04-01-2016, 03:03 PM
I just wanted to share my recent 2016 experience with the LIB 495 capstone course at TESU just in case others who are about to take it are curious as to what it entails. I know there are other threads about this topic on the forum, but some of the comments were from a couple years ago. I wanted to start a new one thatâs fresher for any upcoming capstone takers.
First of all, I know some forum members may disagree, but I personally recommend that you take the Online Option (OL) versus the Guided Study (GS) Option. The main reason is for the benefit of having other graded material to include in your overall grade. The only basic difference between the OL and GS options is that you are not required to post discussion posts on the GS. Although this sounds like an added task that you donât have to deal with in the GS option, you should note that the discussion posts are worth 23% of your grade (which is a relatively good chunk)⦠and theyâre super easy. It never took me more than 15 minutes to write a post and only took less than 5 minutes to comment on other peopleâs posts. I always got full credit for them (100%). If youâre not doing so great with the grades of your assignments, you at least can potentially save yourself with the forum posts. Without the posts (GS option), you may get a D in the class when you couldâve gotten a B (OL option).
Secondly, do the ETS test. Some people in my class didnât do it because it was only worth 2% of your grade. But 2% could still be the difference between a 72% (a C-) and 74% (a C). And you need at LEAST a âCâ to pass this course; a âC-â is not acceptable. Or if youâre worried about your GPA, it could mean the difference between a B+ and an A-. So do not skip on it. Even if you completely bomb the test, you still get full credit for taking it. So you canât fail on this one. Itâs just 45min of your time.
For the paper itself, Iâd say the two most difficult modules are Modules 2 and 4.
Module 1 is basically just stating what youâre going to talk about.
Module 2 is all about the background of the topic. You gotta use TONS of references and it can get tiresome. Then you gotta do an Annotated Bibliography. Then you have to get it verified through Turnitin.com to prove that you havenât plagiarized. Not very fun. This was probably the most involved Module. I recommend immediately working on this one right after youâre done with Module 1. And donât wait to turn this assignment in until the last day because turnitin.com may have technical issues that day. Personally, I recommend getting the syllabus BEFORE you start the class and complete the first assignment before you even begin the class so you can focus the first 3 weeks solely on Module 2.
Module 3 is just stating your methodology. The assignment and book explain it pretty well.
Module 4 is all about presenting the data after researching deeper into your topic. Almost every paragraph should have one or more references. This module involved a lot of research.
Module 5 is restating everything from all the chapters and then stating your opinions.
Module 6 is putting it all together into the format it wants.
As long as you turn your assignments in on time, reference everything according to APA or MLA format, and do your best to at least ATTEMPT to follow the instructions on the assignmentâs handout, you should get a decent grade for each module.
I ended up getting a 100% on every chapter assignment and forum post, 96% on the final paper and a 99% in the class overall.
Do not be intimidated by this course. Itâs definitely tedious, but itâs not hard. I too feared the 25 page minimum requirement, but I actually ended up writing over 50 pages worth.
If you donât have any idea of what you should write about, I recommend picking something to do with American History. This way you can always find criteria that you can reference. A couple people in my class had to go back to the drawing board and pick a new topic after they realized that their very narrow original topic did not have a lot of prior research to be reviewed. If you pick something involving American History (like the Civil War or the Electoral College), you will DEFINITELY have enough material to write your paper.
I also recommend working ahead so you can make sure your paper meets all the requirements, is formatted correctly and turned in on time.
I also recommend having someone who is good with APA guidelines and grammar to edit/review your paper. A lot of the grading is based on proper format and grammar so it would be highly beneficial to at least have someone do a quick review of your assignments before you turn them in.
I also recommend finishing the assignment in the first week and then posting your discussion post at the beginning of the second week. Itâs easier to post on the forum AFTER you have completed the assignment because the post is basically about what you did for the assignment.
Also, you DO need to the get the Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation book but you do NOT need the Keys for Writers one. Save your $. I never used it and Iâve read everywhere on the forum that no one else used it.
Recap of recommendations:
-Pick the Online Class Option.
-If you have no idea what to write about, pick something having to do with American History (like the Civil War) so that you will have plenty of resources to cite in your paper.
-Get the Writing the Winning Thesis book but donât get the Keys for Writers.
-Get the syllabus for the course and complete Module 1 before you start the class. This will buy you more time to complete the comprehensive Module 2 tasks.
-Do the ETS test.
-Get someone to review/edit your assignments before you turn them in.
-Turn in assignments early.
-Post to the Discussion Forum AFTER you have completed the assignment.
Good luck!
PM me if you have any questions.
First of all, I know some forum members may disagree, but I personally recommend that you take the Online Option (OL) versus the Guided Study (GS) Option. The main reason is for the benefit of having other graded material to include in your overall grade. The only basic difference between the OL and GS options is that you are not required to post discussion posts on the GS. Although this sounds like an added task that you donât have to deal with in the GS option, you should note that the discussion posts are worth 23% of your grade (which is a relatively good chunk)⦠and theyâre super easy. It never took me more than 15 minutes to write a post and only took less than 5 minutes to comment on other peopleâs posts. I always got full credit for them (100%). If youâre not doing so great with the grades of your assignments, you at least can potentially save yourself with the forum posts. Without the posts (GS option), you may get a D in the class when you couldâve gotten a B (OL option).
Secondly, do the ETS test. Some people in my class didnât do it because it was only worth 2% of your grade. But 2% could still be the difference between a 72% (a C-) and 74% (a C). And you need at LEAST a âCâ to pass this course; a âC-â is not acceptable. Or if youâre worried about your GPA, it could mean the difference between a B+ and an A-. So do not skip on it. Even if you completely bomb the test, you still get full credit for taking it. So you canât fail on this one. Itâs just 45min of your time.
For the paper itself, Iâd say the two most difficult modules are Modules 2 and 4.
Module 1 is basically just stating what youâre going to talk about.
Module 2 is all about the background of the topic. You gotta use TONS of references and it can get tiresome. Then you gotta do an Annotated Bibliography. Then you have to get it verified through Turnitin.com to prove that you havenât plagiarized. Not very fun. This was probably the most involved Module. I recommend immediately working on this one right after youâre done with Module 1. And donât wait to turn this assignment in until the last day because turnitin.com may have technical issues that day. Personally, I recommend getting the syllabus BEFORE you start the class and complete the first assignment before you even begin the class so you can focus the first 3 weeks solely on Module 2.
Module 3 is just stating your methodology. The assignment and book explain it pretty well.
Module 4 is all about presenting the data after researching deeper into your topic. Almost every paragraph should have one or more references. This module involved a lot of research.
Module 5 is restating everything from all the chapters and then stating your opinions.
Module 6 is putting it all together into the format it wants.
As long as you turn your assignments in on time, reference everything according to APA or MLA format, and do your best to at least ATTEMPT to follow the instructions on the assignmentâs handout, you should get a decent grade for each module.
I ended up getting a 100% on every chapter assignment and forum post, 96% on the final paper and a 99% in the class overall.
Do not be intimidated by this course. Itâs definitely tedious, but itâs not hard. I too feared the 25 page minimum requirement, but I actually ended up writing over 50 pages worth.
If you donât have any idea of what you should write about, I recommend picking something to do with American History. This way you can always find criteria that you can reference. A couple people in my class had to go back to the drawing board and pick a new topic after they realized that their very narrow original topic did not have a lot of prior research to be reviewed. If you pick something involving American History (like the Civil War or the Electoral College), you will DEFINITELY have enough material to write your paper.
I also recommend working ahead so you can make sure your paper meets all the requirements, is formatted correctly and turned in on time.
I also recommend having someone who is good with APA guidelines and grammar to edit/review your paper. A lot of the grading is based on proper format and grammar so it would be highly beneficial to at least have someone do a quick review of your assignments before you turn them in.
I also recommend finishing the assignment in the first week and then posting your discussion post at the beginning of the second week. Itâs easier to post on the forum AFTER you have completed the assignment because the post is basically about what you did for the assignment.
Also, you DO need to the get the Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation book but you do NOT need the Keys for Writers one. Save your $. I never used it and Iâve read everywhere on the forum that no one else used it.
Recap of recommendations:
-Pick the Online Class Option.
-If you have no idea what to write about, pick something having to do with American History (like the Civil War) so that you will have plenty of resources to cite in your paper.
-Get the Writing the Winning Thesis book but donât get the Keys for Writers.
-Get the syllabus for the course and complete Module 1 before you start the class. This will buy you more time to complete the comprehensive Module 2 tasks.
-Do the ETS test.
-Get someone to review/edit your assignments before you turn them in.
-Turn in assignments early.
-Post to the Discussion Forum AFTER you have completed the assignment.
Good luck!
PM me if you have any questions.
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