As with almost every project, your thesis starts with good planning. This is also known as a working plan for your thesis. In it, you indicate how much time you need for the different stages and when you will start working on them. This way, you know exactly where you are or should be in the process, and do not miss any deadlines. This is how to make a good working plan for your thesis!
Working plan for your thesis: a good starting point
A thesis is a big project. You will be working on it for at least a few months. Moreover, you usually have interim hand-ins. For instance, you first submit your plan of approach to your thesis supervisor. You also hand in your research plan before you actually start doing the research. This way, you check whether your research setup is sound before progressing to the next step.
With a working plan for your thesis, you can make a schedule that caters to your (interim) deadlines. This will ensure that you will succeed in handing in your thesis on time.
This is how you can make a working plan
Writing your thesis is not actually the first step in the process. Writing is preceded by data collection and research. Therefore, it is important to consider different parts of the process when planning your timeline:
-
choosing a thesis topic;
-
creating a research plan (including, among other things, a problem statement, research question and a description of the method);
-
conducting the survey and thus collecting data;
-
analysing the data;
-
writing your thesis.
For each phase, decide how much time you need for this and when the deadline is. This is important if you want your working plan for your thesis to be realistic and executable.
Do you want to have your thesis reviewed? Take this into account when planning your thesis. At AthenaCheck, you can have your thesis revised within 24 hours. Reserve some time afterwards to process the editor's feedback.
How long does it take to write a thesis?
If you are going to make a working plan for your thesis, you also need to know how long it takes to write a thesis. This varies from course to course. Bachelor theses sometimes have to be submitted within three months. Some programmes have a longer duration: six to nine months or sometimes even one year. For master's theses, a shorter duration time is common.
Ask your thesis supervisor in advance what the submission deadline is for your thesis. Also, check whether there are any interim hand-ins to consider. Then you can account for these in your schedule.
So: how do you plan for your thesis?
Want to create a good working plan for your thesis? Then go through the following steps:
-
Decide what needs to be done for your thesis. Make the steps concrete (not 'write thesis', but 'recruit subjects', 'write introduction', etc.).
-
Check whether there are any interim deadlines.
-
Estimate how much time each step will take. Do you find this difficult? Ask your thesis supervisor for help.
-
Create a schedule in Excel in which each step has a designated place, including the time you think you will need for it.
-
Start researching and writing your thesis. Did you get tangled up with a deadline? Then make adjustments to your working plan and see if you can still make it feasible by the final deadline.
-
Get your thesis checked on time. That way, you can hand in your thesis to your supervisor with confidence and without unnecessary errors.
Good luck!