If you’re reading this, the chances are you are in the midst of writing your thesis or will be starting very soon. First off, Congrats! As you know, being invited into the O’Neill Honors program is an accomplishment in and of itself – you should be proud! Second, grab a lil’ snack and some water; I’m giving you the tea on how to complete your thesis so you can get to that degree!
- Start brainstorming early and search for an advisor shortly after
In my section of V491, we started discussing potential thesis topics rather early. This was nice because I was able to get all my ideas down and really consider what I could spend the next 8 months learning, talking, and writing about. By the end of October/ mid-November, I had met with several faculty advisors to see who would be the best fit. By the end of November, I had officially selected my advisor but I wasn’t able to meet with him until after winter break. Once I finally sat down and gave him the rundown, I changed my topic– again, and all my prior work (data collection, introduction, literature review, etc.) was hardly related. If I had met with my advisor and established exactly what I wanted to research sooner, I would have had a smoother transition from V491 to V499.
- Ask to be paired with a PhD
Though I truly believe I had the best possible thesis advisor, I am so thankful that I also had the opportunity to be paired with a PhD student. In many cases, thesis advisors are already very busy professors who are volunteering their time to oversee and guide your work over the semester/year. Some may not be available to meet as often as you would like or be available during your prime working hours (i.e. early birds or night owls). PhD students, though also busy, may have the same working hours as you and have additional availability to meet in a formal or informal setting. Also, because they are students themselves, they may be able to explain a statistical model or research method to you better than your advisor may.
- Take it one step at a time
The thesis writing process is daunting, time-consuming, and tiring, but so are many other things you do during your life. I found that when I thought about ALL the work that needed to be done between the current moment and when my manuscript was due, I didn’t actually DO anything. Yet, when I conceptualized the different sections of my manuscript as small, individual assignments, I got so much more done. This was especially true when I began analyzing my data, which was particularly challenging because I hadn’t had prior experience with R and regression analysis. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I know very few people who can eat a whole cake in one sitting. Take your time and give yourself grace!
Ultimately, you’ll get out of your thesis what you put into it, so you might as well give it your best effort, and remind yourself how good that honors designation will look on your diploma!
Tateana Cutter will graduate this May with a B.S. in Healthcare Management and Policy and minor in Law and Public Policy from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. While at IU, Tateana was involved in several student organizations, such as the Black Student Union and Tau Chapter of Alpha Kapp Alpha Sorority, Inc. In addition, Tateana is the recipient of the 2023 P.J. and Hilda Hill Award. In the fall, Tateana will be attending Emory University School of Law to pursue her JD. You can connect with Tateana via Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tateana-cutter
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