5 Thesis Writing Tips for Master Procrastinators

• Sep 01, 2022
• 5 min read

• Tags: Academic Writing, Dissertation, Writing Tips

At some point in a university student’s academic career, they must face the gargantuan task of writing a thesis. Don’t worry, because we’ve got five thesis writing tips for all the procrastinators out there!

A thesis can be defined as a long essay or dissertation that involves personal research and is structured around one argument. So, a thesis is restricted to one debate on one particular topic.

Since a thesis requires consistency in your argument, it is important to start working on it as soon as possible. For all the procrastinators out there, this means that you need to accomplish a lot of work in a minimal amount of time. But with the right structure and a few tips from your favorite editors, finishing your thesis in time is not only possible but also doable.

1. Make a plan

This doesn’t mean you have to start planning your research from the get go. Rather, you should develop a tentative outline for your thesis.

Everyone knows the bare bones of a thesis: introduction, literature review, methodology, and so on. Your thesis structure will trace these general chapters, but with added points that are specific to your thesis statement. This way, you get a rough idea of what your thesis looks like.

By breaking your thesis into smaller chunks of ideas and arguments, it becomes a much easier task to handle. You only have to handle one small step at a time!

2. Get off your phone

We’ve all been there: we pick up our phone for a second and end up watching reels for three hours. Don’t let yourself do this. Time is valuable to all students, but to the procrastinators, every second is precious!

If it’s possible, get off social media completely. Everyone can do with a nice detox once in a while! But if that’s not an option, consider setting a timer when you use social media. Limit your phone time to make sure you don’t lose track of the work ahead of you.

3. Take enough breaks

Remember that you are only human, and working on a heavy project like a thesis is mentally taxing, especially if you procrastinate your way through it! It can be tempting to work continuously for 24 hours and make up for the time you’ve lost, but sadly, that’s not how the human brain works.

Or the human body, really.

So make sure you stay physically and mentally healthy throughout the long process of thesis writing. Don’t overwork yourself in the very beginning, only to burn out by the time you get to your methodology!

The downside of being human is, you need to take care of your body for your brain to work well. So keep yourself fed and hydrated, and take scheduled breaks to stretch out that spine!

4. Work in public spaces

Although a thesis is an individual project, it is easier to work when others are working around you rather than sitting at home with multiple distractions. If possible, work in a library or other similar places.

It’s basically shaming yourself into being productive. It’s efficient!

5. Consult your supervisor frequently

Set up meetings with your professor or thesis guide. These meetings mean deadlines—and what motivates a student to write more than a deadline? So keep in touch with your professor and communicate your progress to them from time to time.

Your supervisor can guide you through  every step of your thesis writing journey, which keeps you on the right track. Your supervisor may also provide academic resources that can help you write.

Writing a thesis can seem daunting, especially when you first join college. But try to think of a thesis not as a massive work but as a collection of chapters. With each chapter you write, you are one step closer to completing your thesis. With a clear-cut outline and regular meetings with your supervisor, it can become much easier to finish writing your thesis in time.

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.