For most undergrads, writing a thesis is the largest academic endeavor that they have faced. I do not know any individuals that have committed to this task and failed to produce a paper. For this reason, I think that the largest challenge is not actually producing a thesis, but managing the stress and accomplishing the task productively. An unfortunate fact is that some students who thrive in academia are able to fall back on their natural ability and have been very successful while consistently putting off assignments till the last minute. This habit is generally more mentally taxing than proactively working towards accomplishing assignments in a systematic and structured pattern due to the stress that procrastination can impart. Due to the scope of the thesis writing process, this mental tax as a result of procrastination is escalated to far higher levels. If an individual is not careful this kind of stress can be detrimental to other aspects of their lives and it is imperative that steps are taken to mitigate stress and manage it appropriately.
Unfortunately, the best way to mitigate stress is to be proactive and systematic in working on the thesis. The largest motivator that I have found for procrastination is uncertainty. There will be specific problems that you encounter that you will not be sure of how to address and these will be huge sticking points that can lead to procrastination. Two big examples that myself and others experienced were choosing a specific research question, and structuring your arguments following the acquisition of your data. When facing incredibly open-ended problems such as these, give yourself some time to try and formulate solutions that you are happy with, but if you feel that you are avoiding thinking about or working on your thesis because of the uncertainty surrounding problems such as these, it may be beneficial to get help from outside sources. By having your advisor or another source give you an idea to work off of, you will mitigate the stress of tackling such problems and can begin working off of the framework that they suggest. Working of a framework that is suggested by an outside party allows you to move forward, and in doing so may allow you to better structure your own ideas and retroactively perfect your arguments or research question. Get help when needed and don’t hesitate to utilize the human resources available to you.
Another key factor that leads to procrastination and stress is a fear of not living up to your own expectations. If you don’t know what this sensation is like, about halfway through the semester in which your thesis will be due, I suspect you will. I would recommend reminding yourself that regardless, you will submit something on the day your thesis is due. Should you be apprehensive about putting words to page because you are not happy about some aspect of the thesis, remember that the more time you give yourself the better your final product will be. Let your fear of failure be a motivator for action and not a barrier to it.
My final point that I think may help you in your thesis writing process is to try and enjoy the challenge. I personally think the best reason to do a thesis is to challenge yourself. There is little satisfaction in completing an easy task. When you are grinding along on your thesis it is good to be a bit uncomfortable. The process is a challenge, but remember that you are supported and set up to succeed. When you face challenges, try to find joy in the fact that you are challenging yourself. The research and writing process is long and arduous, but it is because of this that it is worth doing.
Seth Heatwole is a senior at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
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