Writing examples Psychology

What?

• All first year students following the bachelor Psychology at the University of Amsterdam have to write their propaedeutic thesis at the end of the academic year. This can be a daunting challenge! To aid you in this cumbersome process, this page has been made with tips and tricks to finish the year in style. Additionally, an example thesis (which has been graded with an 8.5) has been added to the page as well.

Tips:

1. Plan and organize: While this may seem self-explanatory, planning and organizing is the key part towards not only completing the thesis, but also getting a good grade. Make sure you break down your objectives into smaller tasks and try to set deadlines for yourself. For example, set the goal to 'write a research description in the next two hours' rather than use the goal 'work on my introduction'.

2. Set realistic goals: Try and break down your writing into smaller goals, such as completing a certain number of pages or sections each day. Setting achievable targets will help you stay motivated and make steady progress. It can be beneficial to try and make your goals SMART) or DART.

3. Establish a routine: Develop a writing routine that works best for you. Dedicate specific blocks of time each day for writing, and create a quiet and focused environment to minimize distractions.

4. Use the red thread strategy: Make sure you establish what you want to convey in a paragraph before writing it, the so-called red thread. Model your text after this, rather than fitting this in after writing your paragraph. This can help you not add irrelevant information and stay on topic.

5. Research effectively: Ever found a good article and wish there were more? Check out the sources that this article cites and use this to your benefit. No need to find new sources every time as you can build on the literature research others have already done!

6. Write in drafts: Don't strive for perfection in your first draft. Start by getting your ideas down on paper, and then revise and refine them in subsequent drafts. This approach helps to alleviate the pressure and allows for more effective editing. For example, if you don't know how to formulate a sentence exactly, just write it down and revisit it later. 

7. Use peer feedback: Discuss your work and struggles with other students. This helps you improve your own work, but it also shows you that others are experiencing the same struggles as you might be facing.

8. Take breaks: Writing a thesis can be a lot - and you can definitely not write it if you are burned out. Make sure to take enough breaks and refresh your mind, for example by going on a walk or calling your friends. 

9. Establish a clear outline: Determine the structure of your text before you start writing it to ensure that all content will be relevant.

10. Evaluate your implicit argumentation: Always ask yourself the question 'why?'. After studying a specific topic for a while, things may seem abundantly clear or even common sense to you. This is mainly because you have been reading about it a lot. For the reader of your thesis, this knowledge may not be as common sense, so always check your writing for implicit argumentations. Do you always answer the question 'why'?

11. Belief in yourself: A thesis is daunting and this may be the most challenging part of a thesis, believing in yourself. You might think that a lot of people are doing better but it is not productive to compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own topic and, most importantly, everyone has their own route and strategy. Keep your own pace and belief in yourself. You can do it!

Tricks:

1. Use AI: Although using AI can be frowned upon as people often use it to plagiarize, it can also aid you in your writing process. Don't know the exact word for something? Try and use AI to find the word for you. It is perfectly fine to ask AI to help you with your grammar but don't let AI write your thesis. Make sure it remains your own text and just use it to get rid of any language mistakes.

2. Use examples: Writing a thesis can be pretty challenging, especially when it is the first time doing so. Nothing wrong in taking inspiration from others. This does not mean that you should copy other people's style or, even worse, their content, but you can take a look to look at the way they argue and to assess their structure. This can go a long way in writing a good thesis!

3. Use the grading structure to review your thesis: While everyone has their own writing style and their own strengths and weaknesses, the grading structure that teachers use tends to be the same for everyone. Make sure to check it out before handing in your thesis to see if there is something you can still improve upon!

4. Make use of Grammarly: This is a tool that can help you quickly spot any spelling or grammar mistakes. Make sure to check whether you agree with the suggestions of Grammarly), though, as a computer cannot always take context into account!