According to Julie

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April 29, 2007

Update on the bachelor thesis situation Part 1

In January, I wrote that I needed to know what my bachelor thesis should be about and what kind of computer I should buy.  Later I added an update on the computer situation when I had bought a Toshiba. So what about the bachelor thesis situation?

Well, let’s just say that I’m not as happy with my bachelor thesis as I am with my computer. I still don’t feel that I found that “one perfect idea” that would make me happy to read and write about the same topic nine hours a day. I’m beginning to think that I have a fear of commitment – not emotionally, but academically. I find it very difficult to ask one single question and turn the answer to that question into weeks of work and tens of thousands of words. I love writing, and I love finding stuff out, but I don’t like using more words than necessary, and I hate over-explaining and pointing out the obvious. And I have a nasty habit of thinking that once I know something really well, than it falls into the category of “the obvious.”

The whole bachelor thesis thing was very hyped up. I was told that this was the most fun thing I would do in college, that Inter-students always wrote brilliant, insightful, original texts, and that fellow students and advisors would give me so much help. People said that it should count as 20 credits, because that was the amount of work we brilliant and insightful scholars put into it.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t say that this is the case. I still think that this was much more fun. Writing something brilliant, insightful and original cannot be guaranteed. Sometimes you want to research something and it turns out that there really isn’t all that much to say about it that hasn’t already been said. And sometimes you want to learn something, and you can’t because finding the important facts would involve years of collecting data and even then you might just find out that there is nothing interesting to say about it. And no, not to be rude, but I don’t think that fellow students or the advisor have helped much, and I know I haven’t helped anyone. And I’m already doing 40 credits this semester; I don’t have time for 50, but I do think that the thesis is costing me 30 credits of anxiety.

And many of my fellow students are saying the same thing: “I’m struggling with this! No, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be!”

When people ask the dreaded question: “What is your bachelor thesis about?” I answer: “Ummm… Can we not talk about this?” But I do have a topic, I am writing, and I think it is time for brutal honesty: I am going to tell you all what I’m doing these days – in part 2. But first I am going to be social with my good friend and reminder that there are brilliant and insightful people who don’t care about international politics.

Posted by Julie at April 29, 2007 6:11 PM

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Posted by: Arve at April 29, 2007 10:31 PM