What is a capstone?

What exactly is a capstone?.....When I first came to IUPUI in the fall of 2007, that was one of the first words that I heard in my class. Capstone. I knew that it was something that would ultimately come in my student career but not this quickly. Although I am in my 5th year here, I cannot really believe that the time has come for me to start work on this project. I know that the capstone is a roadblock, so to speak, to overcome in order to graduate. It is an accumulation, a right of passage. The capstone is something that shows that you are ready for the "real world". The capstone project is something that separates the women from the girls and the boys from the men. The project can either make you or break you. I have heard of stories in previous capstones where students have received jobs on the spot due to the unique talents that they portrayed within their capstones. There were also capstones that I had previously seen that I knew were more than likely done at the last minute and ultimately, did not empress the "critics" which were faculty, employers and other IUPUI students. Because this project is the pinnacle of my student career, I know that I must begin soon. It is definitely of the up most importance to have adequate time to complete the capstone. This is why this semester I am only enrolled in 6 hours to be able to work, go to class and be able to brainstorm and ultimately decide what I want to do for my project by October.  The capstone is the last hurdle that I must overcome in order to successfully graduate from this school in the Spring of 2013. I am a bit nervous, but confident that I can come up with an idea and ultimately use the skills and tools that I learned from my New Media instructors to the best of my ability.