To all the UNC undergraduate students wishing to impact their respective field of study, a thesis is perhaps your destiny.
But before making this leap of faith, try to keep in mind the following points students and biology professor Charles Mitchell shared during a discussion panel held Tuesday night.
According to senior English major Rebecca Merrick, find a teacher you like, do independent study with him or her and build a one-on-one relationship. Finding an advisor who you'll be able to work well with is essential. Getting to know your advisor will allow you to start the process on the right foot in an optimal association.
Senior business and economics major Jonathan Tugman told students to get started early.
“It’s an incredibly consuming time process, especially if you want to go through IRB” he said.
Although a student may apply expecting an immediate authorization to begin, there is an ample amount of time between the application and its approval.
“You want to make sure you start the whole process long in advance," Mitchell said.
Working on a thesis is very time-consuming on your semester. Plan ahead so that your class schedule is no more than 15 hours.
Sociology and economics double major Sarah Summers advised thinking ahead.
"I don't have class Monday, Wednesday and Friday," she said.
Planning a light class load is ideal so that a student will not have to worry about juggling classes and writing a thesis. Researching the material is very important, and students can spend 10-15 hours a week just absorbing material. Keeping this in mind is essential when committing to activities unrelated to your thesis.
Mitchell commented that one of the most important qualities for a student is to be really excited about the research. A student should enter the process with an eagerness to engage in the material throughout the whole experience. As far as worrying about the thesis itself, focus on the process instead of writing enough.
”I wouldn’t worry too much about length, it’s not going to be as bad as it sounds,”Merrick said.
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