How to Cope When Writing a Thesis
Advice on how to cope with the strains of writing a thesis.
Writing a thesis is laborious work. It requires self-discipline, hard work, and masses amounts of late nights. The research alone is exhausting, never to mind constructing a new piece of writing encompassing an array of complicated ideas and expertise. While your previous three years of university have all been building up to this yearlong project, its final arrival at your study desk can be shocking, confusing, and downright mind-blowing.
A thesis is not only challenging in terms of its length but also in its use of language, conventions, and layout. Unlike standard essays of a personal essay writer, these are a compilation of vast amounts of readings and research from a variety of experts. In short, they are a tough task, worth every ounce of effort once complete.
Getting to Grips with the Language
As these are academic pieces of work, they need to conform to academic writing styles. This means that language used, alongside sentence structure, needs to be voluble, yet complicated. It is not enough to use simplified explanations of theories or words, and in fact, your thesis should exude a high level of academia through elaborate writing.
The easiest way to get to grips with complicated readings is to read these styles of writing repetitively. Much like learning a foreign language, the reiteration of difficult phrasing and conceptions embeds fluency for this kind of construction in your mind. To write academically, you must first read so. Further to this, you will be reading from a range of required resources that ensure this repetition, thus combining research with a well-developed style of writing.
Sheer Volume
The daunting length of a thesis, anywhere from 12,000 words upwards, is often off-putting, appearing as an academic marathon. However, by breaking the thesis into its various segments, it begins to feel more like a set of interlinking essays than a novella. As you have been writing essays or asking to “write my essay” your whole way through university, you already know how to succeed at this. The main difference is that you are writing in-depth about one particular subject, rather than various ideas. Yet, by breaking your thesis into parts, you begin to understand what research is necessary for which section, and in what order you will research and compile your information.
Although your thesis will typically fit a chronological way of reading, this does not mean it has to be written as such. Perhaps begin by writing the parts you know most about, or understand best. In this way, you begin to build upon that fluency you need when it comes to writing the more challenging parts.
A Lonely Process
The process of writing a thesis is, in many ways, lonely. While it is often fun to share opinions, upon writing a thesis, you may discover that others just don’t have the same insight into a particular area as you. This is precisely why you have been matched with your supervisor. This is an academic with just the knowledge you require to write your thesis.
Supervisors will direct you on appropriate readings, revising your work several times before you submit it. They are there to help you so don’t be afraid to consult their proficiency in your chosen topic area. Furthermore, don’t be tempted to disregard advice of those you can even ask for help or to “write my paper” they offer that you disagree with or are unsure of. This is not to say that you must write everything they tell you. However, remember no matter how quirky they might be, their knowledge on this subject far outweighs yours. Get to know this person as best you can, without hassling them, and enjoy sharing theories you’re both passionate about.
Enjoy Your Writing
Generally, when you enjoy something, you find it easier to do. Therefore, when choosing your thesis topic, ensure you select a subject area that interests you, not one deemed “easy” or “quick.” You don’t necessarily have to base it on topics you succeeded well in during university. Unless these were essays you were only delighted to write, stick to something that makes you want to read about it, that compels you to question it and conduct further research into it.
Writing a thesis is a long journey and one that must be taken sensibly. Don’t deprive yourself of enthusiasm because a topic doesn’t excite you. Instead, ensure that what you’re writing about does enthuse you. It seems only logical, yet you may be surprised at how many people regretfully choose an “easy” thesis topic. What comes most naturally to you will flow most naturally from you.
Finally, remember to take regular breaks and approach your research in alternate ways; perhaps watch a relevant documentary or choose fiction that also explores the ideas you need to understand. Good luck with your writing and reward yourself once you’re done!
