THE graduation hype is felt. Last minute requirements are being crammed and submitted. For someone who has been there as well, perhaps we can agree the most dreaded part of the tedious journey to graduation and getting that coveted diploma is the time when you defend your thesis. You put a lot of effort, time and money for the research, the interviews, the write-ups, revisions, and all to come up with this full-blown research. But it doesn't end there. You get to be grilled by these seemingly ominous panelists. Academicians who will try to break you and find out if you indeed deserve to pass college.
Now did I make that sound so dreadful? It's not actually as terrible as most of us would expect and anticipate. It just takes the right amount of preparation, confidence and attitude to be able to get over that hurdle. I have here a list of small things that could come in handy when doing the thesis defense.
Now did I make that sound so dreadful? It's not actually as terrible as most of us would expect and anticipate. It just takes the right amount of preparation, confidence and attitude to be able to get over that hurdle. I have here a list of small things that could come in handy when doing the thesis defense.
Be prepared. It's probably the most cliché statement one could offer but it applies. Exams, quizzes, skills tests, and oral recitations need certain degrees of preparation. We have to admit all of us are not gifted with encyclopedic minds. Take time to read and re-read your manuscript. Internalize, don't memorize. It helps to know the contents of your thesis, if possible, from cover to cover.
Be confident. This I think is a very important factor. Exuding an aura of confidence shows you know what you are talking about. This can convince your panelists you believe in the outcome of your work. True confidence is mustered when you were able to prepare. That brings us back to the abovementioned to-do thing.
Be assertive. That's the main purpose of a thesis presentation, to defend the findings and conclusions. The panelists are there to point out the flaws in your paper but that doesn't mean they are the 'enemies'. Hence, be assertive but not antagonistically defensive. The inputs from them after all are meant to make your thesis more credible.
Be honest. You are not expected to come up with a perfect output. So don't be disgruntled when the panelists indicate the inconsistencies of the paper. Don't cover these up with more incongruities. Admit the flaws and graciously accept the insights that were pointed out.
Don't get discouraged. It might turn out (hopefully not), that the panel members will require you to do an overhaul of the thesis. This is of course disheartening but never let this dampen your spirits. It is more satisfactory and gratifying to come up with an output that you could really be proud of than produce one for mere compliance's sake.
Bring treats. Although this is not compulsory, it won't hurt to allot a portionof your allowance for little tokens of gratitude to the panelists. Trust me, food always does the trick. They're sure to end the session smiling when you show that you were thoughtful enough to prepare something for them.
Now you may call all the gods and demi-gods to cast their powers upon you that you can pass one of the ultimate hurdles before graduating. But doing that alone is not enough. You yourself know that. All those sleepless nights, those pimples and eye bags, make them all worth it. You and you alone are the special weapon for this fight. Happy defending and congratulations in advance!
Be confident. This I think is a very important factor. Exuding an aura of confidence shows you know what you are talking about. This can convince your panelists you believe in the outcome of your work. True confidence is mustered when you were able to prepare. That brings us back to the abovementioned to-do thing.
Be assertive. That's the main purpose of a thesis presentation, to defend the findings and conclusions. The panelists are there to point out the flaws in your paper but that doesn't mean they are the 'enemies'. Hence, be assertive but not antagonistically defensive. The inputs from them after all are meant to make your thesis more credible.
Be honest. You are not expected to come up with a perfect output. So don't be disgruntled when the panelists indicate the inconsistencies of the paper. Don't cover these up with more incongruities. Admit the flaws and graciously accept the insights that were pointed out.
Don't get discouraged. It might turn out (hopefully not), that the panel members will require you to do an overhaul of the thesis. This is of course disheartening but never let this dampen your spirits. It is more satisfactory and gratifying to come up with an output that you could really be proud of than produce one for mere compliance's sake.
Bring treats. Although this is not compulsory, it won't hurt to allot a portionof your allowance for little tokens of gratitude to the panelists. Trust me, food always does the trick. They're sure to end the session smiling when you show that you were thoughtful enough to prepare something for them.
Now you may call all the gods and demi-gods to cast their powers upon you that you can pass one of the ultimate hurdles before graduating. But doing that alone is not enough. You yourself know that. All those sleepless nights, those pimples and eye bags, make them all worth it. You and you alone are the special weapon for this fight. Happy defending and congratulations in advance!