THESIS- it!!

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.:)