Hemingway at his desk
Writing a senior-level thesis is a rare feat among Queen’s history students. If the SOLUS-based statistics serves me correctly, there has been a steady decline of those who have taken this option, with the enrollment numbers for HIST 515 dropping from 8 to 4 and then 1, leaving myself as the only history student writing his senior-level thesis this school year. One, myself included, should not be too surprised by this drop; writing a senior-level thesis is by no means an easy task and one should approach it carefully and with a clear, long-term vision in mind.
This does not mean that the students should be discouraged from taking this option. Over the past year, I have met quite a few third and fourth-year history students who have expressed their interest in writing a senior-level thesis. In any case, I encourage them to pursue their interest, for the rewards reaped are greater than the risks one may encounter during their writing process. It not only helps the students in preparing themselves for graduate or law school coursework but also in life beyond academic realms, for it teaches students how to handle and execute a long research project, an underappreciated aspect in this day and age. Hopefully, this article will help all those interested in their senior-thesis writing, as you embark on your yearlong journey. This article will be using the section dedicated to requirements for History 515: Independent Study Project, and other possible links you may consult at your own convenience. This article will also be using my current process as an example conducting research, sending applications and formatting as necessary.
The first thing you must do is to think of your potential topic in the winter or summer semester before your final year of your undergraduate career. As we all know from countless hours wondering about a critical question, inspiration is a tricky thing. For some of us it may take months to find one that draws your soul, while for the rest, it may take only hours or even minutes before your eureka moment. For myself, as an example, I have always held great interest in Russian literature. I also knew that I wanted to work on a senior-level thesis. However, it was not until a small suggestion by my current adviser, Professor Ana Siljak, during one October seminar on Nikolai Chernyshevski’s Shto Delat? (What is to be done?), and my father’s Christmas gift thereafter, that I decided to go back into my consistent interest in the last Russian literary giant and his earlier works.
So really, it depends on who you are as an individual, although what one should remember regardless is that inspiration for research projects, like Rome, is never built in a day. You do not need to know right away what you want to write about, but it is a must that you spend significant time researching on your own during this process. Thus, it is essential that your research topic is one of your interests.
Then, you have to contact a faculty member of the department who is capable and willing to supervise your topic. While the senior-level thesis is an independent project, your adviser is someone you will be consulting for honest advice and suggestions for the next year. As with thesis writing in every possible discipline, working in close contact with your supervisor is essential. So make sure to do some preliminary research and build on your topic, as well as taking courses in the topic (if possible), before contacting your potential adviser. It is also recommended that during the rest of your undergraduate career, that you also take courses within your region but beyond the specific area, to possibly connect your thesis in an interdisciplinary fashion or to draw further motivation from other faculty members.
Afterwards, you have an entire summer and even spring of your penultimate year to set up your yearlong plan for the thesis. This step is very important, for the senior-level thesis is a full-year project. While it is an undeniable fact that everybody has different schedules and summer plans, no excuse can be given for leaving the research topic out to lunch until September. Such irresponsibility will not only leave the student with little preparation upon their return to Kingston in September, but it may also require the student to, unfortunately, withdraw from his commitment to writing a thesis.
So, to avoid such potential catastrophe, make sure to draft your plan for the summer in advance and work on it. Make sure to build on your body of research and start imagining research directions. If possible, conducting primary source-based research or taking classes involving the relevant language is also recommended. The priorities in whether you are taking summer classes or doing preliminary researches in a major archive do not matter. Each and every student has different summer plans, and it is more about setting aside time and energy for what you will be working on for the full school year. It is also recommended that you write your proposal over the summer, to ease the initial weeks of classes.
Now, you have to write and submit your proposal. This process is an important part, for the submission of your proposal indicates not only your commitment to the project. Fortunately, there is a guideline for what to write on the departmental website
https://www.queensu.ca/history/undergraduate/programs-and-plan-requirements/history-515-thesis
Just so you are sure that your line of communication with your adviser is consistent during the summer, especially with an early deadline and the distinct possibility of significant revisions required. The beginning of the year is busy for everybody, and confusions can lead to potential catastrophes - even if you have worked hard up to this point.
Finally, once you get your thesis proposal approved, you will start writing your thesis. Unlike other schools, especially those in the United States, Queen’s history department does not allocate a seminar dedicated to the senior-level thesis in HIST 515. This means that you and your adviser will have a lot more flexibility in the thesis-writing process, but also a greater possibility of confusion. Make sure to find time so that you and your adviser will be able to discuss scheduling for at least the fall semester. Planning things out in advance will ensure that you won’t be writing your entire thesis within the last two weeks of April. For example, I have worked out a tentative schedule with my adviser to submit the Vladislav Khodasevich (Russian Silver Age poet best known outside of Russia as the literary mentor of the former) and Vladimir Nabokov sections of the first body chapter to be around mid-late November and the weekend before first week of school, with edits to be made over that course of time. It is also recommended that you work out on a brief outline and discuss this with your adviser, also to ensure that you will be heading into the unknown battlefield with clear direction in mind. Afterwards, it is up to you to figure things out.
That is it for now. The next part is going to be about the tips and suggestions on the actual writing phase during your final year. As I continue my work until March for manuscript and April conference presentations, I will be looking forward to many more exciting things ahead!