Where do I start? (Part I)

Stop procrastinating and get your thesis written this year. I have been helping many students stay consistent and make progress towards the completion of their thesis. I know what I’m talking about: I was there 5 years ago. When they explain to you what a thesis is supposed to be, you feel it’s absolutely doable: a research paper, but longer, on a relevant topic from an original perspective, that will advance the knowledge in the field of study.

Sounds straightforward right? Well, it’s not that simple. The life of the graduate student can be very stressful and one of the steps responsible for that is the thesis. There’s also the different examinations we have to go through, of course, but the thesis is a whole new level of stress. No wonder so many graduate students don’t complete their dissertation and never graduate.

But you don’t have to be one of them. You started your doctorate because you were passionate about the field you’re in, right? Well, the dissertation will be just another step to take in the direction of your dream. Some of the factors that contribute to make writing the thesis so stressful are:

• Choosing a good topic: the problem word here is good. Is the topic interesting enough? Will I be able to have an original perspective on it? Will it actually advance the knowledge in the field?
• Choosing the right director: we are not told how to choose the right director for our thesis, and that can really cause a lot of stress. If you choose someone that is not very interested in your work, you’ll be by yourself to make many decisions. If you choose someone too hands-on, he/she might force choices on your work that you might not agree with.
• How to conduct extensive enough research on the topic without over or underdoing it? This is a question that lurks in your mind from beginning to end.

What’s important to keep in mind from the beginning is that the dissertation is another step in your degree, like I mentioned above. The more you can research in advance on how it’s supposed to be done, the more confident you will feel when you start. I remember back when I was choosing my topic, I had at least 3 possible ones. Very early, tho, I started talking to the professor I thought would be a good match for my work and for me. And this would be my first recommendation:

First tip: Choose a thesis director that wants to work with you, that suits the topic, but most importantly, make sure it’s someone that you like and you are comfortable discussing your work with.

Of course, there’s no ideal relationship between a graduate student and the thesis director. But if you prioritize the human relationship, believe me, it will be the best decision in the long run. Even for me, there was a moment of tension with my director when I decided it was time to hand in my work and she thought I needed to keep working on it longer. I knew it was the right decision because I was giving it my best effort and I couldn’t think about spending another month on the paper. Consider that your thesis might take anywhere from one to four years to be completed (and sometimes more, like mine) so the relationship will at least need to be a good one. I know what you’re also thinking: it’s always difficult to discuss your own work, especially when the professor is criticizing it. As a graduate student, we have to get comfortable with the idea of having our work evaluated and criticized because that’s what professors do in order to teach us.

After I became I coach, I told myself I wished I had had someone to talk to during my thesis other than my director or my friends that didn’t really understand what I was doing. As a coach, I can keep you accountable with the steps of the writing, but I can also mentor you as a graduate student getting ready to make the next move in your career. If you want more tips on completing your thesis, send me a message to valmaurercoach@gmail.com

Stay tuned for Part II of this series about writing your thesis: How do I organize myself and keep making progress without losing it?

Happy writing!

Val