If you’re anything like me, you’re probably dreading the O’Neill Honors Thesis. Whether it be the hours and hours spent doing research, the entire pages of drafts that will be scrapped, or the presentation in front of multiple faculty members, it is certainly overwhelming thinking about the gargantuan task that currently sits immediately ahead of you. While you may be tempted to run–I CERTAINLY was. Don’t!!!! This is a golden opportunity that has been offered to you to apply what you have learned throughout your time at the O’Neill School, to challenge yourself to explore new ideas and theories, and to learn so so much as you immerse yourself into your topic. Beyond the technical skills that you will take away from this experience, more importantly you will gain a newfound appreciation and understanding of what I was capable of. It takes a lot to have that much commitment to a single project, so you’ll be thrilled with everything that you can take away from this challenge.
With that being said, I want to provide you with more than just words to encourage you, but some tangible advice that will make this experience significantly easier for you.
Your advisor is more important than you may think.
When I began the process of searching for my advisor, I wanted to be sure that they were an expert on the subject. While you should definitely look for someone who works in the same field as the topic of your paper, I would argue that your main priority in finding an advisor should be your relationship with them. If there’s someone that you really gelled with in the classroom, this person may make a better advisor who is a total expert on the topic at hand. Your comfort level with them will dictate how often you meet, how much advice they provide, and how you are able to take constructive criticism. The relationship you have with them is, in my opinion, more important to consider than the subject matter expertise that can be provided.
Find what works best for you–and do that!!!!!
You will hear plenty of advice from your professor on tips to beginning the writing process and how to keep at it–when it feels like you have a million other things to do every week. These suggestions are well intentioned, but it doesn’t mean it has to be your thing. I’m talking writing groups, and strict writing schedules, etc. If your best writing doesn’t happen when you’re stuck writing every single day–that’s okay!!! You should find time to write in a way that works best for you. If writing groups act more as a hindrance to your writing than anything else, that’s also okay!!! Work on this thesis in a way that sets you up to have as much writing down on paper as possible. You’re gonna scrap a lot of it eventually, but that’s the beauty of it.
I hope that my words have provided some guidance as to the direction that you should go. Moreso, I hope you’ve gained some encouragement to kick start this process. If you need any more advice or if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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