Talk to any college senior at Endicott and the only thing that will come out of their mouths is thesis, thesis and thesis. Every senior on campus has to complete a major academic project based on their major that is like a mix of a passion project and a combination of everything they have learned over the years. It is a big undertaking. Most written theses can be 20+ pages. Seniors work on their thesis, and that has to be done while working a full course load.
Personally, it’s been hard since getting back on campus in January to quiet the constant thesis anxiety. Because it is just a big undertaking that has been hyped up for the past three years as well as my sometimes toxic perfectionism, it is hard to not constantly think about it. Any free time I have I worry that I should be doing something for my thesis or I am getting behind in work.
It is now a time in the semester that we are all two weeks away from our deadlines. It really doesn’t seem real that I’ve actually accomplished a thesis or it’s just my denial that I am graduating. But anyways, trying to balance my thesis with everything else – other classes, extra responsibilities, jobs, my social life, and self care – has been a struggle. I want to enjoy my last month of graduation, but I can’t give into senioritis in classes.
Now I am no expert, but here are some tips to other and future seniors in college on how to fight burnout, have a fun senior spring semester, and write your thesis.
Make yourself a thesis planner. It is time to become familiar with google sheets or excel, whatever works for you. Set up a weekly schedule chart, make a section for links or articles that you need to keep. Just make a spot where you have everything all at once in an organized way. Writing everything down is a way to make it seem less impossible.
Spend time doing graduation planning that does not have to do with school. This is your sign to start shopping for everything you need for graduation – the dresses, shoes, jewelry, and everything like that. This is the fun part, make it like an early 2000s shopping sequence. Get your friends to the mall and try on every white dress you see! It’s a big day and you want to feel good and look good.
Schedule time to work on your thesis like it is a class. At the end of the day, thesis is just a class in theory with a certain amount of time expected for work outside of class. Starting from the beginning of the semester, put into your calendar working once or twice a week for an hour, and it will make the work more manageable.
Get out of your head with podcasts. Sometimes you can’t stop the stress, so you need a distraction. Podcasts are that great distraction because it is like having a conversation without any effort about nothing really stressful going on in your life. You get to learn something new or just have a laugh. My favorite podcasts right now are The Comment Section with Drew Afualo and Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast.
Prioritize time with friends. I saved this last because it is the most important point here. There will not be another time in your life where you and your friends will be able to spend this much time together. Really try and enjoy every moment with them because the friends you’ve made in college are probably more important and mean more to you than your thesis or any academic success.