Dear MAPHers,
You may be solely focused on completing your finals right now. That is fine and, in that case, feel free to return to this post in the future.
However, if you are also starting to think about the thesis, read on!
Late November feels like a weird time, or at least it did for me last year. Mostly because we’re encouraged to think about the thesis, but without taking any action. Meaning, I was told to think about potential advisors, but not to approach them. Or to think about my object, but not to write about it yet. All of this felt somewhat confusing and frustrating… but it was all excellent advice.
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Don’t be afraid to linger in that thought-work.
But don’t feel like there is nothing you can do. Although I encourage you to take the thesis one step at a time (aka, focus on fall finals before jumping into thesis mode), below is some advice about what you can do to prepare in the next few weeks.
Look through faculty pages and come up with a list of 5 faculty members:
This is a great way to continue exploring UChicago’s faculty and to get a larger sense of who is at the University. Additionally, this will provide a sense of what is currently being worked here. For now it is better to look through the website, rather than approaching a professor.
*There’s no harm in talking to a current professor or seeking advice, but since your thesis topic and proposal aren’t final (and won’t be for weeks), it won’t be productive to ask someone to advise your project. As it was explained to me last year, it’s like asking someone to prom before the homecoming dance.
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Create Reading Lists:
Before you embark on Winter Break, you’ll have to turn in an annotated bibliography to your preceptor. In the next few weeks, and over Winter break, creating reading lists is a great place to start. Though, especially over Winter Break, don’t feel too beholden to that bibliography. Keep researching and tracking new sources!
It may even be helpful to create different lists around different aspects or concepts you are interested in including. A quick way to develop a list is to pull from the index or citations of a recent book or article on your subject.
Become familiar with EndNote or Zotero:
I discovered Zotero last December and it changed my life. This is an incredible tool to help with citation and to keep track of which reading said what or which quote came from where. The library has workshops on using these, which I also recommend. You can take your laptop to the library and they will install it, walk through all of the steps, etc. As you know from the bibliography sessions, the librarians are beyond helpful!
Come talk to the Mentors:
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Our shirts are ordered and on their way
We have the thesis experience still fresh in our minds and are happy to talk about our experiences- what we did that worked, that didn’t worked, etc. We have not only our own experiences to pull from, but those of all our MAPH peers from last year.
And we are here for questions, too if you are thinking about changing topics, want to discuss potential advisors, or just vent about thesis anxieties.
Upcoming Thesis Events:
Next Tuesday (12/2) in the Core lecture, there will be a thesis panel with Hilary, David, and the preceptors to answer questions and tell you more about what’s to come. You should all attend, no matter what you are or aren’t thinking about the thesis.
That Thursday (12/4), there will be an information session for the creative thesis option. The session will be at noon in the MAPH Lounge. Even if you are unsure or just considering the creative option, you should come and check it out!
When you return from Winter Break, Matt and I will also have an informal, bagel-fueled panel or conversation about the thesis process.