A thesis is a big undertaking. In order to be successful, students must develop a plan and have their goal firmly in mind. The first and most obvious goal of a thesis is to pass it successfully, as the grade that students receive for it has a significant effect on the final, overall grade. In addition, however, students also pursue very personal goals. In order for students to do the same, they need a plan that will get them to their destination. Wondering just what makes a good plan actually? Here’s what you need to know to make your thesis a success.
The plan
No matter whether you’ll soon be writing your bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral thesis, every thesis should be planned carefully. The respective plan must be based on the time that remains until the completion of your thesis. This period varies from thesis to thesis and sometimes even from university to university. So, first of all, it’s important for you to know the time you have to write your thesis. After all, you can only begin planning your thesis if you know exactly how much time you have for it.
The alpha and omega of a successful thesis plan is that you divide the time you have into three major stages. In the first phase, you research extensively about the topic of your thesis and review the relevant literature. In the second phase, you write the actual work. However, it should be clear to you that you’ll be repeatedly dealing with specialist literature in this phase. In the third phase, you completely review your thesis and check it for formal, orthographic and content correctness. In this phase, it is worthwhile to consult a professional editor or proofreader, as you are too subjectively involved in completing your thesis to recognise all the mistakes you might have made.
A successful plan, however, is not only characterised by the fact that it closely organises your working hours, but also in that breaks are considered. After all, it’s important that you ensure that you get enough sleep and do something in between. Remember: Only a well-rested and relaxed mind can perform well!
The goal
While you’re finishing your thesis, you need to keep an eye on your goal. Generally speaking, the goal of any thesis is that it ends up receiving a passing grade. Yet students also have individual goals. For example, you may earn a recommendation as doctoral candidate with your master’s or final thesis. In this case, you have to go to extra lengths to achieve the required academic level and really deliver a first-rate work.
In addition, many students set themselves the goal of working a topic that they want to deal with professionally in the context of their thesis. Of course, this also applies to all students who ultimately want to achieve their doctorate. Therefore, in your thesis, you should also make an effort to work on a topic in which you later want to do research or work.