I joined the O’Neill Honors program when I was a second semester freshman. I spent 5 semesters going to events and fulfilling my requirements for the program. However, it wasn’t until my senior year when I started V499 and V491 where I really felt the magic of the honors program. I met so many new people, worked with amazing faculty, and truly discovered my passions and narrowed my academic interests. If you ever have the opportunity to write a thesis, do it. Though it may be daunting at first, I can confidently say that this is my proudest accomplishment.
Picking a Topic
The world is your oyster when it comes to picking a topic, which inherently has its pros and cons. It’s like scrolling on Netflix, there are so many options that ultimately you just can’t pick anything to watch. Are you in the mood to binge a new docuseries, or re watch The Office for the 5th time?
This step requires some soul-searching. For me, I wrote some qualities that I possessed that would both help and hinder this year long process. For starters, I get bored easily. This was quite a character flaw since I would be working on this thesis for 8-10 hours a week for an entire school year. I knew my topic had to have nuances, something to keep me intrigued and motivated. I knew that Constitutional law was exciting to me and started to unravel that area of research.
Think about it like this: a topic can be a “summer internship” or a “full-time job.” Summer internships only last 2 months. If you end up absolutely hating it, good news! It’s over before you know it. Maybe your summer internship is loosely related to your passions and interests or maybe it’s just the only one you found that’s actually paid. Regardless, these are not sustainable for a year-long commitment. Stay away from summer internship topics. Instead, focus on topics you truly care about.
On the other hand, the “full time job” topics are your bread and butter. Treat your topic like a 9-5. You wake up every day, go your job, and work countless hours. Imagine your scrolling on LinkedIn, reading each job description carefully. Your topic should be the job posting that makes your eyes light up. You don’t want your topic to feel like a boring desk job. I keep briefly mentioning how much of a commitment this, and that should not be understated. This is something you will spend more time on than probably anything else you’ve done thus far. So, make it unique to you. Tailor it perfectly to your interests and personality. For me, this step was vital to ensuring a successful year.
Data Collection
In hindsight, I wish I asked more questions before collecting my data. I wish I asked MULTIPLE people questions like, “is this realistic?” or “is this going to accomplish my goals?” and “do I need prior knowledge?” My biggest piece of advice is to always ask questions.
I wanted to use a software to code my data and did not realize until it was too late that I needed prior experience in coding or statistics. (Which I unfortunately do not have.) While this seems intuitive looking back, this process is overwhelming and small details like that may get overlooked or forgotten. Make sure that you pay attention to minor details, especially potential obstacles, and come up with creative solutions to overcome them. Don’t give up, you will figure it out.
The Writing Process
The writing process was definitely not a smooth sail at first. I came across bumpy waters, unknown territories, and changed directions more times than I can count. When the writing process gets tough, don’t jump ship. Embrace the mess. It will come together, trust me.
Make a schedule for yourself. Dedicate time every day to write, research, organize, and whatever you need to do to keep moving forward. It is so important to stay focused and organized. You don’t need a color-coded Excel spreadsheet (though I did in fact have one). But hold yourself accountable and do not wait until the last minute. This is crucial to having a successful experience.
Final Thoughts
When the dust settles and your thesis is done, you will be so proud of yourself. I have learned so much about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and my academic goals. I am no longer intimidated by writing a 25-page paper, I know how to find quality academic journals like the back of my hand, and I realized how much I love making PowerPoint presentations. Embrace this process. While you may become an expert on your topic, you definitely learn a lot about yourself too. This experience has prepared me for my future endeavors, like law school! Have fun, enjoy it, and don’t be too hard on yourself. You can do this, you will do this, and you will write a great paper.
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