By: Tyler Saumur, ORT Times Science Writer
Whether you are just starting your Master’s or are close to finishing your PhD, the projected date of your thesis defense should always be on your radar. In order to know this, identify the last date possible that you can submit your thesis within the funded period of your degree. Be sure to consult your department’s handbook for that date, as well as the minimum required time for your committee and your examiners to review your submission prior to and after your defense. For other checkpoints, it may be helpful to consult with your supervisor and senior lab members. Once you set a target defense date, plan for an additional buffer period. Life happens, and as Dr. Inger Mewburn states, “…in 15 years of working with PhD candidates, I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘It was totally fine.’” In other words, expect the unexpected. As you approach your final committee meeting, reach out to your committee to schedule a date and time for your defense. Contacting them early will help taper your expectations around when you can actually defend.
You now have your target deadline, but how do you meet it? One task that can take more time than initially anticipated is formatting and referencing. When you start writing your thesis, use the template required by your department if one exists—such as the U of T thesis template. This will save you the time required to manually number sections or to transfer your work between documents. Creating a reference list can also eat up more time than expected. Instead of saving this to the end, add formatted references as you go to avoid this speed bump.
Writing is the most time-consuming and daunting task of all. Break up this mammoth task into smaller tasks so that it feels more attainable. “Complete section 1.2.3 by Wednesday” feels much more within reach and than “finish literature review by next month.” The University of Toronto also offers a thesis writing boot camp for PhD students who need to focus their time and meet those deadlines. For me, I used visual reminders to meet my target deadlines for my Master’s thesis: three months prior to submitting my thesis to my committee, I printed off calendars for each month to visually track my small deadlines for each section.
While conducting research can be difficult enough, it’s important to make sure you have an exit plan in place. Outlining the deadlines, formatting your thesis and setting small goals can help you meet your defense deadline on time.