So you have started your design project and your feeling stuck for time. I know I am, the stress of going into class each day and coming out with something that could ultimately decide if you get the points for your chosen course is daunting.
To get this project done, regardless of level, planning is essential! Going into class thinking you can quickly and easily whip up an A1 grade sketch for your Output 2 or 3 that will own the show is not always the best (not saying a lot of confidence is bad thing, but modesty is definitely not overrated).
Set aside time after school to do some research, Solid Works and sketching practise. Use this time also to layout each of your outputs roughly on an A4 sheet of paper, to take some pictures for your output 1 and 2 (but I hope you have your output 1 done by now!) and to write up drafts of some of the paragraphs that will appear throughout your first 3 outputs. I would also recommend you read The Guide to the Student Assignment here , it has many tips and ideas on how to layout your project. I would also recommend you set up a rough timetable to have each output done by and to give yourself 2-3 weeks at the end for final touches and to allow for strikes. Finally be creative, think outside the box, for your choice output I hope you are thinking about going down the route of creating a whole new design. A new design show creativity and could be easier to make since nothing about the design is final until you save it. Good hunting.
PS Always remember to keep a minimum of one backup of all your digital files so if the inevitable does occur at least your prepared, this can be done by any means from USB key to services such as Gmail and Dropbox.
Do you have any ideas for output 7
Is there in existence a sample of the finished project anywhere? I’ve wasted so much time looking for one and the t4 thing is useless cos I’ve already made the sat-nav but haven’t any of the sheets done, I just need to see what it’s supposed to look like and then i’ll be finished in two days tops can you help me?
In the guide to the student assignment on the T4 website there are examples of outputs.
http://t4.ie/DCG_Assignment.html
They are not ideal examples though. From what I heard last year each examiner marks 60-100 projects; and they will be getting the projects from your classmates to correct. So I recommend you come up with your own design; don’t go down the road which the rest of the dcg students will be doing; it will get boring and repetitive for the examiner. Cover the basses but in a different way. Also, don’t admit defeat at this hurdle, sit down and sketch out some layouts on an a4 sheet and see which one suits your work best and looks relatively ok.
You can download a copy of my dcg project here (acmurphy.ie/dcg.zip). Its a bit big. It is the photos form the project. FYI I got a B2
hey andrew how did you get on in the written paper on the day? good or bad? would give me a better idea because i sent in my project which was similar layout to yours but i dont know how well i will need to do on friday in the exam to get a B1 like you?
I found the paper on the day good, it was an easy paper and there were a few questions, in the first and second part, that could have easily been on the Junior Cert Tech Graph exam a few years ago. And the questions that were more Leaving Cert questions weren’t bad at all.
Everyone was expecting a much much harder paper and we didn’t have much to go off on how difficult the paper would be since there was only one past paper. The average of my class at the mocks was just above a fail, I think the average at the exam was around a C2. Good Luck with the exam and if you haven’t already look at past papers and the sample paper that T4 put on their website. Doing those papers would be your best use of your time before the exam.