A Practical Guide to the BA Thesis

“Students should see a bachelor’s thesis as many small steps towards a goal, rather than one big leap.” Stúdentablaðið/Unsplash

Writing a thesis can be difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating. Distractions are always welcome yet rarely ever helpful. Simply thinking of writing your bachelor’s thesis can be quite daunting, which is why procrastination can seem so attractive and is very popular among students. It is essential to start on time, instead of spending hours cleaning your kitchen cupboards, tidying up your closet, or cleaning your shoes.

“Start writing early, even if you don’t feel ready, and revise,” advises Jóhannes Gísli Jónsson, professor of Icelandic grammar at the School of Humanities who is responsible for one of the university’s two writing centres (www.ritver.hi.is). You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that starting to write early will reduce stress and anxiety. Almost every student knows when their papers are due and realizes it would be beneficial if they didn’t put them off until just a few days before. Getting started is difficult, but it needs to happen anyway. So why not start two weeks prior or, in the case of the BA thesis, one semester in advance?

How to start on this intimidating BA thesis?

For your BA thesis, you will need to write around thirty pages. If you’ve ever tried to write five pages on a certain topic, you probably have realized that the subject matter is the most important aspect. Therefore, choosing something that you find interesting is essential, but remember that it needs to provide enough material and literature for you to write a really, really long essay. Brainstorm, think about what you’ve learned in your classes, about what might have caught your interest, and then take notes.

Once you have nailed down ideas for a topic, it is time to consider which professor you would like to ask to be your supervisor. Simply send your professor an email or walk up to them after class or during their office hours and ask if they’re willing and available to supervise your thesis. Timing is key, since, no surprise there, some teachers are more popular than others.

The writing process

Topic and supervisor: check. Now it’s time to plan regular meetings with your supervisor, start your research, and structure your essay. Depending on your field of study, basic structures are quite simple. However, the more detailed you make your outline, the easier it will be to start researching and writing. Jóhannes Gísli emphasizes that it is not necessarily the best approach to read all of your sources before starting to write since some ideas might get lost while reading. Therefore, free writing, meaning simply starting to type whatever is on your mind for as little as ten minutes, can be helpful. You can always press delete, but you might also come up with some great ideas and transitions that do not feel forced.

Furthermore, Jóhannes Gísli mentions that “students tend to overthink their bibliographies.” There is no doubt that correct citations and a proper works cited page are important, but do not focus on them too intensely. It’s a good idea to write down all the important information on any possible source as soon as you read it. It will save you time and help greatly with organizing and structuring your essay.

Another popular mistake is to drop names and theories you think your supervisor wants to see. If you don’t plan on talking about Noam Chomsky’s universal grammar, for instance, why not just leave his name out of your paper? Name-dropping does not make you look like an expert, but rather the opposite; dropping names for no good reason will make it seem like you have not understood the message that the author wants to get across and that you are incapable of applying certain theories. In short, never make yourself look clueless.

Finally, knowing your audience is key to writing a good BA thesis. Remember that your supervisor has already read it. Jóhannes Gísli remarks that “a good bachelor’s thesis should be directed at other students. They should be able to read and understand it, because they might try to learn from it.”

You are not alone!

Frustration and writer’s block can happen to anyone, even experienced writers. However, think about all the people who are enrolled in the bachelor’s thesis course with you, and consider the thousands of students who have mastered the BA thesis before you. You are not alone, and taking a break from writing is not a setback – unless it’s too long. Clearing your head for a couple of days and simply thinking about your topic can actually be helpful. “Students should see a bachelor’s thesis as many small steps towards a goal, rather than one big leap,” says Jóhannes Gísli. Theoretically, if you plan to write for approximately four months, so about 120 days, and you need to write roughly 30 pages in total, you only have to write one page every four days. Sounds good, right?

If you can’t get out of your procrastination zone, there are other things you can do. Sometimes talking to your peers or family members can be of great help. Your supervisor will probably also be happy to help you regain focus. Make sure to ask them for some good BA theses they’ve read in previous years; these can act as an inspiration and a guideline. After all, your supervisor is the one who will grade you. Moreover, if you want specific advice on writing, contact the head of your department, and definitely check out the writing centres.

Writing centres

Whether you need help with templates, citations, or research, you will always walk out of the writing centres more prepared than before. The employees in the writing centres at the National Library and the School of Education are able and willing to help you out with much more than technical issues. Simply google “Writing Centre Háskóli Íslands” and book an appointment; it doesn’t matter where you are in the writing process. In addition, there is also a really helpful website called ritun.hi.is, which offers plenty of information on thesis writing. Although written in Icelandic, Google Translate does a pretty good job translating Icelandic to English. And now, happy writing!