I was browsing my old notes a while ago until my eyes
stopped on a page of my notebook which is about thesis writing. Well, thesis
writing is one of the most unforgettable subjects for me in college. It was
like tasting an unfamiliar food for the first time. You may not like it at
first because of its unfamiliarity, but if you tasted it again for the second
time, there is something in it that started to interests you. And because of
curiosity, you tasted it again until your taste buds get used to its unique taste.
Thesis writing wasn’t even my favourite or hated subject, but through it I
learned a lot of things.
Let me share to you some of these things. Let’s start from
the academic side of it.
Before choosing a topic you, as the researcher, should know
first the purpose of conducting your research. According to my notes, research
is conducted to find answers to questions through the process of applying
scientific procedures. It may sound very
technical to you but it is self-fulfilling when you able to contribute
something to the society through finding an answer to a specific problem. After
knowing the purpose of research, the next step is choosing your thesis topic.
This is the first step of the thesis writing. Choose a topic that really interests
you. It must be something within your specialization. Aside from this, it must
also be researchable, manageable and has significance in the present time. To
put it simply, choosing a topic is like choosing the one whom you will love.
He/She might not right, but important to you. You would know every aspect of
his/her personality. You would not get tired of him/her. And most of all, you
are willing to defend him/her until the end. Now that you have a topic in mind,
formulating the title (the title may change at the end of the study), writing
the objective (or statement of the problem) and introduction is the next step.
Afterwards, you can now write the succeeding chapters in thesis writing. You
must be careful in conducting your research. Always make sure that every step
you’ll do is correct because thesis writing is like a domino effect. A mistake
on the first step may also cause an error on the other chapters.
Thesis writing is not only limited to academic purposes, it
could also help you to know and understand more about your own self. It could
help you find your life’s purpose.
During our first meeting in this subject, Dean Ludz (my
thesis teacher) asked each one of us what comes to our mind when we heard of
the word “thesis”. Some said “challenging” while others said “sleepless nights”.
On the other hand, I said “it’s a test of personality”. Thesis writing will not
only assess your knowledge and skills but also your behaviour as an individual.
You may choose to do your research either alone or by group.
The kind of thesis that you are working into varies on the number of
researchers; 1-3applied research, 4-5 researchers-PR/advertising, 5-6-video production. In
my case, we’re 5 in our group so we did a video production thesis. In choosing
your group mates, I suggest that you should not group with your friends if you
know that your friendship has no strong foundation. But if you trust them with
all of your heart, the go choose them. Based on my experiences in working with
group, I made a top 10 do’s and don’ts that I want to share to you.
Top 10
1. LOVE your group mates as you love yourself. Any
misunderstanding during thesis writing should not affect your friendship. At
the end of the day, each of you will rely on each other, because you are GROUP
MATES.
2. Communicate more often.
3. Be open-minded and respect everyone’s idea.
4. Do not be insecure on other groups. Their thesis is
different from your thesis. Trust yourself and your group mates.
5. Everyone should be present and should contribute in doing
major parts of the paper. 7. During overnights, it should really be overnight
and not SLEEPOVER.
6. If conflict arise (it may be personal or about the
research) discussed it with the group. HATE THE SIN AND NOT THE SINNER.
7. Important matters that are discussed within the group
should remain only in the group. DON’T SPREAD RUMORS ABOUT YOUR OWN GROUP.
8. Refrain from using social media and avoid any
distractions while writing the thesis.
9. Spend time together. Share stories and laugh more often.
Create good memories.
10. Forget the bad experiences but learn from it. Always
cherish the good times you spend with your thesis mates.
Furthermore, selecting
the best thesis adviser for your thesis also matters. Choose an adviser that is
not only knowledgeable with your topic but also willing to help you as well. They
serve as a guide for you to complete the whole process. They are like the fire
that cooks the food when all the ingredients you needed in thesis writing is
complete. In my experience, I am lucky to have not only a guide but an angel
that helped us to survive the thesis writing (he will be flattered when he read
it).
Sometimes, in other cases, the thesis teacher’s instruction
conflicts with the thesis adviser’s. In this case, find the line of similarity.
It’s hard to be in the middle but you have to stay there to avoid larger conflict.
You have to carefully select the messages you convey on each party. You have to
be faithful on both of them.
College life is not just about thesis writing. Don’t be
stressed about it. Just do your part and enjoy everything. When I say everything,
it’s not just about the good time but also the hard times. Remember that the
fire that melts the cheese is the same fire that hardens the steel. Hard times
are always part of our life. It’s like a coffee, at first sip, you’ll taste its
bitterness but as you go on you’ll taste its sweetness.
Lastly learn to say thank you to all the people that helped
you. May it be the tricycle driver that taught you the right way to your
interviewee or your classmate that lend his/her camera to you. Learn to look
back to these people because all of them contribute to your success. And most
of all, thank the Almighty Father who made everything impossible possible.
“Never give up, though it’s hard not to give up”
Hope I’ve share something with you.:)
