Tydr2gun - Tyler Smiler

🎓 Simple Tips for Writing a Thesis 🎓

I'm nearing the end of my own Master's thesis and it's being an Absolute Trip tbh, so I decided to write a list of seven basic tips to hopefully prevent anyone else from going insane 🙃

1️⃣ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜: Pick a thesis topic that genuinely excites you! Choose something you're passionate about because you'll be spending a lot of time with it. Researching and writing about a subject that sparks your curiosity will keep you motivated throughout the journey.

2️⃣ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨: Outline, outline, outline! Break down your thesis into manageable chunks and create a detailed plan. In general, the format for most dissertations is introduction, state of the state, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. This will be your roadmap, keeping you organized and focused during the writing process.

3️⃣ 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: As much as you want to (or don't want to, as the case may be) tart with the body paragraphs first! It might seem counterintuitive, but fleshing out your main arguments will help you define a clear direction for your introduction and conclusion. If you're doing a STEM subject like me, then this will also help you define your null hypothesis in a way that makes the most sense when compared to the rest of the paper.

4️⃣ 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡: Don't shy away from revising your work. Embrace the process of refining your ideas, polishing your language, and strengthening your arguments. Remember, writing is rewriting and you don't always have to accept your own hypothesis! If your results tell you that your theory was wrong, embrace it! Those are still valid results.

5️⃣ 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐈𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Set realistic milestones and take breaks to avoid burnout. Your mental and physical well-being is vital to producing quality work. Reward yourself for each accomplishment, no matter how small! Personally, I prefer working on a single section for three hours, taking an hour's break, and then moving on to a different section for another three hours, no matter how incomplete the first section is. This stopped me from getting frustrated and burnt out when things just weren't going my way (and I guarantee you, things will not always go your way!)

6️⃣ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜: Your introduction should be engaging and captivating. Hook your readers and clearly state the purpose and significance of your thesis. Make it compelling and please please please remember the immortal words of Ernest Hemingway: the first draft of everything is shit. So be brutal with yourself, kill your darlings, and cut out every single sentence that does not provide the reader with new information.

7️⃣ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐬: Craft a powerful conclusion that ties everything together. Summarize your key findings, reflect on the broader implications of your work, and leave your readers with a lasting impression. Always remember that the final sentence in everything you write, thesis included, should be a drop mic moment. If you can't envision yourself walking off stage after your last line, then something's got to change.

Trust in your abilities and stay determined and self-disciplined. Writing a thesis is an incredible opportunity for personal growth and intellectual exploration (and ranting about your favourite niche topic for a few thousand words!) I believe in you! 💕

— Richard Siken, from “Straw House, Straw Dog.”

| Day 13 |

Messy desks, long nights.

Me, most days: Astronomy is so beautiful! Science is so wonderful! I love being a human and getting to pursue my innate curiosity about the nature of the world around me! I am so lucky!

Me, the night before an exam: fuck this fuck you fuck me fuck everything I’m 24 fucking years old and I have a test tomorrow what the fuck

In love with the rain

Crazy how I hate to live yet don't wanna die

an intense hatred of capitalism vs an intense love of trinkets