My Master’s Thesis Journey: How to Finish a Research Paper in Four Months (1 Term)
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The moment I got the thesis hardbound in my hands, I thought “Oh boy, I am so done with my master’s thesis!” Yes, the seemingly daunting and never-ending research journey is finally over. That means no more sleepless nights… Independence Day is just around the corner, what better way to celebrate it than concluding that it’s a great day to BOOK my way to FREEdom (Abas, 2021).
Looking back 2 years ago, I initially wanted to enroll in a non-thesis program but it’s no longer offered. I was left with no choice. Fast forward today, I personally think I made the right decision. In just four grueling months, I managed to endure both proposal hearing and oral defense – all in one research-packed semester – making me the first and only MSA-IA candidate in USC to defy the odds. So, if you are planning to take a master’s study or currently undertaking a master’s thesis this semester, then this article is for you.
Thesis writing involves two major stages – proposal hearing and oral defense. These stages are normally taken in two separate semesters or terms with the exception of my chosen graduate program’s curriculum (I’m one of the few students under the pioneering batch and holds the title of the sole graduate of said program in USC who successfully completed a thesis in a super tight timeline ~ 1 term).
PROPOSAL HEARING
I started formulating my thesis problem and rationale around mid-February and gradually developed it until the first week of March. It was kind of hard at first since I don’t have any background on how to write a thesis but I’m glad a batchmate of mine provided me a copy of a Thesis Manual, a very helpful guide for students as it details what are the expected content and format for each section. Another basic yet helpful tip is to pick a topic that is close to your heart. You’ll be spending a lot of time doing your research study in your chosen topic so you must be interested to learn more about it in the first place.
Despite being busy at work and blog activities, I managed to come up with a thesis proposal at a short time as I have a “research-o-clock” in place. It means you really need to allocate time working on your thesis as it is really a demanding task ~ especially researching related articles online and visiting libraries and reading books. If you’re working from 9 to 5, then you may set your body clock to start writing from 8pm onwards on a daily basis. You have to sacrifice your weekend and prioritize your thesis.
Another thing, don’t hesitate to ask help from your thesis adviser. I wouldn’t have done my reasearch proposal if it weren’t for my thesis adviser’s guidance from Chapter 1 to 3. You really need to meet periodically with your thesis adviser, whether physical or virtual, to prepare you for the proposal hearing. In fact, there is a thesis advising monitoring sheet wherein your adviser will review, sign and submit to the Graduate Program Office (GPO).
By the third week of March, I applied for a proposal hearing (with endorsement from my thesis adviser) and was accepted by the research committee. And so, the day has come and my first ever thesis hearing proposal, albeit done virtually, was a success. I can really say it was all worth it. I’ve never imagined ending a very hectic month with a bang! Tired but glad to know that I’m moving forward on to the next chapter!
ORAL DEFENSE
Now that you’re done with the Proposal Hearing and done with the revised proposal as suggested by your thesis panelists, you may now continue doing the longest part of the thesis journey ~ data gathering ~ even before writing your final thesis, specifically Chapters 4 and 5. While the panelists are reviewing your work, you can make use of the time in data collection. This will save you time in writing your chapters 4 and 5 for your final thesis. Once the data gathering activities are done, there is a need to collate and classify the data according to the research questions/objectives. The duration of the data gathering stage is actually dependent on how fast you will do the data gathering activities based on your chosen methodology. As for me, I spent the whole month of April for data gathering such as survey, focus group discussion, documentary reviews and professional observation.
Both chapters are very critical in your thesis as this will be the concluding parts of the whole research study. In Chapter 4, you will now present the results of your research methodology in Chapter 3, link the outcome to your related literatures in Chapter 2 and answer the research questions or objectives in Chapter 1. Everything must be summarized in one cohesive output, leaving no room for other interpretations. Chapter 5 will be the summary, findings, conclusions and recommendations. Once all of the chapters have been written, you will be ready for the ORAL DEFENSE.
Just like the process for proposal hearing, I submitted an application for oral defense on the third week of May, together with all the necessary requirements. During the actual oral defense, I was grilled for more than 2 hours but thank God I survived. I literally cried with joy. And it’s normal. I was really super grateful with the Lord for this marvelous milestone – for successfully passing my first ever thesis oral defense!
Let me express my gratitude to all those people who helped me in finishing my thesis amidst the pandemic. Although, I’ve already included them in the Acknowledgment” section of my thesis, I want to include them in this article as well. I’m really thankful to my beloved family in Dipolog and Cebu, friends and graduate program classmates, colleagues and survey respondents, thesis adviser and research committee/panel of examiners, GPO coordinator and secretary and all those who sent their well wishes. It’s been a long journey but I finally made it with all their unwavering support.
Indeed, when I lost all my excuses, I found my results. With hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
RESEARCH FORUM
The last requirement for graduation is by attending and be one of the presenters during the research forum. It is scheduled in advance (usually a week before the graduation) and to be attended by all students in the faculty. After all presentations are done, one of the attendees asked me “What advice would you give to students who are completing their thesis or will be taking it next school year?” I gave a short yet candid answer. “Don’t quit. Pursue your dream. Keep writing!“
