Writing an undergraduate thesis is a daunting task. Few people have even heard of an undergraduate thesis, and having this opportunity is something you should not take for granted. It will be a long journey, but you can do it!
Choosing the Right Advisor
One of the first steps is choosing a thesis advisor. If you can find someone who aligns with your policy research area–great! But my greatest piece of advice is to ensure you and your advisor have schedules that align.
In many cases, this might mean you pick an advisor studying something different than your topic – for example, healthcare policy instead of energy policy. This happened to me, and it is not as big of an issue as I would have anticipated. The role of your advisor is largely to assist with the process of writing a thesis, coming up with an appropriate methodology, running statistical analysis (where applicable), and making edits to your writing.
There are so many fantastic professors at O’Neill that can do this even if they are not experts in your specific policy area. All professors are experts in research–the most important prerequisite in my opinion!
If they are experts in the same field as your thesis, they can be very useful in suggesting directions for your paper and providing research recommendations. However, if your advisor is not a perfect match, you can always reach out to other professors who are experts in that area for suggested articles to look into or research tips without them having to commit as your advisor.
Setting up Regular, Frequent Meetings
In the end, the most important thing to look for in an advisor is someone who has the time to meet regularly and often. Thesis writers who met with their advisors weekly or bi-weekly in my course seemed to have a much better grasp of what they needed to do, finished their statistical analysis much earlier, and had fewer hiccups along the way.
When choosing an advisor, set up a regular meeting schedule and try to stick to it. This will force you to work on your thesis in preparation for these meetings and provide an opportunity to correct any mistakes along the way.
Professors are very busy with their own research, classes, and personal lives. Be sure that you choose an advisor who has the time to meet as often as you will need to answer any questions and guide you as you complete your thesis.
While a seemingly simple piece of advice, not only will it help you to build a stronger connection with your advisor, but it will help you produce a much stronger piece of work by the end of April!
Eva Brungard is a senior at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduating in May 2023 with a BS in Public Affairs. She majored in Policy Analysis with minors in Political Science and Economics. After graduation, she will pursue a Master of Public Policy at Duke University.
Leave a Reply