Thesis Desk. Photo Credit: Frank Hebbert.
In Spring 2021, as Columbia continued to adapt to the strain and consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the very notion of writing a senior thesis seemed ludicrous. My schedule already felt overwhelming, as I navigated countless Zoom meetings, internship obligations, and a series of projects that had seemed far more accessible in an in-person setting. With that said, at the behest of my academic advisor and through supportive conversations with faculty in the History Department, I made the decision to submit a proposal. After all, it was a decision I would never need to regret; in the event that I was selected as part of the thesis cohort (as most students are), I could always step away from the project if it became too much. All this to say that, from the start, my thesis was very much an endeavor rooted in my personal interests.
Upon being admitted into one of the History Thesis Seminars, a 12-person group that was composed of students writing and researching on a variety of historical subjects and periods, I was again overwhelmed by the task. How was I to pen a 70-page paper in just eight months? Was this even a possible goal? It felt daunting, as it may feel for those reading this who are considering their own potential thesis projects.
Of course, writing a thesis or creating a senior project is a task that looks different across academic disciplines, and this post is meant only to outline my broader experience; the History Department occupies just one sphere of a robust academic community for seniors at Columbia. However, I was extremely fortunate in finding many of the abovementioned fears assuaged by the support of a faculty advisor who used time with our 12-person group to offer tips on the writing process, created a series of deadlines that provided a far more digestible writing schedule, and answered the many questions that we each had pertaining to the thesis process.
Additionally, my anxiety was heavily relieved through the guidance and scholarship of my second reader, a faculty expert in the subject field in which I conducted my research. As a result, and through a slew of weekly office hours appointments that became staples of my fall semester, a process that had originally seemed overwhelming became far more manageable.
With all of that said, the process of engaging with a senior thesis is certainly a large undertaking. It requires a significant amount of time, effort, and self-sufficiency––although the support that you receive from both faculty and peers involved in the same endeavor is certainly vital to the positive nature of the process.
Simply put, while the decision to write a senior thesis seemed nearly improbable just one year ago, I now feel confident in both that decision and the work that I have been doing over the last several months. If you do decide to engage in this process, it is important to acknowledge and utilize the various resources at your disposal, while also taking the time to both employ and celebrate your own research and skill sets.
A senior thesis, like any academic endeavor, is a choice that requires, more than anything, a supreme reliance on and confidence in oneself. It is meant to serve as a final coagulation of the work and effort that has defined your four years at Columbia and, no matter what that means to you, it is an accomplishment for which you should be very proud.