A couple months ago, I wrote about the top 10 ways to put off your thesis. That post was definitely based on personal experience. Well, I’m happy to say that after a couple of late nights last week, I finally finished off my thesis corrections. Earlier this week, I got this message in my inbox:
All of your manuscript corrections are done and forms received. You are cleared by the Thesis Office. Congratulations and our best to you.
In a few weeks, I’ll have certificate that says I’ve officially mastered science. Sweet. And now it’s time to share 10 reasons why you should finish your thesis.
Photo by dmscvan
10. Because you started it
Think of your thesis as a sentence. You usually like to finish your own sentences, right? I’m a big fan of finishing what I’ve started, so this was a no brainer for me.
9. Put money on it
If someone bet you $100 that you wouldn’t finish your thesis, this is a petty, yet still acceptable, reason to finish it off. Aspiring gamblers/entrepreneurs could double down just when it looks like you’re not going to get it finished.
8. Stop paying tuition and fees
I got a job and moved away before finishing my thesis. That means I had to keep registering for 1 credit hour to stay enrolled while I finished it. Now that I’m done, I can put that tuition money towards better things like paying off my student loans.
7. Improve your time management skills
Managing your time is one of the most challenging aspects of finishing your thesis. I struggled with this throughout the process, but in the end, I managed to finish it off. The trick is finding something that motivates you to put your thesis at the top of your priority list.
6. Learn patience
We all get writer’s block at some point or another. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t figure out what to say or how to say it. Big projects like this take a lot of time and help you develop more patience.
5. Make a contribution
When you finish your thesis, you’re leaving a mark on society. Your thesis gets printed and added to your university’s library. Nowadays, it also gets added to electronic databases that future students and researchers from all around the world can search through for references.
4. Earn a higher starting salary
Life isn’t all about the money, but having some money does help. With a master’s degree, you’ll probably receive a higher starting salary than students with only an undergraduate degree. At my company, it’s around a 10% pay increase.
3. Because you’re a masochist
I’m not going to lie. Finishing my thesis was less pleasure, more pain. This is quite possibly the perfect activity for a demented masochist.
2. Move on with life
This is somewhat related to finishing what you started. When you don’t finish something, it tends to fester in the back of your mind. Finish off your thesis, so you can move on the next stage of your life with a clear mind.
1. Believe in yourself
Sometimes we do things just to prove to ourselves that we can do it. Ultimately, it all comes down to believing in yourself, and I think this is one of the biggest keys to achieving our dreams and accomplishing our goals.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my RSS feed or via email for free updates.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is …. beautiful ….
I really needed to read this right now. This, and the half-dozen other articles I just read at your site…
Myself, I’m working on #7, and I suppose #3 too… If I learn to love the pain, maybe I’ll get farther into it. I think I’m okay with #1: I do believe I can do it… unless I keep avoiding doing work on it. #8 and #2 are recent realizations that have sparked motivation, but my motivation seems to fizzle quickly.
The rest of the points were shiny new ideas I really should keep in mind! So thank you, very much! (+subscribed! and off to check out some Related Posts!)
These are all great suggestions, very frank and useful. I am hoping to submit my own thesis to the readers in a few weeks. Time to stop Googling “how to get thesis finished” and get back to work. Cheers!
i really appreciate your determination. Yet, i cannot find my way out of it mainly because of the heavy job requirement; teaching. how this REALLy happens to manage one’s time is the lifeblood of the whole matter.
Thanks for the tips. I’m having a hard time finishing what I started. Your tips are exactly what I needed — a brief reminder as to why bothered to write a thesis and what I set out to achieve. Now, I just need to buckle down and address my committee’s issues. Must stop reading (and posting on) this website and just finish the damn thing!