To start, what is a passion project?

A passion project is a self-directed activity that enables individuals to pursue their interests. Some common passion project ideas include conducting STEM research, designing a podcast, or writing a book. The term "passion project" has become a common phrase for high schoolers, as many believe that having one will make them more likely to get into their dream college—or, honestly, it looks good.

However, building a passion project that lasts and is impactful is hard. Not every passion project can look good, and sometimes it can ruin your application by doing it just for college. As someone who started and finished a passion project during my sophomore year, here are some of the tips for building and sustaining one.

Image Credits: Ian Schneider from unsplash

1. Build a Project Based On What You Are Passionate About

I know passion is a word in the phrase itself, but believe it or not, a good number of students do these projects without a passion or interest in it. If you are not passionate about the topic of your project, then, frankly, it isn't worth it, and you probably won't be able to finish it independently.

There is not the RIGHT passion project to do, and whatever your interest leads you to, there will be outcomes and activities tailored for you if you look into it. Passion drives the project. This leads us to the next tip...

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2. Research, Research, & Research

It is excellent when you have a direction (i.e., writing a novel) but no matter what project you want to create, it is essential to understand the scope of it. For instance, if you want to study a certain neurodegenerative disease and potential treatment, you would need to reserve hours and hours of literature review to get an idea of it.

If you want to start a podcast, look at YouTube videos that instruct you on how to get listeners and what format is best. Many students completed these projects that you might be interested in. Think of ways you can learn from them.

3. Narrow Down the Topics & Be Specific

After hours of research, now is the right to find the topic for what you want to do. To make it impactful, do something unique for you. Passion projects can account for a wide variety of projects.

For instance, if you're creating an organization or club advocating for cancer, what TYPE of cancer are you advocating? If you're creating a YouTube channel, what TYPE of content do you want to be consistent with, daily vlogs? Educational videos?

4. Set a time to dedicate yourself & Be Consistent

My final tip is to set a time; time and dedication are the crux elements of the project's success. If you're not able to dedicate consistent time, this project would likely be short-termed, not worthwhile, and forgotten. It might also be an indication that you aren't that passionate about the project, so think about switching gears if that seems to be the case with your project.

Image Credits: Alvaro Reyes from Unsplash

Additional Tips:

1. Reach out and talk about your project with people. It can be your friends, family, teachers, or even professionals (although they don't always reply). Talking about what you want to do and how you are doing would significantly elevate your project.

2. Have fun! If the project is taking up too much emotional burden or worsening your daily life to a point where it's not fun doing it anymore, it might be in your best interest to rethink starting your project now or then.