For students in the honors program preparing to write their thesis, brace yourself for the work. This was the most time-consuming yet most rewarding project I have worked on in my undergraduate career. Stick with it even when it feels like you are lacking motivation and momentum, the work pays off. Here are a few things I want to emphasize that allowed me to cross the finish line:
1. Build a relationship with your advisor
Find an advisor who is passionate about the work you are doing and meet regularly. I was lucky enough to find an advisor that genuinely cared about the work I was doing and had the capacity to provide support every step of the way.
My advisor and I had a set meeting time every week. Although sometimes it felt like I was making little progress week by week, this routine held me accountable and allowed me to develop a relationship with my advisor where I felt comfortable being candid about my progress. Forcing myself to check-in with my progress weekly allowed for more brainstorming, leading to greater adaptability and consistency in my study.
2. Start Building Your Study Early
One of the things I appreciated most about V-491 was the creative freedom and flexibility it offered. That said, I cannot emphasize enough how important time is in this process. I spent most of the first semester brainstorming, and I didn’t begin actually conducting my study until January during V-499. Looking back, I wish I had started building sooner.
Your first draft or idea doesn’t need to be perfect and honestly; it probably won’t be. That’s okay. Time is your greatest asset. Starting early gives you the breathing room to make mistakes, revise your approach, and refine your work as you go. Dive in headfirst and do not be afraid to make mistakes; the earlier the better. Exercise patience and be prepared for minor setbacks, everything will come together eventually.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
Designing my study was one of the most challenging parts of the thesis experience, mainly because my topic hadn’t been explored in the way I wanted to approach it. That uncertainty made the process feel daunting at first, but it also opened the door for real innovation. By the end, I was proud of the fact that my study design was original and contributed something meaningful to the field.
Creating a study from the ground up required me to be fully invested. I had to oversee the entire process, evaluate what was working, and adjust where needed. That level of ownership made the final product incredibly rewarding.
Now, on the other side of my thesis, I can say with full confidence: it was worth it. The rigor of the process taught me a lot about myself as a student. I tapped into creativity when designing the study, adaptability when navigating limitations in my data, and accountability when managing deadlines across the year.
If you want your thesis to feel worth it in the end, choose a topic and design that genuinely interests you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, take risks, or go in a direction no one has before, especially if it means your work will be meaningful to you.
Maddie Alexander is a senior in the O’Neill Honors Program studying Law and Public Policy. Prior to writing her thesis on the nationalization of local elections, she interned with the Indianapolis Mayors Office in 2023 and spent the Spring semester of 2024 in Washington DC interning for the House of Representatives. Her field experience inspired her thesis exploration of how national issues are creeping into local elections. After graduation, she is attending The Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
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