Okay, so you’re not the kind of a student who leaves everything for the last night before the deadline. Good for you! It means that you have good time management and self-organization skills. But that certainly doesn’t imply that you will do better than someone who cobble together a thesis during the last days before submission. To err is human as Alexander Pope said.
That’s why we offer you our thesis guidelines to consider when making a final checkup of you writing. They will help you draw your attention to the most problematic points possible and, probably, avoid your grade being lowered for your lack of focus.
Don’t Overuse Passive Voice
We are taken aback by your precision to be perceived as a real academic writer whose work has been written with all the academic standards being considered.
Looks weird? That’s the point. Of course, your style has to be formal, but it doesn’t presuppose that you have to use passive voice excessively and sound unnaturally (that’s not what academic writing really is).
Avoid Filler Words
Matt Might, a professor from the University of Alabama, calls this kind of vocabulary “weasel words”, i.e. lexical units that don’t bear any significant meaning, but overload the thesis. Besides giving them the name, he went much farther – he uses LaTeX software to detect these words in writing with the help of special scripts that you can find here (there is also a script for passive voice). You’re welcome!
Count the Words!
If you think that it’s better to write more than less, you’re wrong. Many educational institutions are very strict about this point, and if you surpass the limit they have appointed, they may return your thesis for revision (or even turn it down!).
Check the guidelines for this matter on your university’s website or with your advisor to be on the safe side.
Check Grammar, Spelling and Syntax
This is the most boring part of editing/proofreading, but the most sensitive issue most of the students get burned on. In order to make an ultimate check, you need to:
- Run your thesis through a spelling checker (Grammarly, Ginger Software, Analyze);
- Review the verb tenses and conjugation;
- Make sure you’ve inserted quotes properly;
- Examine the punctuation use in your writing.
These are the most common errors students make, so revise every point of our list not to be among those unlucky learners.
Make Sure Your Thesis Looks Consistent
Just take a step back and ask yourself: have I answered the research question? Do I understand what I actually created (nice question, isn’t it?)? Have I contributed somehow to the field of study? Are my statements and proofs persuasive? It looks as if it’s too late to think about such global issues during the final checkup, but you will be surprised what you brain might pull out.
Anyway, take our checklist, add your specific weak points (maybe you always mix up order and other) and make sure you go over everything several times. After all, you want to get a good grade, don’t you?