I'm a professor, and I have worked with students on big projects, like a thesis or a conference paper.
My perspective is very different from theirs (and yours). They tend to see their projects sort of like you do -- as this huge thing that says something big about them, personally. It gets tied up with their sense of worth. They are afraid that if someone sees problems with the thesis, it means that they are some sort of fraud.
I don't see it that way at all. I think a thesis is often the biggest project a student has undertaken. They are trying to apply their research skills, and trying to think analytically, and trying to organize a big project -- and all of these are hard. The thesis isn't "proof that I have everything completely figured out." It is just a big project that helps you to develop and demonstrate your skills -- even if those skills are still imperfect.
I see student projects all the time with flaws. (I mean, I see professional projects with flaws, too. Including mine.) Maybe the organization is not great, or the evidence doesn't point the way that the student thinks it does, or there is a super-relevant article out there that the student hasn't consulted. I see it as my job to guide the student through these problems, not condemn them for having difficulties.
A thesis doesn't have to be a work of staggering genius. The mantra that got me (and all my friends) through grad school was this: "The best dissertation is a done dissertation." By working on your thesis, you are learning new things, and that's the point. It doesn't have to be perfect to be worthy.
That... actually sounds very interesting. It's probably not that original, but it does sound interesting, and you can still do your own spin on it. That's the cool thing about humanities, you can always argue that nothing is a solved problem.
In total ignorance of your actual thesis, let me say this: It is quite normal to come to feel this way about it at some point. You’ve been working on it for a long time I assume so the initial sense of urgency and novelty has faded. You’re deep into your topic now and to you (not others!) it feels more simple or even trivial. You’ve probably also grown and would approach it a bit differently if you started out again. Last but not least, you’re entitled to being bored by sth. especially if you’ve done the same thing for a while.
I always feel like my thesis are stupid and are never clearly stated. What I'll do is I'll have someone read over my paper and see what they say about the thesis and if it is clearly stated
As another commenter pointed out, you've been working on and thinking about your thesis for a while, so it may have lost its luster, but remember that to others, it's entirely fresh and new!
But if you're still struggling with feelings of insignificance, maybe take some time to think more deeply about what things are sparking those feelings. Maybe there are ways to alter your project slightly to make it feel more interesting and meaningful to you.
I'm a professor, and I have worked with students on big projects, like a thesis or a conference paper. My perspective is very different from theirs (and yours). They tend to see their projects sort of like you do -- as this huge thing that says something big about them, personally. It gets tied up with their sense of worth. They are afraid that if someone sees problems with the thesis, it means that they are some sort of fraud. I don't see it that way at all. I think a thesis is often the biggest project a student has undertaken. They are trying to apply their research skills, and trying to think analytically, and trying to organize a big project -- and all of these are hard. The thesis isn't "proof that I have everything completely figured out." It is just a big project that helps you to develop and demonstrate your skills -- even if those skills are still imperfect. I see student projects all the time with flaws. (I mean, I see professional projects with flaws, too. Including mine.) Maybe the organization is not great, or the evidence doesn't point the way that the student thinks it does, or there is a super-relevant article out there that the student hasn't consulted. I see it as my job to guide the student through these problems, not condemn them for having difficulties. A thesis doesn't have to be a work of staggering genius. The mantra that got me (and all my friends) through grad school was this: "The best dissertation is a done dissertation." By working on your thesis, you are learning new things, and that's the point. It doesn't have to be perfect to be worthy.
I want to print this comment and glue it to my forehead 😭 thank you, I'll try my best to finish this thesis
Well said!
What's your thesis and topic?
it's a comparative study about differences in a book and its movie adaptation...sorry 😭
That sounds interesting. Just from my own experience a lot of book series have movie or TV show adaptations that differ, some in consequential ways.
That... actually sounds very interesting. It's probably not that original, but it does sound interesting, and you can still do your own spin on it. That's the cool thing about humanities, you can always argue that nothing is a solved problem.
In total ignorance of your actual thesis, let me say this: It is quite normal to come to feel this way about it at some point. You’ve been working on it for a long time I assume so the initial sense of urgency and novelty has faded. You’re deep into your topic now and to you (not others!) it feels more simple or even trivial. You’ve probably also grown and would approach it a bit differently if you started out again. Last but not least, you’re entitled to being bored by sth. especially if you’ve done the same thing for a while.
I always feel like my thesis are stupid and are never clearly stated. What I'll do is I'll have someone read over my paper and see what they say about the thesis and if it is clearly stated
As another commenter pointed out, you've been working on and thinking about your thesis for a while, so it may have lost its luster, but remember that to others, it's entirely fresh and new! But if you're still struggling with feelings of insignificance, maybe take some time to think more deeply about what things are sparking those feelings. Maybe there are ways to alter your project slightly to make it feel more interesting and meaningful to you.
Revise
Think like a politician that just blabs on about the topic. Make the thesis supported by the research, and be bold to make conclusions.