The Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics 2019-2020

STUDENT PROJECT PLANNING GUIDE

A university project should not be a difficult task. A lot of

students are overwhelmed by this important task. If you are amongst this number, then read
on. This short guide will give you the key points that will help you to write a good project that
will impress your examiner and get you the excellent marks that you desire.

How to write a Project

A tidy, well laid out and consistently formatted document makes for easier reading and is
suggestive of a careful and professional attitude towards its preparation. Remember that
quantity does not automatically guarantee quality. A 150 page report is not twice as good as a
25-page one, nor a 10,000 line implementation twice as good as a 5,000 line one. Conciseness,
clarity and elegance are invaluable qualities in report writing, just as they are in programming,
and will be rewarded appropriately. Try to ensure that your report contains the following
elements (the exact structure, chapter titles etc.):

Title page
This should include the name of the university, the project title, the year and the name of the
author of the report. You can also list the name of your teacher.

Abstract
The abstract is a very brief summary of the report's contents. It should be about half a page
long. Somebody unfamiliar with your project should have a good idea of what it's about having
read the abstract alone and will know whether it will be of interest to them.

Contents page
This should list the main chapters and (sub) sections of your report. Choose self-explanatory
chapter and section titles and use double spacing for clarity. If possible you should include page
numbers indicating where each chapter/section begins. Try to avoid too many levels of
subheading - three is sufficient.

Introduction
This is one of the most important components of the report. It should begin with a clear
statement of what the project is about so that the nature and scope of the project can be
understood by a reader. It should summarize everything you set out to achieve, provide a clear
summary of the project's background, relevance and main contributions. The introduction
should set the context for the project and should provide the reader with a summary of the key
things to look out for in the remainder of the report. The introduction itself should be largely
non-technical. It is useful to state the main objectives of the project as part of the introduction.
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Do a good work on the abstract and introduction. Make them crisp and compelling. As
the saying goes, first impressions matter most. Write a catchy abstract and introduction to catch
the reader’s attention immediately. The mistake most students make is to write dull
introductions. Bright, short and sharp introductions set a good pace for your entire university
project work. Most examiners start thinking about the mark they will award after reading your
abstract and introduction.

Conclusions and Future Work

The project's conclusions should list the things which have been learnt as a result of the work
you have done. Avoid tedious personal reflections like "I learned a lot about C++
programming..." It is common to finish the report by listing ways in which the project can be
taken further. This might, for example, be a plan for doing the project better if you had a chance
to do it again, turning the project deliverables into a more polished end product.

Bibliography
This consists of a list of all the books, articles, manuals etc. used in the project and referred to in
the report. You should provide enough information to allow the reader to find the source. In the
case of a text book you should quote the name of the publisher as well as the author(s). A
weakness of many reports is inadequate citation of a source of information. It's easy to get this
right so there are no excuses. Each entry in the bibliography should list the author(s) and title
of the piece of work and should give full details of where it can be found.

Do proper and in-depth research for your topic. Go out of your way to get as much
materials as you can. You could search online, visit public libraries etc. Project writing is easier
when there is an abundance of resources at your disposal.

Define the scope and structure of your project from the start. Stay very close to the main
idea as much as you can. Do not allow unnecessary digression.

Proof read carefully. Mistakes in grammar and misspelling only make your teacher to
consider you as a careless student.

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Characteristics of good projects are:

originality - every project work has a specific purpose; subject, target group, results
knowledge/experience based - it could be based on previous or new information of
other researches or projects
specific methodology - every project has its topic and clear subject, goals and
appropriate methods

timeframe - project work has a time limit, so it has to be carefully planned and
managed
practical organization and management

Work hard and play hard

• Both working and leisure time are important. Stressing and worrying about not studying is
unproductive and very time consuming.
• Plan times to have fun– if you’re sticking to your project timetable, you are entitled to
guilt-free time for having fun and socializing so build it into your timetable ... also include the
hangover!
• Reward yourself when you complete tasks– if you’re partial to chocolate biscuits or you
like to play computer games, for instance, indulge yourself once you’ve completed the task
... don’t cheat!

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Remove distractions
• Turn off your phone, the television, or any other distracting devices while
you are working on the task at hand – you will complete it much faster and then have more
time for socialising and having fun.
• If you have other things on your mind that are interfering with your concentration, write
them briefly on a piece of paper and put them safely to one side so that you can focus on
the task ahead. Once you have finished the task you can reload your troublesome thoughts
into your brain !

Project Topics:

1. The History of Computer Science

2. The History of Mathematics from Antiquity up to the Present Day
3. Mathematical Universe
4. Mathematics and Other Sciences
5. Romanian Mathematicians and their Contribution
6. Notable Women in Mathematics
7. The Mysterious Number PI
8. Computers in Education
9. A Literary Inside into the Social Life via Mathematics: Flatland
10. Artificial Intelligence
11. What are the various areas where AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be used?
12. Technology and Privacy
13. How will Robotics Change our Lives?
14. What is the Origin of Complexity in the Universe?
15. Mysteries of the Universe
16. Time Relativity

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17. What happened in the Big Bang?

18. Black Holes and Wormholes
19. Inside Einstein’s Mind
20. It has been claimed that going into space is important for scientific development. Is
that true? What scientific breakthroughs have come about through the space
programs?
21. Should humans really make the effort to find a way to live in space or on other
planets?
22. The Discovery of Global Warming
23. Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster

What is considered plagiarism !

 turning in someone else's work as your own

 copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
 failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
 giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
 changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
 copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your
work, whether you give credit or not .

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Believe it or not…

Changing the words of an original source is not sufficient to prevent plagiarism. If you have
retained the essential idea of an original source, and have not cited it, then no matter how
drastically you may have altered its context or presentation, you have still plagiarized.

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging
that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information
necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.

The penalties for plagiarism can be surprisingly severe !!!

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