It’s weird enough to finish undergraduate studies, enter graduate school, and finally come to thesis writing having no time-management skills and no understanding of their importance. Many students come to write a thesis, but only a small percentage of them finish it. And the main reason for it is their inability to manage their free time properly.
Writing a thesis is a lengthy project that may require considerable time and effort. Although a school year may seem like ample time, poor time-management skills can leave you rushing to complete the project. Prioritizing goals is the key to effective time management when writing a thesis. It’s essential to learn time-management skills to increase productivity and efficiency.
Keep in mind that both short-term and long-term time management skills are necessary for writing a thesis because it lacks external deadlines. We’ll thoroughly discuss a few strategies you can use to help yourself below, so continue reading to get closer to finishing your thesis. Before you start applying some of these, ensure you know all the ins and outs of the thesis writing process and know how to break it down into more manageable tasks.
Always Set Yourself Goals And Deadlines
The importance of having clearly set goals cannot be overemphasized. It helps you stay focused and motivated, and ensures that you are making progress toward completing your thesis. Clear goals and deadlines also help you stay accountable and make it easier to track your progress. A clear, or specific goal is one that can be measured. For example, you need to write a draft for one chapter in a week.
Besides it, you should regularly review your goals and correct them according to the current situation. Maybe you can finish certain tasks faster, or some of the goals you’ve set are no longer realistic. If you want to make this process easier, make global goals smaller, set them according to the SMART technique, and don’t forget to prioritize.
It’s better to organize your workflow using a task management software like Trello, and a time-management app like Toggl. Don’t forget that you always can buy a thesis online to assist yourself and get high-quality help from professionals.
Get Rid Of Any Distractions
You don’t even imagine how much time you spend on distractions when working on a thesis. Among the factors that can derive your progress are social media, messaging apps, notifications, the desire to browse websites, etc. If you think that you do no harm checking your phone every hour, you’re deeply mistaken. It prevents you from staying motivated and concentrating on the current task. Here are the main ways to eliminate distractions quickly:
- Set boundaries. Set clear boundaries for when you will work on your thesis and let friends and family know that you should not be disturbed during those times.
- Turn off notifications. Turn off notifications on your phone, computer, and other devices to avoid distractions from incoming messages and alerts.
- Use website blockers. Use browser extensions or apps that block access to distracting websites during designated work times.
- Create a distraction-free workspace. Find a quiet space where you can work without interruptions, and eliminate any sources of distraction, such as TV or social media.
- Take breaks. It can help prevent burnout and improve focus when you return to work. Practice mindfulness during breaks not just to waste time, but to let your mind and body relax.
Fight Your Procrastination
Procrastination is a significant obstacle to effective time management. You may be surprised, but perfectionism often fuels procrastination. Despite appearing as conflicting concepts, they are closely intertwined, so to overcome procrastination, one should understand that it’s okay not to achieve perfection.
Let your first draft be awful, let it contain mistakes and errors. Don’t stop writing if you see that something is wrong – it’s your first thesis and it can’t be an impeccable one. Write what you consider necessary or important to be in your paper, don’t check each sentence immediately after you’ve written it – editing and proofreading stages of writing are created for this purpose. Learn about the Pomodoro technique and its alternatives to get rid of your procrastination habit faster.
Imagine It’s Your Full-Time Job
A significant part of your success depends on your attitude to the activity. Treat thesis writing like the 9-to-5 job you need to obligatory attend to provide a living. Make yourself believe in it no matter what. Being able to feel like you’re doing a full-time job will benefit your future work experience if you don’t have it. Spend 7-8 hours a day working on your thesis, but keep in mind that it’s possible only when you implement the techniques we mentioned above.
Why Is Thesis Valuable For Your Future?
Your perfect time-management skills mean nothing if you don’t realize what this challenge can give to you. Finishing graduate school and defending a thesis can give you many benefits. First of all, you deepen your knowledge in a chosen field. Secondly, you obtain strong research and analytical skills you can hardly develop somewhere else. Finally, a thesis in your CV is a kind of ace in the hole.
It demonstrates that you have the ability to work independently, follow through on a long-term project and produce high-quality work. Do you want to be a desired and in-demand candidate for employers? Get back to work on your thesis as fast as possible.
Conclusion
It’s no doubt that writing a thesis is a challenging task, but we’ve defined that effective time-management techniques make the process smoother and more manageable. Maybe your problem isn’t in the lack of knowledge or experience – you just don’t know how to properly use the time you’re given.
Try the techniques we discussed, find additional ones on the web, and develop a unique strategy for thesis writing. By doing so, you can complete your thesis within the given timeframe and achieve academic success. Believe in yourself, but stay reasonable and ask for help when you feel that you’re out of resources and motivation.
