by Dr Mary Erbaugh, former Associate Professor, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics

Research students face a perplexing predicament: too much unstructured time and too many huge, vague tasks. This contrasts with the tight structure of undergraduate education or a normal job. Just as you can't eat a whole roast duck, no matter how delicious, in a single bite, you can't write a thesis in just one stage. Planning helps by chopping huge goals into bite-size tasks. Plan for pleasure, not just work. Otherwise, you can waste weeks and months working ineffectively - and still feel too guilty to have any fun. 

Planning session

Make notes in a computer file, or on sheets of scrap paper. First, ask yourself, what do you want to be doing in a year? In five years? Write out your goals - no matter how frivolous. Put each goal on a separate piece of paper. For now, pull out the three most desirable goals.

For these three goals, list out backwards the steps you have to take to get there. For example, to have a good college teaching job by June 2002, you must complete your MPhil thesis. To complete your thesis, you must have a final draft to your supervisor by April 1. To have a final draft, you must have a rough draft of your findings by February 1. And so on.

Get a yearly and weekly date book, or use one on your computer. Mark out a rough schedule for a year ahead, with specific goals month by month. Now you are ready to plan for the months, weeks and days ahead.

Priorities: Do I really have to do this?

Try to reduce your to-do list to only two categories: things you must do and things you want to do. Eliminate as many items as possible that you simply 'should do'. For example, do you really have to go to that conference? Do you want to? Or, do you merely feel it would be virtuous?

A, B, and C priorities

Draft a weekly and daily to-do list according to A, B, and C level tasks. A tasks are the most important ones, those you must do. B tasks are very important. C tasks would be a good idea, if you have extra time. Try to do all your A and B tasks. If you don't get to the Cs - you will be amazed how often it doesn't matter. Cross off every task you accomplish and tear out the page when you are done - or save it, and gloat over it.

Chop your tasks to bite size

People can get depressed by to-do lists where the daily tasks can be set unrealistically huge and vague. 'Write literature review' is much too big for one day, but making it your goal for the week is too vague.

Chop your goal into sub-tasks

For example: summarise case studies, summarise statistical studies, summarise research done in Hong Kong. Synthesise the strengths and weaknesses of existing research. Draft literature review. Print. Proof-read. Correct and re-write draft. Print. Proof-read. Print. Pass to supervisor. Celebrate by having tea with friends.

Think realistically about how many hours each task requires. (For a complex part of your thesis, double or triple that estimate.) Spread sub-tasks onto hours of the days of the week. Say you want to start your literature review draft on Monday, so you can give it to your supervisor by Friday at 2 pm. On Monday morning you will summarise those case studies: 3 hours... Be sure to schedule in time for rest and fun.

Match your energy level to the task

Schedule your most important, intellectual analysis and writing for when you are most alert. Don't waste energetic hours on low-level tasks like printing, or alphabetising references. Save those for whenever you feel too tired to think clearly, but are not ready to quit.

Just get started!

Start writing now. We think while we write. We test ideas by writing them out. Starting with the middle of your thesis, say the methods section, often works better than beginning at that intimidating first page. Set yourself a quota, like a factory worker, of 2,000 words a day. They don't have to be great words. But you do have to write them. Print them out, highlight the best ideas, and save them. Now you have a better draft.

"There is no writing, there is only re-writing"

Said eminent U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Yet he published many classic studies in history and law. Re-writing is normal. Don't feel insulted when your supervisor asks for rewrites. University lecturers rewrite each journal article an average of five times before it gets published anywhere decent. You will have to do the same.

Supervisors need time too!

You will gain a lot of good will by turning in your draft promptly. Your supervisor is probably reading six or more other theses. It can take 5-6 hours to read and comment on a 50-page draft. Take advantage of those comments. You don't have to agree - talking through a disagreement can lead to progress. But you do have to justify analysing the topic as you do.

The rewards of planning

One big reward is that you know when you are done! You enjoy what you have accomplished and enjoy some guilt-free time off. Psychologists find that the people who work the longest hours do not produce the best work. The most accomplished and innovative people work hard. But they also work smart. They put their best efforts only into the most important tasks, so they also find time for rest and fun.