Important factors to consider while defending your thesis
Whenever the students come across the process of writing thesis, they get frightened of the thesis defense. In order to avoid unnecessary tensions during thesis defense, one can take some precautions that will help them in presenting their thesis in an effective manner. There are few things that should be considered while preparing thesis defense, which are as below – Provide necessary support and evidence that helps you in defending your thesis. The committee should not get even a single chance to hold your thesis. The readers will find your thesis to be more interesting, if you include evidences and data that support it. The defense committee will feel that you are very serious about your thesis and put lot of efforts while preparing your thesis. Most of the time the committee tries to confuse you by asking difficult questions. You should hear all the questions carefully before answering them. You can do a lot of online research and preparation while writing your thesis proposal. This will help you in your thesis defense. You can take professional assistance from any of the writing firms like www.thesiswritingindia.com. These writing firms help you in preparing for your thesis defense. As they have lots of experience in this field, they can guide you in a better way and makes you capable to answer difficult questions in an easy manner. The professional writing companies have well qualified experts, who can help you in handling the situation. Sometimes, the defense committee may put very difficult questions for which you need to give logical answers. The experts can help you in preparing the list of questions that can be asked by the defense committee. Before starting with your presentation, you need to get prepared mentally. You should be able to answer all the questions related to your research work. If you are able to do this, then you can present your thesis effectively. You can support your work with the help of diagram, images, tables, graphs etc. These things will make the committee understand your points easily. You can include small paragraphs in your presentation, but, make sure that you don’t insert text in detail. Rather, you can add as much as diagrams, tables, graph etc to convey your message. These are some of the proven factors that should be considered while defending your thesis. These factors will help you in defending your work properly. After all, having a right degree with excellent grades can help you in getting a good...
read moreHow to take quick and effective notes
Taking good notes will be a make a huge difference in your research experience. A good note-taker absorbs more information from the material, and knows where to find that information for future use. There is a connection between taking notes and thinking about your research – many people perform note-taking as a separate “task,” forgetting that it will affect your thesis in the long run. Remember that you have to be your own research assistant – you are taking notes for your future self. That self is likely to be tired, stressed and confused. How can you make life easier for yourself? For starters, personalize the study advice to fit your own needs and working style. The same method of taking notes will not work for everyone, and you don’t want it to end up being a pointless exercise. Time is precious when you are working on your thesis, and note taking shouldn’t seem like an extra chore. If it does, you are doing something wrong. Try out a few different note taking techniques to produce thesis ready text. Different methods work for different stages of the process or types of writing task. If your article is electronic, search inside it for ‘sign-post’ language and highlight it first. Look for key phrases like “This paper argues that”; “In this paper we explore”; “the main question is.” Verbs that lead to an argument are show, argue, proven, challenge, purpose, query, question. Words that modify arguments are may, might, probably, perhaps. There are tons of new note taking technology that you can take advantage of to help you organize and record your notes. Instead of a paper journal, try databases like Microsoft One Note, Evernote or Devon Think. You can also look into word processors with note storage, like Scrivener, and to help organize everything a reference manager like Zotero, Mendeley, Endnote or Papers2 come in handy. If you prefer pen and paper, you can still try different approaches. Don’t write walls of text, or note down whole articles. Make charts, diagrams, or draw pictures to organize the information in a way that will make sense to you. The point of good notes is that certain information becomes salient, easy to remember, and concepts are clearer. If you are not achieving this currently, take a break and try some of the tips mentioned here. It’s better to spend more time figuring out a strategy that works for you, rather than spending all your time taking notes that will not be helpful later on....
read moreHow to appear clever during your presentation
When you embark on a journey like writing a thesis, you will most likely be surrounded by a sea of intelligent people. When it is time to present your work, you need to make yourself stand out amongst all the other clever ones. Some of us are born academics but we fail to deliver during presentations for a host of reasons unrelated to your intelligence. However smart you already may be, here are some ways to appear smarter during your presentation. 1. Don’t voice your opinion immediately. Whenever you are at meetings or any type of discussion, you need to project a professional image. It’s not a good idea to strongly agree or disagree without hearing out others’ opinions. Being one of the last ones to speak, instead of the first, gives you many advantages. After hearing what everyone has to say, you can provide an answer that considers both sides, or an idea that hasn’t been discussed before. 2. Memorize some facts. Not just any random statistical data – by now we all know how often statistics are correct or simply fabrications. Keep some facts handy that are relevant and contain real information. While you cannot base the main body of your ideas on “pocket facts,” they help in transitions, introductions, or to preempt an imminent criticism. 3. Acronyms and jargon Acronyms are abbreviations of entities common in your field of study – and you will probably see them a lot. You must exercise caution with them. Using them excessively will take away credibility from your cause, but you need to be familiar enough with them to recognize it when others use it, and to utilize them to add an extra snap to your presentation. 4. Organize your research using a personal approach One of the worst situations to be caught in is searching for data you know you have, but you don’t remember exactly where it is located. When you first start your research, you may be tempted to categorically organize your research in the most common and widely used format. But when the time comes to find that research, you will hard pressed to remember exactly where it has been stored. It’s a better idea to organize your data according to your own system. This way you will internalize it, which also makes you appear genuinely...
read moreFactors that restrict your learning
As you get older, learning a new skill turns out to be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. Research shows that learning a new skill is hard work – it takes up more brain space. However, after we have learned a skill well, the brain no longer needs to work as hard to carry it out. This is why, as we get older, we tend to rely more on the easier brain functions of performing skills you already know. We tend to let habit dictate not only our actions, but also our thought patterns. Completing a thesis is a task that tests your mental agility. You cannot only rely on skills that have been preset into your brains. Rather, you will need to use more regularly the higher brain function of learning. There are many factors that get in the way of learning. Even the highest achievers are sometimes not “learning,” but revisiting old skills that they are already proficient in. Watch out for these signs that you are, in fact, not making full use of your mental capabilities. 1. You tend to follow methods. Method is not the same as skill. Method is a set of rules, or steps. It is not very flexible, and while in your previous education it may have served you well, you will need to show more flexibility and adaptability while working on your thesis. 2. You work too hard. Neither is hard work a sufficient substitute for skill. Although for many aspects of your research and writing you will have to employ pure elbow grease, it will not help you learn a new concept. Be wary of falling into the mindset where when you get stuck, you think, “I have to work harder!” Instead, seek help from your supervisors, and stop working for some time to really evaluate what you need to improve on. 3. You are very result-oriented. Up until this point in your educational career, you may have found that students who consistently produce results are the most favored. Your thesis is different, however. If you are constantly under pressure to show off what you have done – in other words, showcasing your results – then it will be difficult to learn new skills. Remember, fresh learning requires more time and effort for your brain. If you are under pressure, you are more apt to forego this cognitive step in favor of producing faster results....
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