Welcome to the year-long process of writing your Honors Thesis. I know right now that it seems very daunting and that it will be too hard. What follows is some advice on how to write, timelines, and handling stress. At the end of the day, it will all be worth it, I promise.
Beginning Early
Many students (including myself) take V491 fall of senior year, and V499 spring of senior year. If you are taking this path, my best advice is to begin thinking about your topic over the summer before you start V491. I even messaged the program director towards the end of spring junior year, but didn’t do what I just recommended to you, and completely forgot about it all summer until the beginning of V491.
Timelines
The first thing you will want to do is come up with some sort of research question, just so you have something to go off of. Try to come up with some bones of a research question over the summer, though, you do talk about it pretty early in V491. Also, begin to look through the O’Neill faculty directory and think about who you may want as a thesis advisor. This can include anyone who is affiliated with O’Neill. You also can think about if you have had a professor who you’ve really liked, and ask them to be your advisor!
Writing Advice
“Oh boy, where do I even start?” That is how I felt writing this thesis. My advice to you is to write the thesis like you would write a normal paper but without the procrastination. Setting aside time to write for large blocks of time during the week did not really work for me, but it may work for you! That is absolutely something about which you have to be conscientious. I really do not think that you should change your writing habits for this paper so long as you are able to keep hammering away at it throughout the semester.
What helped me get to actually write this is that I did all of my research up front, and then just sat down and wrote while it was fresh in my mind. When you don’t have to go back and look at things, as well as search for things, it makes the writing process go a lot faster. Make sure that you set out time to meet with your advisor throughout the semester, simply so you can talk things out, even if you don’t have any concrete updates. It is useful and productive to just sit there and talk about what you are thinking or feeling about the thesis. Your advisor is there to help you through the process, not just to grade the final manuscript at the end.
In the end, it’s all going to feel worth it. I’m writing this post 5 days before I present the thesis, and 8 days before I have to turn in my final manuscript. I’m stressed right now, but I promise you that I am going to feel fantastic when I get it all done. I know some people may think about leaving the program because of the daunting task of writing a large research paper. Ultimately, it is worth it. You will have a piece of writing that you can be proud of, to use as a writing sample, and yes for your mom to post about you on Facebook. Don’t worry. If I can do it, you can too.
Ian James is a junior in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs majoring in Law and Public Policy.
Leave a Reply