Before getting into the advice I have, let me say congratulations on choosing to write a thesis! As someone who has just finished giving my final thesis presentation, I have the hindsight to say it is a rewarding experience that you should value. No, it will not always be easy and yes, you will have complaints. However, no matter what you are planning on doing after college, you will develop useful skills to take with you. Here are a few tips I have:
- Find a topic you’re willing to talk about for a year. This may seem obvious. Of course you’re going to want to talk about your topic! But your interests sometimes change and along with them, your desire to write about a specific topic. Perhaps a politically controversial issue will be draining after a few months or maybe it will keep you motivated. A highly general topic may get boring after you write the literature review or maybe a high-level overview is your goal. It’s a personal choice but one you should weigh carefully.
- Make a schedule and stick to it. The magic of the Outlook (or Google) calendar is real. Creating deadlines, putting them on the calendar, and sharing them with your advisor will make sure you are holding yourself accountable. Writing your thesis is a practice in self-discipline. There will be weeks when you do not want to write. While I recognize your pain, you will thank yourself later when you already have your literature review revised or data analysis done. On the other hand, make sure your deadlines are reasonable; you shouldn’t be taking on too much at a time. Ask your professor or advisor if you aren’t sure about a realistic timeline, they’re there to help you!
- Meet with your advisor regularly. This might seem like the same as my last point but it’s not. Sitting down to write your thesis is different than meeting with your advisor to talk about it. Now some people will have more available advisors than others and that’s okay. But it is up to you to stay in communication and update them about your progress or when you need help. I highly recommend finding a set time to meet with them (even once a month) to make sure you’re getting in that face-to-face time. If your advisor goes off the grid, seek out other resources! The Center for Survey Research, for example, is an amazing place for help constructing a survey instrument.
Your thesis will likely be one of the most in-depth projects you will complete during college. Savor the victories (like finally collecting enough survey responses) and reflect on the challenges. Think about what you can take away from this experience. This isn’t meant to scare you away from writing a thesis—I recommend going through the process. This is meant to prepare you for what writing a thesis is really like and hopefully impart a few pieces of advice that can help you. Good luck and happy writing!
Maria Laroia-Nguyen is a senior at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She studies Law and Public Policy with minors in French and Communications in Public Advocacy. In the fall, Maria will be heading west to study at the University of California Berkeley School of Law.
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