Nearing the end of the road

Once again it has been a while since my last post as I have been working hard to finish my thesis. After completing the first draft near the end of July I knew I couldn’t afford to become lazy, as the most difficult part of the work was still to come: The editing!

I write both for college and as a hobby (clearly) so I am familiar with the task of combing through your work and making corrections, but I have never had to do so with such a large piece of work, over 15000 words long (I’m still working on my novel). Fortunately I had notes from my supervisors to guide me in making corrections. Thanks to the miracle of modern technology notes may be inserted directly into the side bar of the document, thus allowing me to have a printed copy on the desk while I have the thesis open on my laptop (yes this is so amazing to me I felt the need to praise it here).

I cannot stress how helpful meetings with my supervisors have been throughout the thesis writing process; not simply for setting chapter deadlines and sending drafts for corrections but for discussing ideas and receiving book recommendations for secondary sources. It is a unique opportunity to work with a lecturer not simply as a teacher and student but as a new scholar producing an original piece of research work under the supervision of a working scholar in the field. This is one of the enriching aspects of pursuing this kind of postgraduate study and is also good preparation for PhD studies.

The editing process itself was long and took time, as including the introduction, conclusion and bibliography of works cited, my thesis clocked in at 50 pages exactly. With each draft I would have to read through every page making corrections as specified, expanding points and undoing any mistakes. This is really where the skills of academic and creative writing begin to overlap; when an author is writing a novel there would be multiple drafts before the final product and it is the same principle with a thesis. This final draft is the third or forth version I have completed (and I have the previous drafts in a pile beside my desk to prove it). Honing these skills of drafting and editing has been another invaluable aspect of the MA experience and I feel I have become a more proficient writer as well as a better scholar. Keeping to the personal schedule I made for myself meant that I never felt under pressure to complete my writing and nothing was rushed. As I said, I completed the first draft in late July, thus giving me all of August to edit and refine the thesis so ultimately I would be handing in the best possible version of my work. Time management has always been I skill I value and it served another purpose besides ensuring that my work was completed on schedule: it helped me make time for rest. My supervisors reminded me of the importance of taking time away from the thesis, both for self-care and the fact that time away from a computer screen and books gives you the chance to think and then return looking at things with a refreshed perspective. It also gives me the chance to sit around watching movies.

I have one more week of putting finishing touches on this summer-long project before I get it bound and hand it in. I started writing this blog at the beginning of this journey and I plan on writing another post when it concludes, bookending my MA thesis experience.

Featured image: The front gates of University College Cork