Five Necessities of Thesis Easter

Hello everyone! I'll have to apologise for neglecting the blog these past weeks - it has always been in the back of my mind, but I've been swept up in a whirlwind of presentations, deadlines, testing, and commitments. That can only mean one thing, for many final year students - Thesis Easter is upon us. 

Some of the most valuable lessons that I'll take away from university this year are from the crucial practice of being forced into problem solving. University isn't just about learning; it's about discovering how you function best as a learner, identifying your strengths and your weaknesses, and building on them proactively to make the best of your degree. From personal experience, I have five pieces of general advice for surviving Thesis Easter.

1. Turn procrastination on it's head

I'm a nightmare for procrastinating. Right now I've managed to devour three seasons of Battlestar Galactica in two weeks, on top of my usual sitcom viewings. It's been a hard habit to break out of - one sniff of a deadline and I'd rather go running to the quilt and the DVD player. Who wouldn't? But I've been turning this habit on it's head to create a reward system. If you want to watch a series back to back, turn it into small goals instead, that you can achieve with your work. For me that means an hour of work buys me 20 minutes of Adama drama and Cylon agendas. Win win situation!

2. Keep hydrated

By this, I don't mean alcohol and energy drinks, as fun as they are! Water, water and more water, to keep a clear head. Energy/sugar drinks can disrupt concentration and can make you feel like crap in the long term.

3. Regular breaks

Sadly, I'm not referring to lastminute.com here. At this time of year, I wish I were. But nevertheless it's important to give your brain a rest during the day, even if it's just five minute stretches in the middle of every hour. The more you force yourself to stay there for hours on end, the more you risk frustration and burnout. It's okay to take a breather and get some daylight!

4. Rotate your tasks

I know that when you have a mountain of work in front of you, it's hard to know where to dig in first. Sometimes you hit a brick wall, or you find yourself unhappy with what you are doing and want to try other avenues. I guess the silver lining of Thesis Easter is the options it gives you to switch tasks. Getting bogged down with your intro? Take a break and move on to your methodology. Rotate tasks as much as you need to; as long as you are digging in somewhere, it all counts.

5. Positive thinking

Last minute workers, 2am stressors, we are all in the same boat. When you see classmates racing ahead, don't panic and use the work of others as a benchmark to your own success. Just focus on getting your work done in your own way. Chances are, even though your classmates look on top of things, they still might have struggled somewhere so please don't feel like you are alone. Talk to friends about common problems you are all having. Make jokes about it, so it seems less daunting. But above all, remember that you can do this! 

You may even disagree with the above, but ultimately, as long as you actively care about finding what works best for you instead of just putting it to the back of the mind, that's the right track. 

What are your survival tips?