You want to write your thesis fast……so you need to know how to do it from scratch.
At its most basic level, writing a thesis is about getting your knowledge and ideas out of your head and onto the screen. Most people, whether writing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral thesis, find this process extremely difficult.
Whether you’re trying to submit a thesis proposal, a thesis statement, or write the thesis itself, it’s really hard to just sit down and write. Sometimes writing is easy if you already have all the ideas organized in your head. Other times, you just don’t know what to write. So, always remember this;
Your thesis starts on paper
The first thing you need to do is take all the ideas in your head, and everything you know about your research, and get as much information as you can. paper.
Write all over the paper, in no particular order. Don’t worry about structure, just write ideas. This process allows the creative part of your brain to do its job. You can discuss the logical structure of the thesis later.
Now, you’ll probably find that once you start, you have too many ideas for one sheet of paper. Well, use another! Once you run out of ideas, or just get bored, take a break. After…
Think about the structure of the thesis but keep working on paper.
Review what you have written and begin to draw links between the ideas. Take your time at this stage. There is often the pressure to just sit at the desk and spend time building up the word count. However, if you want to finish your thesis quickly, the extra time spent on preparation will save you time in the long run.
Until you have a clear thesis plan, keep working on paper
Only once you have an idea for the structure can you sit down to write the first words of your thesis or thesis proposal. If you just sit and write without planning, you’ll run out of ideas very quickly. You won’t be able to link one idea or argument to the next, and you’ll probably want to start working on another section, intending to come back to it later.
Or you may suddenly have a brilliant idea, then drop what you were working on to write about your new idea. This is not good! This leads to a poorly structured thesis, which is then difficult to edit. Get the ideas out first and it will be much easier to stay focused.
You don’t rearrange the walls of a house once it’s half built, so don’t try to do the same with your thesis. Plan the structure, build the plots, then the editing should be like rearranging the furniture instead of laying the foundations again. No matter what you’re writing, spend an hour planning, first roughly, then more organized. It will save you a huge amount of time and your writing will be better!
