Below are some tips that I learned over the course of writing my honors thesis. Though you will all have plenty of guidance from your professor and advisor, here are some things that I would have liked to hear when I was in your position.
REALLY THINK THROUGH YOUR TOPIC
One of the most important aspects of writing a thesis involves choosing the “right” topic. When I went into the process of choosing a thesis topic I was mainly focused on studying something that personally interested me. This is VERY important because you will be reading a ton of literature on your topic and you want to avoid being bored. Basically, be passionate about what you are studying. Despite that being the most important factor, it is also crucial to think about whether or not your topic is feasible. Try to imagine doing the actual research for your topic and ask yourself questions such as “how will I measure this”, “what do I think the results will be”, “are there ways I can control for other variables”, “is there enough time to realistically study this”, etc. Basically, you want to make sure that your topic aligns with your interests and abilities so that you can do your best possible research.
A GOOD THESIS ADVISOR WILL ELEVATE YOUR WORK
It is also really important to create a connection with your thesis advisor. The thesis writing process is very personalized to your own research, therefore, if you need a little extra guidance, your thesis advisor is the person who is there to help. Throughout my research process, there were many instances where I was unsure of how to quantify something, which direction to take, or how to properly interpret results. This is when my thesis advisor stepped in and was able to talk me through my concerns and provide me some support while facing these challenges. This was really helpful to me because it made me feel like I was not completely alone when writing and that I was not going to majorly mess something up. Additionally, meet with your thesis advisor as much as possible. This is important because it forces you to be productive in-between meetings and it allows for you to foster a deeper connection with your advisor.
BE PROACTIVE
I know that this is extremely obvious and you will hear it a lot throughout the period in which you are writing your thesis…. But being proactive is crucial. If you are a second semester senior you will want to make your workload as light as possible at the end of your senior year, therefore follow the deadlines that you set for yourself and put in the work early. There is no room for procrastination when writing a thesis.
ENJOY THE PROCESS
Most importantly, enjoy the process. Writing an honors thesis is such a fantastic opportunity and once it is finished you will be so grateful. If you enjoy the process while you are writing it will allow you some peace of mind and probably make your end product even better! Good luck!!!!!!
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