should I start?
• What’s the most logical way to complete my goal?
• What kind of information will I need to gather?
• How will this research guide my project?
• What materials will I need?
• Can I do this in 6-7 months?

In your POA be conscience about connecting everything you do to your Essential Question (EQ) (refer to part 1). Know your limitations. If you think that your initial plan of action is too ambitious, then discuss ways that you can change it with your supervisor.

Your POA might change as your project develops. You might have a light bulb moment and realize that you want to approach your project in a different way. That is completely acceptable. All you have to do is re-do the POA and include your new steps. Remember to adjust your POA  if your AOI or EQ changes as well.