Three thesis pitfalls

Your thesis. You’re certainly not the only one who finds this the most difficult part of the study. You suddenly need to come up with a complete research project, implement it and write it up. You also need to meet your client’s requirements and those of the study programme. It’s not without reason that many students get delayed at this final hurdle. Some even drop out during the thesis. Imagine, you’ve completed your entire study and you stop just before the finish! How do you avoid thesis problems? Bachelor’s thesis expert Kinge Siljee explains using three pitfalls and, of course, offers her solutions.

Text Jos Widdershoven Photo Debbie Gropstra

Your thesis topic, including a good main question and method, needs to be incredibly clear before you start your research. If you submit a vague plan, your client and supervisor don’t know exactly what you’re going to do. Then you run the risk of submitting something they weren’t expecting. If you say: “I’m doing something with logistics”, or “my thesis is about sustainability at my client”, then it’s too vague.

Solution: try to tell a co-student in normal language what you’re going to do (and how you’ll do it) before putting it on paper. Let your co-student ask critical questions. Why are you researching this? What goal do you want to achieve? What causes and consequences do you think you’ll find? How will you get an answer to your main question? This will help you clarify your topic

Your programme’s supervisor largely determines whether your thesis is approved. If he doesn’t know what you’re doing, he’ll maybe think you’re not doing anything. On the other hand, if you’re constantly bombarding your supervisor with questions, he’ll think you’re too dependent. The way you respond, for instance brusque or impolite, can also have a negative effect on your final grade. Make agreements about contact from the beginning For instance via e-mail or in an interview. And stick to those agreements. Be polite and grateful for the help you’re receiving. That’s always appreciated.

Kinge Siljee is founder of the national student coaching organization Studiemeesters and is an authority on thesis supervision. She is author of three books on studying: Mastering your study avoidance, Mastering your thesis, and Survival guide for autistic students.

Many students start working before they’ve finished studying. Avoid that as far as possible. Starting a new adult job is hard and takes a lot of energy. You’ll then not have enough energy for your thesis in the evenings and weekends. Work as little as possible, but keep doing those things that give you energy, such as exercise, social contacts and making music. In short: view your thesis as a full-time job.

Want to know more about writing a thesis and study avoidance?

Listen to these two podcasts (in Dutch) in which Lizette Colaris (student counsellor), Annelies Falk and Kinge Siljee discuss these themes in more depth. How