A year ago while an ocean away from Amherst studying abroad and wrestling with the decision to write a thesis, I could not have predicted how the next year of my life would be shaped by a different year, 1964. Over the course of my senior year, I completed a thesis for the History Department on President Lyndon Johnson’s foreign and domestic policies during the 1964 election year. My thesis became a labor of love as I worked on it during school holidays, travelled to Texas to do research, stayed up many late nights in Frost, and edited while pregaming. It consumed much of my time and energy. However, I found the challenge thrilling and engaging; for me, it was the perfect culmination of my academic studies and interests as well as the research and writing skills I had been developing since high school.
The decision to write a thesis is complex. It’s a BIG undertaking. When debating whether or not to write a thesis, the advice of past thesis writers was crucial for me. Therefore, for anyone considering undertaking a thesis project, I want to share some of my advice because it’s worth thinking through.
1. Chose your advisor wisely
This was one of the early steps I took in making my decision and choosing the right advisor for me paid off. My advisor, Professor Walker, could not have been more helpful, and she set deadlines in a way that was compatible to my own work style. After talking to many others, I learned your relationship with your advisor can be a great source of comfort and help ease the process if you two work together well.
2. Find your work spot
2a. Find your spot in Frost because you will spend more hours glued to that chair than you ever expected. ((looking at you Dell computers on A level))
2b. Find a non-library spot because you will need lots of coffee (which you will start to drink, even if you think you won’t) and a space to work off campus and get some fresh air. These spaces need to be a place you can sit uninterrupted and crank out work. Likewise, they should be relatively comfortable and have good wi-fi and outlets nearby. I highly recommend Raos’/Share Coffee, The Works and Shelburne Falls.
3. Be realistic about your work ethic and know your limits
Time management is super important to doing the research and writing required for a thesis. If you’re someone who does everything at the 11th hour, it may be worth thinking through how your work style translates to deadlines of 20-30 pages. Also, there will be a time (or a few times) when you will inevitably feel overwhelmed or even melt down—just be prepared because it does happen to everyone.
4. Have a support system
I had a “thesis squad” that was my rock during the past year. This was a small group of classmates who were also writing theses. These were some of my best friends who I could commiserate with, get coffee with and walk home from Frost with at 1 a.m. They also let me know me when to ditch the books and go to bars or take a few hours off to watch TV. I highly recommend having some thesis buddies because they both motivated me and helped me take care of myself too.
5. LOVE your subject
This may be the most important piece of advice I can give. Your subject has to be something you want to talk and think about even if NO ONE else cares. Your work has to motivate you through ridiculously late nights on A level even, for instance, while you’re in field hockey season and ran turnovers that day in practice and are still awake rereading pages on pages about the Democratic Convention that happened 50 years ago. I could talk anyone’s ear off about the 1960s and that kind of passion got me through moments when I needed to remind myself that my ultimate goal was to create a project I was proud of.
At the end of the day, a thesis should be a project you love, even if you hated it sometimes, and are really proud of. Either way, you still need to make time Senior Bar Night if only for late night Antoine’s and for spontaneous hours long Val sits. No matter what you chose, its your senior year of college so make the choice for yourself that will allow to have the best time possible and allow you to capitalize on this precious year with your friends!