Have you been at a point where you think of quitting school because things are getting hard? Most students reach a point where they feel that there is no way they will graduate if things proceed as they are. With the extremely involving coursework task and life happenings, one will fall short of time to complete some of the essential school projects. If you are a student and feel stuck and short of time to complete your thesis, here are tips for producing a miracle and completing your thesis in time.
Comprehend your research question
It is essential that you first fully understand the research question so that you can build a roadmap and decide on the approaches you will take. It may sound obvious to you, but from experience, most students often jump into working without the knowledge of what they need to do. These behaviors often lead to back and forth and a lot of messing up, which consumes a lot of time. You should have a good understanding of the thesis question to the point that you can provide a one-line summary such as “the objective of this thesis is…”
Break down your thesis into small segments
The thesis has different formats depending on the field you are in. However, they all have a standard structure that includes idea-collection, editing and analysis, and polishing. So, instead of focusing on the entire thesis, focus on one section at a time. It also gives you the independence of being creative without being limited by the complexity of another section.
Do not be dependent to your academic advisors
You will never get all the answers you need from your academic advisors. These advisors have their lives and will be too busy to focus and advise you appropriately entirely. Some might even be too demanding to the point of micro-managing you and demanding daily updates, which might be overburdening to you. You should learn to be independent when doing your thesis. Avoid having your supervisor holding your hand throughout the entire project. You should only schedule meeting to determine if what you are doing is in line with the requirement and where improvements are needed.
Writing will not be easy
Writing can at times be a cumbersome and boring job. You have to be ready for the time that you will not want to write at all. In the writing circles, they refer to it as writer’s block. It is perfectly normal, and you are not the first one to experience such a problem. Even the most prolific writer goes through it. In such a case, do not sit there waiting for inspiration. Go out and find something that inspires you to write again. You can go for short walks or watch some motivational videos.
Avoid writing the chapters in a specific order
In any form of writing, we like following a logical order. However, when writing a thesis, this should not be the case. There are sections that you will write last after completing the main thesis. For instance, the Abstract is always written last since it is a summary of the entire thesis. So, it is ok to skip other chapters and come back to them later. If you find a challenging chapter and get stuck, skip it and complete what is doable first. Then come back to it when you have the right motivation and energy to handle it.
Have a plan with timelines
Having a plan helps you never lag and, at the same time, not waste the time of a singular task. A proper schedule helps you easily manage your broken-down segment and give them appropriate resources. You will also not stray from the thesis objectives’ scope if you have a schedule of what you need to accomplish. Since the thesis is not the only thing you do in school, your schedule should include all your daily activities to have time and resources set aside for your thesis.
Write in short bursts
Human beings lose concentration fast. So to ensure that you are always in the game, write in short bursts.
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