Surviving Your Thesis

You’re feeling pretty good about life now that you’ve decided on your thesis topic. No stress, no worries. You still have nearly a year before it’s due, so it’s all good, right?

Not exactly. Do you remember that old saying of how time flies fast? Oh yes, it really does whiz past when you’re not looking. You may have a job, four or five other classes, family responsibilities, volunteer time, and you even manage to squeeze in a few moments for yourself. It’s called living life, and it is all good stuff. 

However, if you haven’t had any previous experience working on a large, long-term project, you may be in for a surprise when time sneaks up on you, taps you on the shoulder, and says, “Hey, dude. Your thesis is due next month!” Time lets out an evil “ha-ha-ha” as it slides off to pester its next victim, leaving you frozen, unable to move—chills reaching down to your bones. 

You finally thaw, move, manage to breath. Your mind goes into overdrive, and you spend the next month never sleeping. You become a library nomad, traveling from one research location to another. You’re in and out of labs as you pull together the last bits of data you need to write your thesis. You keep panic at bay with caffeine – large, large doses of it, until you finally complete your thesis and have to re-program your heartbeat to a normal rhythm. Congratulations, you survived!

Did it really have to be that way? No. 

Here are a few tips to help you navigate your thesis:

• Create a time-table for yourself and stick to it as much as possible.

• Mark quotes while you conduct research, so the quotes are easy to find later. You may want to create a reference list just for quotes, even if you don’t end up using them. 

• If your thesis requires you to travel to gather primary sources, plan those days out in advance. You’ll need to match your schedule to the hours your research center is open.

• If you need to conduct interviews or get expert opinions, leave plenty of time to coordinate with other people.

• Submit chunks of your thesis to your readers early, so you have plenty of time for revisions, instead of waiting to send the entire thesis. Your readers have lives too and have been kind enough to support your endeavors.

• Thank your readers and anyone else who has helped you reach your goal. 

Incorporate the above tips early and your life will be much easier and more enjoyable. 

Written by Sheri Flemming

Gespräch mit Mr. Hartzler (Conversation with Mr. Hartzler)

Alex Hartzler speaking with student

It was a pleasure to have Alex Hartzler visit our campus and talk to Honors students on October 25^th. I had heard a great deal about “the Alex Hartzler” before meeting him; he is the man who generously supports our honors program at Penn State Harrisburg, which we are all grateful for. I honestly expected him to be boring and lacking in sense of humor. Oh boy was I proved wrong. Mr. Hartzler is actually an amazing, witty, and altruistic man, who wants nothing but for our generation to get international experience like he did when he was a student.

Mr. Hartzler is the donor of the Hartzler Travel Award for the Honors Program. He visited our campus to share his travel experiences and how they have shaped him as a person. The conversation also provided me with the opportunity to learn about how he became involved in the Capital College Honors Program.

A 1990 Penn State Harrisburg graduate himself, Mr. Hartzler has strived for success since graduating. He was an Executive Vice President and partner of Webclients.net, and started the Harrisburg Young Professionals group in our capital city.  He is currently a partner at WCI Partners, LP, concentrating on "acquiring, rehabilitating, restoring and re-selling historic homes" in Harrisburg and other urban areas.

He used his travel experiences to help him build his magnificent career.  During the session, he shared his fond memories of Germany and how making connections internationally helped him in later life.  His traveling also helped him with his communication skills in different languages.

Being from a different country, I was curious to know if that held any advantages compared to those who were born in America.  He told me that students who were born in a different country can sometimes have more opportunities than others.  They already have a basic knowledge of a different culture, and they can use that to their advantage.  

Mr. Hartzler was adamant that students should take the opportunity to travel, whether in school or when they graduate. Having traveled to many countries himself, he expressed that he learned something new and different from each country he visited. I couldn’t agree more, because even though I was also brought up in India and the US, I think there is much more for me to discover in the world.

With his travel award, Mr. Hartzler has afforded honors students an opportunity that other students do not have.  His generous donation gives us the financial support that we need to travel.  But he did more than just give us money; he also took the time out of his day to come and share his inspiring story with us.  It was a worthwhile conversation for curious students in the Honors Program!

Written by Jyothi Kakuturu