A key part in getting your degree is completing a number of research or thesis papers. Most of the tim, it is something that students dread or see as a hindrance to graduate on time.
That mindset is something that we, as students, should leave behind. We should see our research projects as opportunities to learn and grow not only for the sake of academics, but for us as people as well.
5 Steps to Follow to Motivate Yourself to Finish Your Paper
1. Choose a topic that you are curious about to make your research experience worthwhile.
When narrowing down topics to spend hours of work researching and poring over journals and books, make sure it is something that you might find worthwhile. That way, you are more interested and your research experience becomes a little bit more pleasant, especially when it is something that you care about.
2. Take interest in the process of research.
Try and see your paper from a different perspective. Instead of looking at it as an academic requirement, think of it as a journey to ask questions and arrive at answers that you are fascinated by. If you approach it like that, you become more inquisitive about the topic. You might even enjoy looking for more data and information that could help you arrive at the conclusion. It becomes less of a chore to do and it won’t seem as tiring when you care about what you are doing.
3. Change your mindset.
If you are doing your research with the mindset that you want it to be over soon, consider finding a different perspective of doing it. Try and see yourself actually contributing to the body of knowledge in the field. It helps to give you a different drive when completing tasks such as finding more sources to support your claims.
When you cite other authors and tie it in to your own research, make sure you aren’t just filling up space in your review of related literature, but you are contributing to the conversation that is taking place within the academe of your field. This elevates your research experience to another level.
4. Divide the work equally for a fair research experience.
Make sure that if this is a group or partnered research that everyone is doing their part. Be sure to encourage one another and help each other out. All of you want to graduate, and all of you want to succeed. In case there are some not willing to do the work, make sure to have a talk with them and make them understand how important it is to have a good output. In case you haven’t found a common ground with those who are not cooperative, make sure to note their behavior and don’t be afraid to let your professor know about those slacking off with their assigned tasks.
5. Stick to a schedule.
To avoid cramming, prepare a timeline to follow and make sure there is enough time in between tasks to ask for clarifications with your instructors and make any necessary revisions to your outputs. It decreases the stress for the entirety of your research experience. When you finish a tasks earlier than expected it is good to reward yourself and your group to keep up morale and treat yourselves for being a step closer to finishing your research project.
