Whenever you sit down at your study table, bring out a bunch of papers, turn on your laptop or PC, you end up browsing a ton of online guides on how to get started with writing the thesis. What is there on your computer screen? Hard work of 4 crucial hours: A few rough lines and mess of words jumbled up scarcely of any use in your thesis. What do you call this situation- procrastination or writer’s block?
Where is the problem?
I would say it is more a writing anxiety than anything else because you are afraid of writing a single line or paragraph that is either grammatically or conceptually incorrect. Fear of writing a useless thesis that would lead to an ultimate rejection, right?
Recommendations, please?
And for this, you may find internet flooded with the comprehensive thesis guides demystifying the successful ways to become a better writer and produce a thesis of the finest quality. But you will only land up to the handful resources that can actually help you write your extensive thesis. Yes, you have reached the right destination, and here I would suggest you some ways which actually works to pin down the first draft of your thesis and stop asking yourself the question, “Shall I be writing thesis now or reading how to write a thesis?”
• Sticking yourself to the chair won’t help you write
Okay, a little rude fact but true! The guides, blogs, books asking you to stick to your chair or table unless you complete some determined portions of your thesis are not serving their own purpose. You can never write anything if you force yourself to write, instead do it in your own way, as per your own accord.
• Stop immersing yourself in reading
Yes, reading and writing are inseparable but learn to distinguish. Reading is no doubt fundamental in the writing process. But instead of plunging into the writing guidebooks, you should focus on writing itself. The more you research on how to write a thesis, the more task would appear giant to you. So, begin writing research articles or reports to get familiar with academic writing at least: hardly matters if it’s good or not but write something.
• It is fine if you don’t know what you are writing
Hardly matters if it’s good or not but write something…And I repeat! Do you read tons of blogs, books and guides to understand what you would be writing? If yes, then abandon this habit if you really want to write down that first draft of your thesis. You know what you’ve researched on, you have your data and other relevant assets with you, so begin documenting all of it. Don’t ponder what you are writing would be: will it be an introduction or literature review or conclusion etc. You can always edit it later but now your concern should only be to overcome this writer’s block and procrastination.
• Read the writing guides but only to an extent
Even if you are reading how to write, become well versed with eye-tracking technique. Absorb only what is useful, let other stuff skip your mind. Let us assume that there is this one section in your thesis which you are stuck at called literature review. You might not be aware of what a literature review is then you may refer to guides and the internet to understand what it takes to develop a good literature review. But to an extent! Read only to an extent where you can identify what the useful suggestions are and what are just scraps.
Conclusion?
There are no pills that can cure your “unproductive reading-writing” syndrome which is shared by all graduates. However, I hope you would now stop going “nuts” over understanding and begin the process of writing thesis.
If you would like to add something to it, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.