Taking the plunge into thesis-writing!

TL;DR

The speaker initially felt overwhelmed and unready to start writing their thesis but found courage by writing up their methods and organizing their data, which helped them feel more prepared and less anxious about the process.

Transcript

hey it's Lucy so I had a bit of a lull in my work a few weeks ago where I thought I can't start X until I hear back from Y and I can't start dead until I hear back from W so I don't really know what to do with my day and this was a problem I was looking at across the whole week and my partner said to me well why don't you start your thesis hello I ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😨 Overcoming the fear of starting a thesis involves breaking down the task into manageable steps and beginning with something that feels less intimidating, such as writing up the methods.
• 💁 Organizing and consolidating existing information and data can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue writing the thesis.
• 💦 Taking advantage of pockets of time or lulls in work to work on the thesis can lead to consistent progress.
• 🖼️ Engaging with one's results in detail can help analyze and understand the data better, contributing to a clearer overall picture.
• 🤪 Seeking advice from others who have gone through the thesis writing process can provide valuable insights and guidance.
• 😥 The speaker's partner played a supportive role in encouraging and recommending a starting point for the thesis writing process.
• 🕰️ Writing a thesis is a significant undertaking and often the longest piece of writing one has done, making it natural to feel intimidated by it.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the speaker initially feel about starting their thesis?

The speaker felt overwhelmed and unprepared to start writing their thesis, considering it a daunting and intimidating task.

Q: How did the speaker overcome their fear of starting their thesis?

The speaker decided to begin by writing up their methods and organizing their data, which provided a sense of structure and progress. This approach helped them feel more confident and less anxious about the writing process.

Q: What did the speaker do after writing up their methods?

After completing their methods, the speaker moved on to creating diagrams for their data sets and discussing the graphs to understand the bigger picture they portrayed. This helped them gain clarity and insights regarding their results.

Q: How did the speaker's perspective on thesis writing change after starting the process?

Initially, the speaker viewed thesis writing as a monumental and intimidating task. However, after breaking it down into manageable sections and making progress, they now perceive it as any other document and feel more confident about completing it.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker faced a dilemma of not knowing what to do during a lull in their work, but their partner suggested they start writing their thesis.

• Initially hesitant, the speaker decided to write up their methods and organize their data, gradually feeling more confident and less scared about the writing process.

• By breaking down the task and tackling it in manageable steps, the speaker found comfort and a sense of progress in writing their thesis.