Thesis Support

The Writers Room offers a variety of resources for Wesleyan seniors working on a thesis, regardless of topic or department. In an effort to add to the support available for thesis writers, we have expanded our events and programs. All services are, of course, free. We look forward to working with you! 

 

Fall 2025 Thesis Writing Support Programs

 

Thesis Writing Workshops

Fall 2025 features three workshops to help writers accomplish their goals.

  • "Build a Writing Schedule for the Year" on October 10th from 10am-12pm in FRANK 101   

Writing a thesis takes time. And for many thesis writers, this is the first moment in their academic history that they will work on a project for months on end. As such, this workshop will guide students through the process of creating a writing schedule for the academic year. We will (1) break down the large task of 'writing a thesis' into smaller goals and (2) schedule deadlines for each of these tasks.

  • "Writing While Researching" on October 24th from 10am-12pm in FRANK 101                 

 Many thesis writers fear writing before their research is done. And while it's true that you can't write your conclusion without the results of your experiment, most thesis writers can start writing way before they 'know it all'. This workshop will focus on (1) how writing can help you think through your project and argumentation (2) methods to incorporate writing into your research project so you don't have to face a 'blank page' and (3) research technologies that can help in the process. The workshop will feature library staff available for one-on-one, discipline specific support.

  • "What Does a Thesis Chapter Look Like"on November 14th from 10am-12pm in FRANK 101   
 Do you know how many thesis writers have written a thesis before? None! In some ways, the fact that you've never written a thesis before is what makes it so challenging. To ease yourself into the 'unknown' this workshop will present a few thesis chapters to help explain the major 'moves' a thesis chapter will make. You'll leave the workshop with a better sense of what to produce as you work on drafting your first chapter. 

All workshops will have breakfast snacks and drinks. RSVP here. 

 

Weekly Thesis Write-Ins at the Writers Room

Every Wednesday from 1-5pm the Writers Room will be open exclusively for thesis writers. Stop by to work on your project with other thesis students and enjoy the Writers Room snacks, coffee, and tea!

 

Thesis Writers' Moodle

Join our events remotely, find a community, exchange drafts, and share tips and resources all in our dedicated Moodle! Don't let the thesis process become more difficult or lonely than it needs to be. You can find the moodle in the "Community Moodle" bucket. 

 

Spring 2026 Thesis Writing Support Programs

Check back in December for our programs...

...but expect (1) one-on-one writing mentorship (2) monthly 4-hour writing retreats on Fridays with lunch and (3) weekly write-ins. 

 

 

Resources for Thesis Writers 

As you plan your project:

  • Blank Monthly Calendars - Break up your project and set smaller deadlines.
  • Blank Weekly Calendar - Feel like there's no time to get started? Track how you already spend your time.
  • Daily Planner/ Organizer printable templates
    • Design your own daily planner with your own 
      • with Canva: templates available by subjects/tasks (sign-in with Google for free usage and download)
      • with Creately
  • Managing your writing project with digital tools:

Having trouble getting started?

Strategies for tackling big projects:

  • Mindfulness - Prioritize your body and emotions with some of these ways of incorporating mindfulness into your writing process.
  • The Must-Do Method - Get your priorities straight with these quick steps.
  • Pomodoro Technique - Stop that overwhelmed feeling from taking over by dividing your time and interspersing breaks.
  • Batchotasking - Monotasking and batching are a great team.
  • Lists and project management - Which type of list is right for you?

Citations and note-taking software:

  • Zotero - Organize your resources and get citations instantly.
  • Evernote - Save all sorts of web sources and also make to-do lists.

The basics of citations and style:

To hear about other writers' projects:

Using all of your languages when writing:

 

Check out some words of wisdom from past thesis writers:

During drop-add, consider adding a course that’s tangentially related to your thesis topic. It can help you look at your thesis through a different lens, and you might find some fantastic sources you can use in your thesis.
-Former thesis writer, class of 2018

 

I wrote my thesis in Anthropology and German Studies. A significant portion of it was ethnographic. In the humanities, as well as the more qualitative social studies fields like anthropology, the thinking that you do happens through writing, not beforehand. A lot of people spend a large portion of their thesis year planning what they are going to write about. My strategy was just to keep writing, and it was through the process of writing that I finally landed on what ended up being my central argument in my thesis.

-Anna Apostolidis, class of 2019, Anthropology & German Studies

 

If conducting an experiment, take advantage of any time you spend waiting to do writing. Write what you can when you can. While waiting on IRB approval, I wrote my introduction and methods. When I got my data, I just had to write results and a discussion. My thesis was done about a month early!

-Katie Vasquez, class of 2020, High Honors in Psychology