Eighth Week is upon us, which means theses are due very soon. As you approach the Friday deadline, here are a few tips to keep you on track during one of the most hectic times of the MAPH year. Also, be sure to come by the office to let us know how things are shaping up!
Do: Meet with your preceptor.
If you haven’t already, definitely talk through your adviser’s comments with your preceptor. He or she can be a great resource for translating your adviser’s feedback into concrete, doable tasks. If you encounter vague comments like “rework this paragraph,” your preceptor can be invaluable for thinking through how and what specifically to rework. As someone who knows your project well, your preceptor will keep you on the right path as you navigate those last few edits!
Don’t: Think it must be final/perfect.
The final deadline for theses is Friday, May 22nd. I’m sure you know this. And you definitely need a finished, polished product to turn in by then. But I think it’s helpful to divorce yourself from the notion that it has to be a final, perfect product (perfection is the enemy of the good, as they say). Many MAPH theses have lives beyond the deadline as grad school writing samples, published articles or creative work, and the version you turn in this week will be but one iteration of the humanistic interests and projects that led you to MAPH in the first place. It can be hugely liberating to think of the thesis not as an endpoint, but as a step along the way in your development as an engaged intellectual.
Do: Edit/proof together.
We all know the feeling of looking at a thesis page for the umpteenth time and seeing the words blur together. If you feel like you can’t read or proof your work any longer, find some other MAPHers and swap drafts for editing 
and proofing! They will inevitably catch small errors that would slip by otherwise. Swapping theses for proofing is also a nice way to stay social during one of the craziest weeks of the MAPH year.
Don’t: Freak out.
I met with my preceptor on Wednesday of this week last year, freaking out about some last-minute comments my adviser gave me. We reviewed all that feedback in the meeting (again, preceptors are invaluable in the home stretch), but the only piece of advice I remember was his initial, “Calm down. It’s going to be all right.” At this juncture, putting too much pressure on yourself will only be counter-productive. It can be difficult, but stay calm. Use this week to make the edits you need to make, compile citations, proof it, and then send it along. And if you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to reach out to your preceptor or any of us in the office!
Do: Get it in on time and come to the Thesis BBQ!
You’ll negotiate the exact deadline with your adviser (most want it by 5pm at the latest), but definitely try to turn in your thesis on the early end so that you can come enjoy the Thesis BBQ! We’ll be serving up burgers and drinks on the Classics Quad from noon onward with our very own Sarah Smith running the grill. Be sure to drop by and celebrate this big achievement with all of MAPH!
On Friday, be sure to kiss the cook, i.e. Sarah Smith.