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Thesis Support Group
In the fall of 2004, four UTSC graduate students, led by the president of the UTSC Graduate Students' Association and with some assistance from the Writing Centre Coordinator, formed a thesis support group. This page presents a log of the group meetings and the information and advice we're collecting as we go.
 Meeting 1: Introduction, Organization, and Planning
At the first meeting, everyone presented a short description of their thesis project, including the topic, research question, progress to date, obstacles experienced and/or anticipated, and projected date of completion. All four students are in the Life and/or Physical Sciences. One is a Master's student while the other three are PhD students.
The Writing Centre Coordinator presented two existing models for thesis groups, one writing-focused, and the other support-focused:
| Writing-focused |
Support-focused |
drafts of chapters (or parts) circulated before the meeting
1 or 2 writers' work discussed per meeting
meeting consists of oral and/or written feedback to the writer, and some discussion
high level of commitment required
provides incentive for writing
writers receive feedback from supportive readers |
no reading outside meetings
all members' progress is discussed at each meeting
possibility of reading aloud 1-2 pages at meeting, for discussion
lower level of commitment required
offers discussion and support in the writing process, as well as in any other areas that seem appropriate to the group--e.g. working with supervisors, publications, practical matters |
Based on the interests and objectives of group members, we decided to focus on general support rather than on specific writing support and feedback.
At the end of the meeting, we identified realistic goal-setting as an issue of concern to all. Each member agreed to do some research on the topic and report back to the group at the next meeting.
Meeting 2: Setting Realistic Goals
Make your goals
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Tied to a date |
The following is a synthesis of material gathered about goal-setting:
- break down large goals (e.g. write introduction) into smaller, more manageable subsections(e.g....
- write goals down to make them more real
- set performance goals, not outcome goals
- set priorities
- set deadlines
- overestimate how long tasks will take--i.e. build in some leeway
- separate your personal to-do list and your academic to-do list
- reevaluate goals regularly
- reward yourself when you achieve your goals
- if you're under time pressure, work backwards from the required date of completion of your thesis, setting deadlines accordingly
Joan Bolker, in Writing
Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day, suggests
that the best method of goal-setting in writing is to
set a reasonable number of pages and write that same number
every day (5, 6, or even 7 days/week). These are not finished pages but junk pages. When you have reached your
quota for the day, stop writing. This approach rewards
fast writing, produces a sense of accomplishment because
pages pile up quickly, and forestalls writer's block by
focusing on quantity over quality.
Bolker, Joan. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day.
NY: Henry Holt, 1988. |
After the discussion of goal-setting, each member identified an achievable goal for the next meeting.
Meeting 3: Goal-Setting and Time Management
All goals were met! Congratulations!!!
While the bulk of the meeting focused on a discussion of the goals and the act of achieving them, we also segued into a discussion of time management which led to the following principles:
- at least once a day do something you enjoy
- do what you like least when you're at your best (e.g. early morning)
- don't try to write for 6-8 hours a day; include lab or research time and writing time every day
- know yourself! Analyze your habits and take them into consideration when planning your work
- figure out what time of day is your best writing time and plan to write at that time every day
- develop a routine and stick to it
At the end of the meeting, we set goals for the next
two weeks. We observed that setting goals took less time and that
every member seemed more prepared. We had each thought about our
goal in advance, and all seemed reasonable.
Meeting 4: Advice
from Recent Graduates
Two former graduate students, Joanne Castillo, M.Sc.
(Zoology), and Scott Douglas, Ph.D. (Botany), each of whom recently
completed a thesis, spoke to the group about their experience.
| Time Management |
No single schedule will work for everyone,
so you need to figure out your own. Ask yourself, what
type of worker am I? all nighters? 9-5? This will determine
when you'll finish and how you'll get there.
Remember, "little things" will add up quickly.
Give yourself time for them.
Set realistic goals, and give yourself enough time to
get things how you want. Remember, this is your work,
and you need to be happy with it.
Try to avoid panic-mode!
Organization is key. |
Writing & Data Presentation |
Write while still collecting data, especially
materials & methods; new information can be incorporated
later if necessary.
Conferences and/or presentations will help you organize
your thoughts and plan your thesis; they can be used for
the defense as well.
"Endnote" or "Reference Manager" are both excellent for compiling the Reference Section--for
thesis and for manuscripts.
Determine what type of data you will have, then talk
to others about how much time presentation of data should
take.
There is always more than one way to present data. Don't
be adverse to changing based on feedback, experience,
time constraints.
Use lots of sub-headings--for yourself and for your readers. |
| Working with your Supervisor |
Plan with your supervisor how to work on
each section.
Your supervisor and your department will determine the
manuscript style, not your committee members. Discuss
with your supervisor. |
| Committee Selection |
As soon as you can predict the date of
your defense, start planning. Get the core people--i.e.
long-time committee members--in line as soon as possible.
Consult your supervisor for advice.
You and your advisor will usually come to an agreement
about the external advisor (Master's: external to the
department; Ph.D.: external to the university). |
| Defense Preparation |
Time required for defense preparation is
minimal after thesis manuscipt preparation. Remember,
you know your stuff the best!
Questions during the defense will vary from big picture
to small details. However, the questioners don't usually
know as much as you. |
After the presentations and discussion, group members
convened to report on goals and set new goals for next week.
Meeting 5: Self-reflection
This meeting was relatively low-key. Everyone had
once again met their goals, and in some cases even exceeded them.
Congratulations! Perhaps worth noting that lab goals were the ones
met and exceeded. Writing goals seem to be more difficult....
We had some discussion about the group, how it's going
for everyone, etc. Group members agreed that so far the regular
meetings provided by the group are extremely helpful in providing
incentive and support:
"Meeting regularly is really helpful. Noone else
in my life cares as much as I do about this project, and so it's
great to have people to talk to."
"Every two weeks is perfect. If we'd met every
week, I would have been going crazy by now."
We agreed that the next meeting would be our last
before the holiday, but that we would continue to meet next term.
New goals were set for the next meeting, and members
agreed to do some research on student-supervisor relations.
Follow-up
In January 2005 the Writing Centre Coordinator went
on maternity leave and ceased recording the details of group meetings.
The group continued to meet, with occasional shifts in membership,
until December 2006.
In the Spring of 2006, a study of the group was conducted,
and the results presented at the Society for Teaching and Learning
in Higher Education (STLHE) meeting in June 2006 at the University
of Toronto. Click here
for the Powerpoint slides from that presentation. |
