Editor’s Note: This post was authored by Avery Hanefeld but posted by the instructor.
I’m finishing this blog post just a few hours before the deadline, which is new for me, because I submitted everything for my thesis late (don’t do this). The instructors probably don’t want me to tell you that, but by the time you read this, I will already have my degree.
Hi, I’m Avery, and no one thought I would be writing this blog post because at one point I was convinced I couldn’t complete my thesis. If I can do it, then anyone can. Here are my top five pieces of advice for writing your thesis.
1: Don’t listen to everything your professors say.
All the honors thesis instructors will tell you to set a writing schedule. They will also act like deviating from this schedule will trigger a big red button that derails your thesis. It’s easy to stick to a writing schedule when 80 percent of your job is research. Should you try to create and stick to a feasible writing schedule? Yes. Will this happen? Probably not. Realistically, most of your thesis will be written during other classes or at random times throughout the semester. That’s completely normal, and don’t feel like you cannot finish your thesis because you can’t work at the same time every week.
2: Get comfortable with being behind.
You may realize that some of your peers came into 499 with data, whether that be through lab work or a preexisting data set. This will probably cause you to panic, but it’s important you don’t. Everyone enters 499 in different places but ends the class with the same result. I entered with essentially nothing written, and yet, here I am. If you enter ahead of the curve, great, but you will likely end up behind at some point. Don’t compare your progress to your peers because you will constantly feel behind and confused.
3: If you haven’t already, choose your advisor wisely.
I would do almost everything about my thesis differently, except for choosing my advisor. My thesis was on gender discrimination in public sector internships, which isn’t the most complex topic. I prioritized my level of comfort with who I was choosing over their perceived level of knowledge or status. Not everyone has this luxury, but if you do, choose someone you are comfortable seeing you at your absolute lowest, most academically challenged point.
4: You are going to fail, but it’s up to you how you move forward.
Not to spoil your excitement, but you’re likely not going to discover anything astoundingly new. If you move forward with this goal, you are only setting yourself up for failure. When I tell potential employers about my research, they never ask about what I found; instead, they ask about what I learned from the process. Employers and admissions panels are far less concerned about whether you discovered something new in the field; they’re honestly just impressed that you wrote an actual paper so early. You may fail to make a groundbreaking discovery, but as long as you learn something new about yourself and your skills, you’ll never truly fail in this program.
5: None of this matters.
Regardless of the length, quality, and complexity of your thesis, you will graduate and live your life. In ten years, you won’t be kicking yourself over the thesis you wrote at 21. If you are, then you really should go to therapy. The only thing that matters is creating something that makes you proud of yourself.
With all this advice, I’m not saying that you should ignore your professors and slack off on your thesis. Everything they say about writing consistently and proactively is true. I’m saying that you are an undergraduate with unique and often complex sets of life circumstances, not a tenured faculty member. Your career is not defined by this thesis; your identity as a student isn’t even defined by this thesis.
I decided to write my thesis because I experienced gender discrimination and sexual harassment in a setting where I least expected it. This thesis was my way of healing from the impact that experience had on my career confidence. My ability to persevere through all the setbacks I have faced is what defines me, and only you can decide what will define you.
Avery Hanefeld is a student at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public & Environmental Affairs.
Editor’s Note: Avery’s instructor always believed she would complete her thesis and write this blog post.
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