Ways of finding the right Thesis Advisor… for you

In the preceding post, the importance of a great thesis advisor was covered. To give you a better grasp of this thesis ingredient, here are ways of finding the right thesis advisor — for you.

(1) Interview former thesis students
What better way to pinpoint the best mentor for you than to talk to people who already finished with their respective thesis papers? These people will be able to provide insightful feedbacks on how it was working with their advisors. Was the advisor open to an approach veering away from the traditional? Was the advisor amiable to changes in the work schedule? How is it working with the advisor in the heat of a thesis dilemma? Feed on these feedbacks.

(2) Read up on papers authored by the faculty members
Reading up on the faculty’s literary works can present the research and writing styles that interest you. It may because the styles are similar to yours or that said techniques are the ones you would like to emulate.

(3) Enroll in a short course with the potential advisor
Taking a class under the potential mentor shows you the professor’s social personality, his working style, and his level of knowledge on the area of study. With those factors to observe, it gives you a better idea if you two will be compatible working together. This method actually works best if you have the foresight to research on advisors (way) ahead of the actual thesis project. If not, simply recollect on your past professors and shortlist from there.

(4) Directly interview the potential advisor
Before you get very convinced on a particular advisor, it is recommended to schedule an interview first. The advisor might not have enough time to fit you in his or her calendar, or the advisor can only collaborate with you once or twice a term. It’s best to iron out all such details first before you get too hopeful in acquiring the professor’s thesis guidance.

Learn from these simple guidelines to find the thesis advisor that will enhance and bulletproof your thesis paper.

The Thesis Advisor

For the previous weeks, we have covered the top guidelines on choosing a thesis topic. Now, the next thing you do once you’ve settled on a subject will be to find a thesis advisor.

Do not fall into the trap of underestimating the value of a thesis advisor. A number of students have carelessly acquired the first mentor that came to mind, only to regret it in the end. Why so? More often than not, such cases result with the student and advisor constantly going at each other on the paper’s direction. Their angles are different, their preferred writing techniques are different, their visions are different. In short, they are too unsuited to work harmoniously together.

With that said, it is fair enough to associate the student-advisor connection as a solid relationship you have to go through for a year or so. There must be a high level of compatibility between the two for the thesis to work out well. How else can you collaborate for brilliant ideas when there is too much clashing going on?

Do all of you a favor (by all, this includes you, the advisor, and the thesis paper): Think hard on who your thesis advisor will be. If you choose wisely, you will be given the best insights and supervision necessary for the improvement of your paper.

Selecting a Thesis Topic: Original (part 4)

The fourth vital thesis topic trait is it has to be original.

Try to work on something that’s never been tackled before, or at the very least, stay away from the most used and abused thesis topics already. It will inordinately please your thesis advisor to read up on something fresh and new.

But more than securing your mentor’s interest, an authentic topic is to your advantage, too. An original subject makes full use of your independent thinking ability. You’re not doing justice to your mind if you will only follow the footsteps of thousands of thesis students. Rise above the shadows of your predecessors by thinking different. Moreover, with an authentic topic, you get to contribute on the discovery of a new study, which may evolve to something that’s beneficial to the industry relative to your thesis project.

Selecting a Thesis Topic: Specific (part 3)

The third significant characteristic of a thesis topic pertains to its precision and explicitness.

Do justice with your study. At best, a general topic will tend to spread over too many sections, thus, only tapping the surfaces of your paper. Quite the opposite of that, the thesis project must be able to comprehensively delve with the issues of your topic. And this becomes more easily possible if the subject matter itself is focused and exact enough.

Now, some students acquire the misconception that since the dissertation will last for about a year, it’s safer to pick a subject matter that’s a bit broad. What if you lose steam mid-year of the thesis? What if there’s nothing to write after a few months because you chose a topic that’s too specific? No worries. No matter what topic you settle on, it will always expand over your supposed expectations. So, stop overthinking the topic development and choose something that’s focused and specific.