Students in the Honors College are getting geared up to begin planning their thesis writing process, which typically requires three semesters to complete.
The Honors College held a session about the importance of an honors thesis Thursday afternoon, conducted by Monty Paret, associate dean of the Honors College.
According to the Honors Thesis Guidelines, the purpose of a thesis is “to advance knowledge … and to further develop a student’s intellectual, professional and personal growth.”
A thesis can be research based in a lab, an artistic endeavor or historical research. A typical thesis is 30 to 40 pages, though some exceed this number. At the session, past theses were passed around. One was on gang involvement. Another was about humanitarian operations.
A thesis must be approved at least two semesters before graduation. Some students get started early and opt for six semesters for research or the option to finish early, before they graduate.
At the session, students and staff discussed reasons for writing a thesis. The answers “self-fulfilling” and “impressive” were the most common. A thesis also sets students apart to prospective employers.
Paret said most students graduate with a high GPA, and this is considered a norm — students need more than a high GPA to land a job.
Through the process of research and meeting often with a thesis advisor, the advisor gets to know the student at a more intimate level and can provide more in-depth letters of recommendation.
Paret said the process of a thesis is like a casual
dating relationship.
“You are not going to marry your thesis,” Paret said. “It is a foundation and research to build upon. Once the thesis is done, it is similar to a relationship to running its course.”
Alex Hyer, a sophomore in biology, said he has already started work on his thesis.
Hyer said he was involved in AP and IB courses in high school and an honors degree only seemed natural. He said the process of finding advisors and a lab for his research project took him about four hours. Hyer said he is doing a thesis on pH levels, bacteria and rocks.
Kasha Lim, a junior in chemistry, said she almost dropped out of the Honors Program over the summer due to the stress of figuring out a project.
After meeting with an advisor, however, Lim said she decided to continue moving forward in the Honors College.
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