Are you ready to write a thesis?

Here are some questions to honestly ask yourself:

1. Background

Does a thesis fit in with your background and current situation? Do you have a support system in place?

2. Level of interest

Does the topic fire you with passion? Academically, emotionally? Do you want to get up every morning and write about this?

3. Writing skills

Look at your past experience with papers. Think about your deadline habits and work habits. If there are problem areas, can you devise a way to improve them?

4. Perseverance

Do you stick to tasks?

5. Will you be in an academic situation until the point of completion?

This is often said to be the key predictor of whether a student will finish their thesis or dissertation.

Remember, whether you choose to do a thesis or not: your thesis is not you. It is not the be all and end all of your life.