Working Alone

• It's unlikely that one person will be strong in all phases of development. Phases of Discovery, Invention, Implementation and Documentation take turns at peaking, though (depending on the choice of life-cycle model) you can try to keep different kinds of work available so that there's always something to match your mood.
• You may have no-one to bounce ideas off, or no-one to inspect your code. You might find some-one prepared to respond to e-mail. Newsgroups can be useful.
• Be aware of your favourite 'displacement mechanisms'. Try to make them something useful (documentation) rather than cosmetic. A common diversion is to over-develop tools and utilities
• To cheer yourself up make a list of easy things that you can tick off.
• Think of a good name for the project (this document's really entitled "COMputer PROject Management In Student Environments" - Compromise)
• Beware of Burnout. A regular employer might look after you because they want to hold onto you for a future project. If you're a contract worker however, your longevity isn't high on the contracter's priorities - you'll need to pace yourself. The programming task may only be part of your job - you may still be studying for a Ph.D. One way to reduce the risk of the programming task taking over is to be strict about when/where you do the work - e.g. only in the mornings and never from home.
• Pick-me-ups and motivation from outside are most likely needed - at the start; after a deadline; at the end (fatigue)