How to Approach Your Final Year Project?

It's the culmination and one of the last major requirements for graduating programmes in the science stream, including computer science, information technology, and electrical and computer engineering. To complete a degree course, you are expected to demonstrate your understanding of the theory you have learnt in practical applications by undertaking a final year project. Usually, a final year project involves research as well as practical aspects. 

Students can develop the skills and knowledge to tackle engineering and business problems in the real world by working on final year projects. The final year project is critical to a learner's future and can provide material to include in a portfolio. It impacts various things, and job recruiters often use it as a standard to assess you. 

Tips for deciding your final year project

During the final year of your graduation course, you can select a project based on your interests and specialised areas. This gives you a chance to gain an in-depth understanding and acquire skills in that field, which is critical for educational and professional growth. It’s also an excellent opportunity to stand out to potential employers.

How can you choose a topic for a final year project? The following tips will help you choose a topic and undertake the project.

Make a wise topic selection

With the abundance of options, picking the right topic can be a daunting task. To ensure you have an enjoyable learning experience and get the most out of it, select a subject that resonates with you and is aligned with your study area. You might also consider that it’s inspiring or motivates you in particular ways. For example, an initiative that benefits the public will be impactful and a learning experience.

To choose an effective topic, research trends and look at your strengths and how you can apply them to the topic. Doing so ensures you’ll excel and may open the possibilities to emerging areas related to your field of study. For example, you might base your project on machine learning or the latest analytics.

Talk to your mentor

You can get support to help you choose the best possible final year project. Talking about it with your mentor can help you choose a topic, outline the project, and keep things on track. If you don't have a mentor or want extra help, you might also consider asking professors or professionals for insight to help ensure you complete your project according to the latest industry standards.

Create a thorough project plan

Once you choose a topic, it's essential that you sit down with your mentor or someone who can guide you throughout the project to plan out the process. You want a plan for every aspect, including the project goal, conducting relevant research,  brainstorming ideas, and presenting the final year project. Consider deadlines to help keep each part of the plan streamlined and avoid scrambling at the last minute to complete the project.

Consider your final year project goals

A final year project provides a venue for students to showcase practical proficiency. It’s a chance to identify real-world problems and create solutions while using the learning you obtained throughout your degree programme practically. You further develop your intellectual skills, such as communication, teamwork, analytical, and critical thinking. 

Ultimately, the final year project helps prepare you to enter the workforce. It demonstrates your skills and provides something concrete you can show potential employers.

Final year project ideas

If you are considering a final project on a technical course, below are some ideas that will allow you to put the theory you’ve learnt in your degree course into practice. 

Ideas for computer science and engineering projects

Python is a high-level, interpreted, and object-oriented programming language. It is very well-liked among developers because of its simple syntax and adaptable layout. Engineering branches heavily rely on Python as their main programming language, making this an appropriate basis for many projects in their final and pre-final years. In addition, they produce many small projects for their final year Python projects and programming projects in the lower semesters.

Some examples of Python projects to consider include:

• Creating an alarm clock application: This project allows you to use Python with a graphical user interface (GUI) to build an alarm clock that lets users set a time and choose an alarm sound or song. It’s simple but practical and can include additional features depending on your project goals. 

• Building a quiz application: For this final year project, you’ll build an application that presents a list of questions to users with the option to rely upon. The software then indicates whether a response is correct or incorrect. After the user completes the test, the final score is shown. A database is also necessary for the application to store user questions, answers, and ratings.

• Magic 8 ball: Using Python to create an application that mimics the physical toy can be a fun way to demonstrate your skills. This application gives users a virtual version of the spherical toy to ask questions and receive answers. It requires programming a minimum of 10 to 15 responses and should allow users to quit or continue.

Ideas for data analytics and data mining final year projects

Data analytics and data mining projects make popular final year projects as they put into practice the ability to find patterns and inconsistencies in large bodies of data. Some ideas for projects in this area include:

• Exploring India’s Airbnb market: This project involves importing, cleaning, and analysing data to uncover the characteristics of India's Airbnb market. It could be country-wide or location-specific. In either case, you'll need to combine data from multiple files, clean it, format it, and extract relevant details.

• Creating a GERF (Group Event Recommendation Framework): This project requires you to use a machine-learned ranking (MLR) algorithm to mine for group preferences and factors to recommend events. You can also build models that retrieve and rank information using machine learning techniques before organising it in lists, scoring it, and providing scenarios for group events.

• Getting real-time social media insights: Using statistical tools and knowledge of probability and statistics allows you to delve into the latest social media trends. Doing so facilitates a better understanding of local, national, and global trends and patterns.

Ideas for electrical and mechanical engineering projects

This is the ideal time to identify real-world problems and use your mechanical or electrical engineering knowledge to develop solutions. From idea generation to prototype creation to project presentation, these projects offer a creativity boost. A few ideas to consider include: 

• Earthquake monitor: Tens of thousands of earthquakes shake the planet annually, and being able to monitor and alert people as early as possible can help save lives and protect properties. This project requires using an STM32 ARM controller board, LCD, buzzer, vibration sensor, and GSM module combined with circuitry and manual buttons. The system's design should make it easy for users to start monitoring, choose their settings, and set up contact numbers for alerts.

• Hydraulic flood home protection: Floods are another major natural disaster in India and worldwide. This mechanical engineering project develops a model device with hydraulics to lift homes in accordance with water levels to prevent flood damage. It involves developing schematics for homes built on steel frame platforms with steel rods for added support and hydraulic cylinders for lift.

• E-bike controller: Electronic bikes (e-bikes) are popular, future-forward transportation options. This project requires you to create a controller that will control the speed of the motor, gather input from the throttle (a device controlling the flow of fuel or power to the engine), display the speed, and use a switch to start and stop the bike using an STM32 controller.

Next steps 

Final year projects are part of the syllabus to encourage students to use their theoretical knowledge in the real world. They are an excellent way for students to demonstrate their technical knowledge and practical skills in tackling real-world problems. 

Consider an online course on Coursera to further increase your practical skills. You can hone your data analytics skills with the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate or choose from any of the classes, Specialisations, Professional Certificates, and degree options available on the platform.