The senior thesis… I remember first hearing about it my freshman year when Taylor, a senior and the Captain of the BC Figure Skating Team (who I idolized at the time), kept on talking about her “terrible, awful, I hate you, %^&*(), THESIS!!” (of which she had only written… zero pages of!). At the time, it felt like forever before I would ever have to worry about such a hefty undertaking. But here I am, faced with my own thesis and trying to chip away at it.
After listening to Taylor rant and rave about the dreaded project, you would think that I would’ve learned my lesson and decided early on not to even try to write my own. However, as junior year came to a close, I was determined to try – and succeed – to write a thesis. I figured it would be an excellent way to culminate my four years of academia at BC and I would go out with a bang. Yes, it would be a challenge and yes, it would push me to my limits. So without even batting an eye, last spring I logged onto UIS from my tiny apartment in Paris, where I was spending my junior semester abroad, and fearlessly registered for a senior thesis. I had no advisor, no idea about what I would write about, and no clue what was coming my way.
Well, here I am, nearly a year later, 50 pages into the “terrible, awful, I hate you, %^&*(), THESIS!!” and much wiser. I haven’t gotten to the point when I’ve finished it and felt the “ah-ha, oh I’m so glad I did this, I’m so proud of myself, blah, blah, blah” moment. In fact, right now it feels like this so-called class is soaking up every ounce of my time, energy, and mental capacity. Hopefully it’s all worth it in the end, but we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s too late to look back now so I just need to forge ahead and hopefully give some tips to the BC collegiettes who are looking to take on their own senior thesis.
1. Find a good advisor
When you enroll in the senior thesis course, it’s not required that you already have an advisor. However, you should think long and hard about who you want to have advising you for the entire year on this enormous project. I would suggest choosing someone who you know well, feel comfortable with, and have worked with before. It needs to be someone who can help you out in moments of distress, but still be strict enough to keep you working hard!
2. Write about a topic you’re passionate about
Trust me when I say that writing 80 pages on anything is extremely challenging. But it’s even more difficult when you’re writing about something you could care less about. Think about what you’re passionate about and write about it, even if it has nothing to do with your major! Be it fashion, food, cinema, or journalism, write about something that you know you can talk about for nearly 100 pages.
3. Make small deadlines for yourself
Because the senior thesis course isn’t an actual class that you have to attend at a specific time and place every week, it’s kind of up to you to work on it during your own time and at your own leisure. It’s SO easy to say “Oh, I’ll just work on it tomorrow” and then procrastinate for forever. Then, pretty soon it’s April and you have to turn in the 100 page final draft in two weeks. Thus ensues a major freakout, three meltdowns, and a lot of tears. Don’t let this happen to you! Set small deadlines for yourself to make sure you keep chipping away at your thesis little by little. These will be easy deadlines for you to meet (for example, find 20 more sources by next Tuesday) and will help you slowly but surely finish your thesis.
4. Take advantage of library resources
A lot of us collegiettes sit in class and listen to the librarians talk about all the amazing resources BC libraries have to offer and then leave class and completely disregard everything we’ve just heard. Don’t do this! BC librarians, especially, are extremely helpful when you’re doing your thesis research. Librarian Ken Liss, in particular, is a whiz. He knows all the databases inside and out and will help you find the quickest and most thorough method to get the best information possible for your paper. You don’t have to do this alone; there are people out there who are more than willing to help you. You just have to ask!
5. Start thinking about it now
Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, you should already start asking yourself whether you want to write a senior thesis. Many collegiettes need to write a thesis in order to graduate with certain honors or recognitions in their programs, so know ahead of time whether or not a thesis is required of you. Writing a thesis is a huge undertaking, so you should start preparing as soon as possible. Ask yourself how you want to commemorate and culminate your four years in college. This is the last opportunity many of us will ever have to produce, and potentially publish, our own research. If you do want to write a thesis, consider taking on a lighter course load, for example, taking a fun class as pass/fail, in order to make the rest of your senior year schedule a little bit easier so you have more time to dedicate to your paper.
6. Don’t give up!
Once you’re in, you’re in. There are moments when you’re writing your thesis (and trust me, I’ve experienced them) when you just want to rip up everything, light it on fire, and go to MA’s for a few drinks to forget it all. Keep pushing yourself. You know you’re capable of writing it and making it to the finish line. When you’re stressed out, talk to your advisor! That’s what they’re there for and they will be more than willing to listen to you and calm your nerves. A thesis is an incredible way to culminate your time at BC. Persevere and you’re sure to be glad you did in the end. Who knows, you could end up in a published academic journal!
Good luck, collegiettes!
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