Support structure
Students find it difficult to embed themselves
into a continuous support structure.
To most students, composing a thesis does not resemble a sprint, but rather a long cross-country run. Even if we look past the instances where young researchers get stuck, the whole project in and by itself is very demanding. Thus, finding and accessing sources of energy, motivation, and tenacity is one of the key success factors. Merely running thoroughly out of steam mid-project can result in a very time-consuming restoration of progress. Maintaining motivation to work on your project is crucial.
By many students, writing their thesis takes place after they have completed all other requirements of their programmes. This leads to a common underestimation of the challenge: completing the thesis project is simply not estimated to be that challenging. Often overlooked in this situation, however, is the rather different type of work necessary to be mastered in this project: independent research work, often with little social exchange and orientation but instead a considerable individual challenge which can hardly be observed or judged appropriately from outside. Consequently, working on your thesis is exhausting to many students. While an unfamiliar stress mounts on one side, sources of energy and techniques to sustain this stress are not as widely known as the detrimental experience. Students under thesis stress commonly withdraw from social activities, try to avoid addressing the challenging issues, and try to turn toward greater discipline. The results are commonly seen close to submission deadlines: paler-than-usual, worn out, and tired students that limp toward the finish line during the final weeks of their project. While this does not happen to every single student, it does to a considerable share of them.
Instead of brushing the unique challenge and demand of effort aside, let’s rather prepare our student researchers to be mindful of their energy levels, motivation, and the effort needed to sustain the necessary progress required to lead a demanding and well-advancing research project.
Student research greatly benefits from a variety of challenges to be mastered but also a variety of social contacts to lean on and, last not least, a range of recreational activities to regain energy to keep going. If you have not sustained many months of individual, demanding, and novel project work, it is easy to risk getting stuck or burning out in the process without having both a network of well-meaning topically involved or entirely remote contacts - friends, more advanced colleagues, family, teammates in a sports team, band members, etc. - to distract when needed, to discuss ideas and problems, and celebrate your successes. For recreational activities, sports, culture, some regional travelling, and voluntary work can push the thesis into the back of your mind for a while - a place where some of the most creative advances originate, sometimes. It pays to consider relaxation as a research strategy.
What do you recommend to your students when it comes to sustaining progress during a thesis project? Have you witnessed a particularly useful approach?