Generally, when I tell someone I’m writing a thesis, I get one of two reactions. People either politely nod and say something along the lines of “Oh, cool, interesting, what are you writing it on?” with mostly controlled disinterest, or burst out with, “Really? Wow, I would never write a thesis.” While I appreciate the pity, I’ve actually really enjoyed writing my thesis this year. Granted, there have been times now and then when I’ve wanted to punch out my computer or throw my research out the window, but by and large, I’ve found it to be both interesting and rewarding.
First of all, though the idea of a thesis seems daunting, it’s quite manageable. My thesis has to be somewhere between 40-60 pages, which is a lot for a specific paper; keep in mind, however, that I’ve been working on it since the summer. Broken down into a weekly writing schedule, it’s only a few pages per week; obviously, the writing isn’t quite that steady, but the point remains that as long as you don’t completely put it off and work fairly regularly, 50 pages over the course of a semester and a half is very doable. There’s also the added fact that most undergrads don’t really ever get to experience writing a paper longer than 15-20 pages, and even that arduous task rarely comes around. Writing and developing a longer written piece is a skill that might not come in handy for every job, but the ability to sustain an analytic train of thought is a skill that I think is worth developing. (At least, it better be.)
Second, being able to really delve into and explore a topic you’re interested is (for a dork like me) a lot of fun. Though some might find writing about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to be too heavy or morbid, it has turned out to be an extremely interesting topic, with all sorts of intricacies I never would have imagined before starting the project. It also contrasts with how most graded work for a class is usually produced (at least from what I’ve seen). For most classes, you’ll get the assignment for a paper a week in advance, look over your class notes, skim through the necessary articles and push out a product about material of which you have, at best, a slight understanding. Or for a test, you’ll look over your notes, do the reading, dump it all out on the exam and forget 90 percent of what you “learned” that night as you drink off the incredible stress of actually learning something. As opposed to these questionable methods of acquiring knowledge, writing a thesis gives you a chance to move beyond superficial understanding of material just for a test or a paper and really gain a grasp of a topic’s complexities and multiple dimensions. This may sound nerdy, but then again, so is all of Wash. U., and I know this idea has to resonate with at least a few dozen nerds out there.
It is also remarkably easy to find funding to back your thesis, if you need it. The Office of Undergraduate Research has plenty of funding for students interested in going somewhere for research, and the process is simple and painless. I was able to go to Washington, D.C. to do original research for my thesis, a fairly unique opportunity that Wash. U. made very accessible to me. Projects don’t even have to be domestic; the OUR also gave enough money this year to someone writing her thesis about the Sistine Chapel to go to Italy.
Perhaps most important, writing a thesis has also given me a sense of academic purpose this year. Coming back from being abroad, it certainly wasn’t easy getting back into the groove of actually having assignments on a regular basis, and if I hadn’t been writing a thesis, I probably would have totally tuned out about five months ago. I’m not saying that my academic focus is quite what it used to be, but working on this project has at least kept me somewhat involved academically, enough to keep working on my thesis until Friday, when it’s finally due.
Writing a thesis certainly isn’t for everyone, and I can certainly understand someone’s apprehension on taking on such a large scale project. Fortunately, it has turned out really well for me, and I think if University students really think about what they want to do with their senior year, a decent amount would really benefit from it. All this being said, I can’t wait until Friday when I finally turn in my final draft; if nothing else, it’ll make spring break that much sweeter.
Matt is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor.