To the CARI seniors reading this, congratulations on making it this far! You have been equipped with the tools you need to finally create your thesis. To those of you who are not yet seniors, I hope this advice can still be helpful! Either way, I would like to express to you my appreciation for this program. I suspect that, by the end of it all, you too will feel as rewarded as I do.
It is true that this course will not be easy. There will be problems along the way, but you are capable of overcoming them. I hope that with this advice, you feel more prepared to take on this final stage of the program.
Firstly, I urge you to start your thesis as early as possible. Do not wait! Even if you do not have data yet, there is still much you can accomplish, like starting on the literature review or simply becoming better versed on your topic.
When you are first introduced to the project, it can be overwhelming. It seems like a lot to do in such little time. If you break it down into parts, however, you will see that it is not so intimidating. It is easier to manage your thesis if you just work on it section by section.
Try to choose your adviser as early as you can. The sooner you find one, the better. Do not be afraid to ask people who you have not met before. I found my adviser by doing some research online and then getting in touch by email. Although I did not know her at all, she was more than willing to accept the role. If you are still unsure of who might be an appropriate choice, speak to your SPEA professors. They can point you in the right direction!
At the start of the semester, you will be making yourself a writing schedule. I urge you to take this schedule seriously. It is tempting to shrug it off and not stick to it, since you are the only one keeping yourself accountable, but fight against this tendency. By writing consistently, I felt more prepared for draft deadlines. It kept me from panicking the night before drafts were due.
Writing is not just a copy of your thoughts, but rather, a process which allows you to organize and clarify your ideas. It is difficult to hold all your ideas in your head, especially in a project as large as this. So write down all your thoughts. You will find that by writing them down, you can actually extend these ideas and explore them further because you are not trying to hold them in your head. By consistently writing, I was able to narrow the focus of my thesis (we often begin our projects with too broad of a question). I therefore found regular writing to be a clarifying experience. It improved the quality of my writing, but it also helped me verbally communicate my questions and findings in a succinct, clear manner—an important skill for your presentation.
In terms of content, the literature review felt like a large barrier to overcome. On this particular section of your thesis, I recommend you start collecting and taking notes on literature as soon as you can. Getting it out of the way early on allowed me to move forward and focus on my actual research, which was what was most important to me.
Do not be afraid to ask for help, no matter how many times you need it. And do not forget about those resources outside of your adviser that can help you. I was introduced to a PhD student who was working on a thesis similar to mine. She was open to assisting me and she really helped me work through the details of data analysis because she was in the middle of doing the same thing for her own thesis.
When you do need help, seek it out as soon as you can. Do not wait for another problem to come along. I encountered many unforeseen issues with data, but because I sought help in a timely fashion, these issues did not build up and I could attend to them as they came along.
Also, take advantage of your classroom work time. You are given time to work on your thesis, with your peers and professor available to help you on the spot. This time was very valuable to me, as many of my problems were worked out within one class period.
Do the readings. They are actually very helpful.
And lastly, enjoy the process. You are doing original research on a topic of your interest. Although it’s hard work, you will have something great to show for it.
Good luck, everyone!
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