Thesis Statement, Should I Do One?

The program encourages its best students to do a thesis. You can do a thesis and enroll in the Asian Studies Honors Program without being in the Honors College, although if you are in the Honors College a thesis will count toward your honors credits over there. So, you have a choicethesis or not?

A thesis is not the right choice for every student. Discovering new knowledge and turning it into a thesis can be tremendously exhilarating, but it demands a serious investment of your time and energy. You can't be merely going through the motions or doing this because someone else thought you should. If you aren't dedicated to the project or do not have adequate time to devote to it, you are unlikely to end up with a product in which you can take pride, and you may not have much fun doing it. A quality thesis demands a quality commitment from you.

A thesis is not the only right choice or even the best choice for every career path. In some cases, other experiencesif they allow you to demonstrate independence, proficiency, and maturity in your fieldcan be just as valuable or even more so. But even if your field emphasizes other experiences such as student teaching or an internship, do not be too quick to dismiss the possibility and value of an honors thesis. There's nothing wrong with having more than one culminating experiencea thesis and an internship, for instanceif you can fit them in. Doing one does not necessarily preclude the other. You can think "both/and" rather than "either/or."

What are some good reasons in favor of completing an honors thesis?

First, the work can be incredibly rewarding.

You can derive great satisfaction from designing a significant project and seeing it through to a successful conclusion. Knowing that you did it once, and thus can do it again in the future, builds legitimate self-confidence. Working closely on a one-to-one basis over an extended time period with a faculty thesis director can lead to mutual respect and intellectual discussions that are almost impossible to duplicate in any other setting.

Along the way, there is tremendous intellectual excitement when you find new information, confirm a hypothesis, or finally understand how the pieces of a puzzle fit together. One student called those her "flashbulb moments" when "the light goes on and all of a sudden you understand something in a way you never thought of it before." This is the same kind of excitement that researchers have shared for centuries, at least as far back as the day Archimedes first shouted "Eureka!"

Second, a thesis is a superb opportunity to develop your research and communication abilities.

Your knowledge will increase and your skills will grow exponentially. Writing a thesis also tests and strengthens your ability to employ initiative, to focus, to be persistent, and to manage time well. This makes a thesis exceptionally good preparation for the world of work or for graduate or professional school.

Third, a thesis can open other opportunities to you.

If your research is important enough and well written, all or part of it might be published. There are local, regional, and sometime national conferences at which undergraduates can do a poster presentation, be on a panel, or read a paper based on their research. In the course of your thesis work, you might connect with prominent scholars working in the field or make contacts leading to research assistantships or summer employment.

The fourth point follows logicallya thesis strengthens your resume.

Why do employers and graduate schools care about your thesis? Primarily because it is the part of your education that is most identifiably yours. Completing a thesis says volumes about your work ethic. For employers, it means that you can be given a significant independent project and be trusted to organize and complete it. For graduate and professional schools, it testifies not only to your persistence, but also to your mastery of research skills that are critical components of higher level study. Your committee members may suggest revisions for the final version of the poster. You are strongly encouraged to present your findings at conferences at IUP and elsewhere.