Unglamorous truths about writing a thesis | PhD, Masters, Bachelors

In this video, I share with you the unglamorous truths about writing a PhD, Master's, and bachelor's thesis.
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▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - introduction
0:33 - protect the flow
3:19 - concentrating
5:55 - backups
7:00 - nightmares
8:11 - thinking about it as smaller chunks

[@knyc2580]

Block off the time to write EVERY DAY, even if it's only for 5 minutes. It sometimes feels unproductive, but it is productive. It's not always good writing but it's better than no writing.

[@lightworker2956]

Great point. That's also called the "no zero days" strategy.

[@KetilK]

I made two main mistakes while I was writing my master thesis: 1. I wrote my thesis in a shared overleaf project. Not needing to send documents back and forth is nice, but it made me more perfectionistic than I would have been otherwise. It would have helped if I had a private project to draft anything I was too self-conscious to write directly in the shared project. 2. I delayed the theory part of my thesis because it was easy instead of using it to get into the writing mindset. Initially, every sentence I wrote about my experiments was a chore, and I struggled to make any progress on it. It would probably have helped to write about the well-known background information to get in the mood for writing about what I was doing.

[@coleenholloway6747]

It was affirming just to hear someone else describe this as soul crushing simply put. Mid-way through PhD in labor history now, nothing but the framework of a draft in front of me and that nagging sensation of dread. Looking for both hope and a plan to see the other side. I appreciate you 🙏🏻

[@cashbuyer4221]

When I wrote my first research manuscript I was amazed at how much work was required to produce just 8 pages of highly distilled information. What felt like 10 pages of a standard thesis or essay, wound up amounting to only 1 page of my manuscript. It’s like balancing on the edge of a sharp blade. On a unicycle. While juggling. With strobe lights. Inside a maze. (w/ Simon Cowell and Chef Ramsey serving on the judge panel inside your head)…. lol!

[@nourmeriem2241]

Your words are my motivation .. i always feel like i'm stupid but when i watch your videos i feel a relief

[@Valentin-oc5nh]

Actually I think its good to not "only" write the thesis, but also work and study still, so you actually have some sort of structure in your life. This might feel like u'd have less time to write, but actually it ends up leaving you with more productive time.

[@angelbinoy6074]

I'm about to write my bachelor's thesis this year. Somethig I am planning on using, and something I did for general shot term assignment essays, is to write a draft version onto one word processing software and write the final thing onto the final intended medium afterwards. This helped me to relise that 1) It's ok if it is not amazing on the first try and removed the pressure to perfect it straight away and 2) helps me to break down the writing into more smaller manageable chunks.

[@mbf938]

This! Definitely this! I spent a week putting off starting to write thinking about how it to be perfect and in the end, I just got on with it. Is it perfect? No, but it is written and I can always edit it! Something is so much better than nothing!

[@leonieschnieders190]

I heard of someone who had their laptop with thesis stolen. Not recovered, but they had a previous version on their e-mail luckely.

[@sunny-sideup1624]

Another wonderful video! Thank you, Andy! I took sugar and caffeine everyday during writing my PhD thesis, and I gained as many as 5kg. Now that it is finished and PhD was awarded, I am finally taking care of myself: going to clinic for medical check up, walking regularly at the park and reducing sugar and caffeine and eating healthy. It feels so good. You are absolutely right, Andy, that sometimes a booster is needed and a period of writing PhD thesis is THE time.

[@richardgale4827]

SO much fabulous truth and advice here, for Humanities subjects too (especially backups and caffeine!). Still waiting for 'Nanoparticle Based Organic Photovoltaic Devices' to reach Audible, by the way.

[@DrAndyStapleton]

Thanks, Richard. I've tried getting it on audible but the voice actor keep falling asleep. 😄

[@mvccree1541]

Im just starting my chem PhD project after 6 months of training now (I’m on a CDT in uk). When you said about eating a whole brick of chocolate it got me really worried about fitting in all the gym and karate stuff and healthy eating/cooking habits I’ve been building over the past few months and falling off the wagon Really good advice as always :)) Tbh I’m really excited to finally get started on the project these vids are hella motivating

[@Aamirphd]

Wise words Andrew!!! This such great advice

[@LeggattNZ]

I found writing my chapters as articles first made me feel productive - if I was really lucky it might even get published - double bonus! Also, my fridge agrees with the Red Bull tactic (ok, maybe with a splash of vodka sometimes) for getting through those days when you can barely make yourself start up the laptop, let alone write.

[@liznewark]

Yesterday evening was hard, I needed the encouragement. Thanks

[@anne.athenadura]

I recently started writing my PhD thesis and this was much needed. Thank you!

[@hipindie7363]

This video encourages me so much, thank you

[@AMNoily]

Hearing this message while i write my first journal article, and with the bit of extra challenge of having english as second language. I really appreciate finding your channel. My energy comes from no sugar hot cocoa and lions mane mushrooms powder!

[@nursyamiminasuha2583]

Thank you for this video. I really really need someone to tell me that i can do it. This video gets me motivated. So im going to start pushing my writting tmrw!

[@paleoeco2008]

Andy, I liked your idea about "protecting the write" and having a point to go from there.

[@coco-rk1xt]

Was waiting for this

[@ryanandida8618]

I loved this video, thank you so much great advice 😊 I wondered if you also have any advice specifically for bachelor's thesises?

[@Mr.Edd3905]

I agree with the 'add some bullet points for next time' idea. But I actually am one of these people you refer to who writes the thesis in perfection mode. Maybe I am just use to it now. But, I find that I actually do get confidence from knowing that the current content I have written is 'good'. I agree with your points and advice, but, for me, having a proclivity to write in perfect mode is not necessarily a bad thing. One becomes better over time at actually writing very competently in real time, which is also good practice for written exams. If I ever get a sudden brain wave of ideas, then I just bullet point them and continue as normal. If the text you are writing is not written so well, then maybe you will miss some connections in your work that will take longer to fix later. For example, faulty predicates and incohesive paragraphs. On my first draft of my first few pages of my MA thesis, the teacher said it reads very well and made almost no comments for correction, which meant I could just get on with the next stage of the thesis in peace.

[@James_Hayton]

Producing a barrage of words... but how do you turn this into good writing? I've never heard anyone explain this beyond "rewriting"

[@maearaci]

This made me cry...in a comforting kind of way. Writing a thesis is just hell. Thank you.

[@janek4120]

im literally depressed cuz of it

[@petritcitaku9329]

Watching your videos, however, is a tip of relaxing too :))

[@Shasen589]

I’m currently trying to get my undergrad thesis to a research article. The amount of revisions I have to do to get it published is enormous. And yeah I’m falling to that perfectionism mind trap. Have you done a video of graduates who want to publish their work (undergrad/ masters/PhD)?

[@aravr_project]

Writing a thesis really is problematic when you write the equivalent for work weekly.

[@footpath0592]

Finishing my masters thesis right now. No tip, trick, or hack helped for longer than a week, only deadlines.

[@nagelfamily]

Oh man. As you say “just keep writing “ I was avoiding my paper. Dang. Back to work!

[@valsammaabraham2389]

Very good

[@emi62507]

TMI: my husband and I decided to try for a baby whilst I write my thesis - thank God we were unsuccessful, I'm the unhealthiest I've ever been and I can imagine that would have been detrimental to a growing baby. Sections, and subsections are a game changer when writing. And always write even for a few minutes. One day I spent the day just on one table.

[@jona312312]

Wow - that video really is a life lesson

[@Zakariah1971]

Excellent video. You should be a graduate mentor, therapist, or vocational coach or consultant. You would make bank. Great spirit mate!

[@marcusgalo8355]

Hi Andy, amazing video once again! I was wondering if you could do a video on Honours vs. MRes as a PhD pathway? Pros and Cons of each? Is the extra year worth it? Thanks!

[@LeggattNZ]

I went from Hons straight to PhD - mostly because my Masters proposal was already about the length of a Masters thesis. For me, a Masters felt like it would just be 2 years of extra fees, and writing, and to be honest, anything I could have learned from a Masters (in terms of producing a large body of work) I've easily learned during PhD. At the end of the day, it'll be up to your University and your previous performance as to whether they will allow you to go from Hons to PhD.

[@mario7501]

Haha I feel the nightmare thing. I am at the end of my PhD now and from time to time I still have a nightmare where my entire high school class has to resit the final exams because some new AI tool figured out that they were not marked appropriately and everyone actually failed.

[@budoinstitute2030]

Thank you very much, I just left upto June 2022 but still blank on MS word for Thesis.

[@Metal4rLyfe]

Hi Andy. I've been watching your videos recently, thank you for all your work. I've been a Masters student in my program for the last 5 years. I finished my classes within a year and a half, but I've struggled greatly to finish my degree because of writing a thesis. Due to my credits expiring in a year, it's do or die at this point. Following your idea of "writing at least one paragraph, sentence, word, letter a day" I can happily say I'm at about 7 pages in just 4 days of work. Though I will say, did you ever feel like what you were writing was shit? Just trying to come up with about anything your brain could produce, putting it on paper, and hoping it is relevant and good enough for your advisor to give it a go? A sense of imposter's syndrome, if you will.

[@wilhelminalehtola7700]

I think about "imperfect action" being better than no action. It's important to be grateful that you showed up and did something, instead of letting your inner critic run rampant. Imperfect action every day is better, and you have time to judge and revise everything. Step one is to just write! Write even if it's bad.

[@Metal4rLyfe]

Thank you ​@@wilhelminalehtola7700, that means a lot to me, especially with most recent feelings. I've been able to push 2 pages a day, sometimes more, in the past 2 weeks. My literature review is at about 35 pages, and a I know a lot of that will be pruned down, but I've been able to take imperfect action like you described. Hopefully I can continue hacking away at this and have the first draft (conclusion excluded) by the last week of August and see if my advisor gives me the go for editing and defending by December.

[@m.caneda4205]

Hi, it's been a long time since you posted this but this made me feel less alone. Our story is the same. I have been a Master's student for 4 years, completed all my credits within the first 3 semesters and then did nothing for another 3 semesters. Spent one year doing a small research project and now have been struggling immensely with my thesis. Also have to graduate soon because otherwise I will get kicked out. I hope you made it! Hopefully I will make it too

[@Metal4rLyfe]

@@m.caneda4205 Hey there, I'm also happy to know there's someone else struggling with this hurdle just like I am. To give a small update, I'm happy to say I was able to submit my first draft with 88 pages, granted a lot of it will get cut, but its always better to have more then what you may need, and I already have other stuff I want to write about. Because we were similar on the previous, I'll tell you what worked for me, and maybe this will work for you. I spent months/years holding my self back from writing because I always felt like "I have to read more before I write" and that just became this impassable wall for me. At one point, I said fuck it because I virtually had less than two months to hand in my draft. I set myself the goal of 2 pages a day, in so to reach around 60 pages in a month (covering 4 chapters). I eventually over wrote on a chapter, and was short on time, so I ended up writing two chapters in the span of two days. Regardless of quality, I got it done, and felt really good about it. Now I'm waiting on my advisor to provide feedback, and my anxiety has shifted to meeting with deadlines, because if I don't do everything on time, then I get kicked out given that this is my extension semester lol. Anyways, you can do this. Just set yourself small goals every day. CONSISTENCY is the key.

[@IlValentino100]

"Keep pumping words out"? Keep researching! Writing is the last step for every finding. If you struggle to find words then you likely didn't research enough in the first place.

[@onwrdandupwrd5303]

Hi Andrew, do you do 1-to-1 advice/coaching? If so, where can I find pricing?

[@MrGergasikuat]

what is different between Master by research and PhD by research, should anyone take a master's by research or mix mode/coursework better

[@coldlarva7819]

I have a question… I completed my undergraduate program in mechanical engineering where I was paired with another student for the final year project. We made a solar powered vehicle and had the same reports obviously. So is that a thesis? I ask because in my university applications for a master degree I always fill the No option when asked if I completed a thesis as part of my degree. Please help🙏

[@shetlandsheep3081]

It may not be you that loses the work - one of my batchelors finals papers was (along with everyone elses) left on a train by an elderly prof and never recovered….eek

[@caty863]

With ChatGPT, the thesis-writing part of school is now sorted out. Now, I need to work on the scholarship part.

[@giatasha2181]

No, it isn’t.

[@colleenstuart190]

Oh Gee....I sure do still have those dreams.

[@jnrolf]

If you are generating raw data or experimental results , write about set up, what you did, the finds, the table or graph you have produced. DO NOT expect to remember what it was a few months later.

[@fauzannrifai]

It is so related. Lately, I learn to force my willpower to replace the external booster but it doesn't long last😂

[@larsl.christensen6560]

That sounds incredibly stressful. I think my university goes for quality rather than quanity. No point in writing 80000 words if it is not valuable.

[@akscience9690]

Kick it off with a little bit of wine, it can actually help start your rhythm jajaja. It work sometimes, gives you the feeling of like writing a poem. Try not to get drunk though...

[@LeggattNZ]

I was hoping someone else would mention wine (or, if you're in a country where it's legal, a quick toke!) boy does it lessen the writing anxiety and opens your mind to allow you to pour out the words (ok, they may not all make sense when you read them the next morning but, hey, it's progress!).

[@LeggattNZ]

I asked one of my old, very conservative, supervisors what it was that got them through their PhD - his answer... whiskey and amphetamines! I mean, I'm not encouraging this, but it was interesting to hear that even successful professors needed a bit of neural nudging from weird sources!

[@andrewpowell1734]

Caffeine will not help me. It gives me anxiety.

[@korikoran]

*Laughs hysterically in ADHD*

[@asifmuniruniverse7732]

Hi you have stomachache because I saw your face expression