Thinking about a thesis? Two Seniors argue the benefits and anxieties of this final academic feat
By: Whitney Green
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Opinion
A thesis is essentially synonymous with a relationship. It is rewarding, it is frustrating and it is time consuming. Never keen on relationships, I never possessed the desire to write a thesis…until weeks before I returned to Mount Holyoke for my senior year. Months prior, my advisor, Patty Ramsey, asked me to be her research assistant. Over the summer, I browsed JSTOR, Psych Info and occasionally graced the Omaha Public Library (Not much else to do in Nebraska.) After two months of combining my love of reading and my obsession with color-coding, I realized that I had unknowingly gathered a substantial amount of information. I figured the research literature was already compiled, so why not take it to the next step. Uncertain and mildly terrified, I emailed Patty asking if I could write a thesis on her research. A thesis in identity formation and transracial adoptees is what followed.
My original fear of thesis writing stems from numerous urban legends I have heard exchanged in the library stacks over the years. I would like to debunk the thesis fear right here and now. Yes, writing a thesis is a massive undertaking and yes, it is exceptionally time consuming. Nonetheless, it is entirely worth all your effort and every painstaking moment. A thesis, at least for me, constitutes your first major independent intellectual work. Furthermore, in writing a thesis you undoubtedly improve your research skills and writing ability, sharpen your critical thinking, expand your analytic eye, and effectively manage your time management skills.
Aside from the intellectual challenges and rewards a thesis offers, a thesis also offers practical bonuses. A thesis enables you to graduate with honors, adds depth to your resume, allows the potential to publish an empirical analysis and cultivates a deep expertise in your chosen subject. While a deep expertise sounds onerous, think about it. In writing a thesis, you design the study, you know your research inside out, you wrote the damn thing; by its completion, you know more about your thesis topic than anyone else, dare I say, in the world.
My original fear of thesis writing stems from numerous urban legends I have heard exchanged in the library stacks over the years. I would like to debunk the thesis fear right here and now. Yes, writing a thesis is a massive undertaking and yes, it is exceptionally time consuming. Nonetheless, it is entirely worth all your effort and every painstaking moment. A thesis, at least for me, constitutes your first major independent intellectual work. Furthermore, in writing a thesis you undoubtedly improve your research skills and writing ability, sharpen your critical thinking, expand your analytic eye, and effectively manage your time management skills.
Aside from the intellectual challenges and rewards a thesis offers, a thesis also offers practical bonuses. A thesis enables you to graduate with honors, adds depth to your resume, allows the potential to publish an empirical analysis and cultivates a deep expertise in your chosen subject. While a deep expertise sounds onerous, think about it. In writing a thesis, you design the study, you know your research inside out, you wrote the damn thing; by its completion, you know more about your thesis topic than anyone else, dare I say, in the world.