3 Steps to A Thesis

Source: Camille Tuason Mata, Added By:

A thesis consumes a lot of (thinking, drafting, and revising) time. For those with additional obligations beyond the academic ones, time is a scarce resource. As one who worked more than one job at different phases of my graduate career, I discovered how to balance writing with class time and with work and, as such, learned how to apply this sometimes precarious balancing of my busy schedule into the thesis-working phases.

PLANNING IS KEY
Probably the most important criterion in writing your thesis is the planning of it. You already know that professors can be rigid about schedules because they have their own deadlines to meet, so negotiate your final draft due date with your advisor and then break it down into shorter chapter phases, making sure to include due dates for each phase. If your advisor wishes to review each chapter after its completion, allocate sufficient discussion days as these meetings with your mentor will truly help you strengthen each chapter and reduce the headaches induced by back tracking. You definitely do not want to do major rewrites at the very end!

OVERCOMING WRITING OBSTACLES
The writing phase is the most challenging for me, as I often get writer's block or sometimes feel disinclined to write. When I know I absolutely have to finish a project by a set date, I will use my notes to trigger creative juices. I sometimes use other scholars' academic writings for inspiration. This latter tactic has helped me to shift away from scribing stale sentences in the course of producing chapters and many times to begin a new one.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Other "How-To" guides on lengthy writing projects have, I am sure, reiterated the necessity of saving one day a week for doing a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y nothing on the project. Apply this principle to your thesis. This day is your much needed day of rest; you should not even look at a book or a chapter of your final project. Devote this day only to an indulgence (i.e. walking, eating ice cream, watching a movie, or catching up with friends and family) that will rejuvenate you for the rest of the week! While hourly breaks incorporated into your daily writing are important, your day of rest will allow you to pace yourself throughout the semester and give you the mental and emotional energy to keep chugging along. For those feeling overwhelmed with non-academic obligations, your frustrations will be in finding the time to write. My advice is to be regimented with your schedule, while accounting for grey areas, and block off large chunks of time in your life to meet with advisors and to write. Finding quiet space is crucial, but (metaphorically) chaining yourself to your desktop or laptop enables you to complete large sections of your thesis.

Tags: Writing Up

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