How to write a thesis and an outline: necessary tips for students

When you are writing a thesis and the outline for said thesis you should follow these necessary tips for students:

• * Note that you are not chained to the introduction first. You can start at whatever part of your overall paper is easiest for you, or perhaps the section on which you have completed the most research. If you already have thorough background to your topic from previous papers, start writing that. Don’t confine your creative bursts of energy. If, however, you are the type of person who needs the introduction to come first in order to organize the rest of your thoughts, then start with that. You should find whatever way best suits your method of learning and writing, and use that. Chances are you have written enough papers at this point in your academic career and conducted enough research to know what style fits you best.
• * It is important to reward yourself as you work. You should outline specific and manageable goals that are easily attained within the time frame you give yourself. You know yourself and your schedule better than anyone, so there is no need to set goals you know you won’t reach only to have that sense of failure looming over you for the remainder of your thesis. Create manageable milestones and be sure to reward yourself each time you reach one. If you finish a section or chapter of your thesis, take a day off and have a drink or watch your favorite movie. These rewards will keep you motivated to continue your progress.
• * If you are not in a creative place, spend time on the straightforward tasks like completing you title page or the bibliography. This will keep your time from going to waste or losing a day of writing time. What most people do not realize is that the brain can focus on one of two types of tasks at one time. The first is the difficult and creative tasks like writing with proper prose and fluency. The second is the more mundane tasks like data entry or watching a television show. You are bound to come across times when your brain is not on the creative tasks, when you just cannot summon the creativity to write, and vice versa. By paying attention to how your brain is working, you can delegate the creative versus straightforward tasks based on how you feel and optimize your productivity.