Avoiding Thesis Pitfalls

Watch out for a number of common thesis pitfalls. Any of the following could increase your workload, stress, or time to completion:
  1. Adopting a question that is too broad or poorly defined.
  2. Getting distracted by other interesting issues or problems that don’t address your thesis question.
  3. Not taking time to get organized at the beginning of your process.
  4. Adopting a work plan that doesn’t include time for unanticipated delays or setbacks.
  5. Failing to reset your timeline with your advisor when you miss a key due date.
  6. Using email to communicate with your advisor about important choices and challenges (schedule time to do this in person or via phone).
  7. Not setting concrete progress goals or milestones.
  8. Writing without an audience in mind.
  9. Writing without a clear outline - you can use questions about what you need to know or include in each section to guide you: https://www.futurice.com/blog/how-to-write-a-thesis/
  10. Writing a literature review like a laundry list.
  11. Focusing too much on thesis results and not enough on the process.
  12. Working without a weekly schedule.