Thesis writing courtesy of “http://www.ecoevoblog.com”

One of the biggest undertakings that we have as second year dance/movement therapy & counseling students here at Columbia College Chicago is the development of our thesis proposals. We are finally making decisions about when, where, what, why and how we are going to accomplish our research for our theses. One of the first and biggest steps towards accomplishing our thesis includes submitting a thesis proposal to the DTC (Departmental Thesis Committee) in order to get approval to move on to the next phase of the process!

photo courtesy of “http://johnny.hcssl.iat.sfu”

SIGH.
Thesis proposal.
After just recently submitting mine, a sigh of relief truly did wash over me. When I finally came to the difficult conclusion of what I actually wanted my thesis to concentrate on (a huge decision in itself), the logistics of how I was going to realistically accomplish it came into play. This is where the role of the thesis proposal began to reveal itself…What methodology will I be using? Where will I be collecting data? What will the data be? How will I be analyzing it? How will I be presenting it? What are the ethical considerations??? The questions go on and on….

Tayne struggles

After slaving over this 16 page document, nit-picking at every detail I could possibly think of, I finally sent it in. However I’m realizing now that the biggest piece of this process is understanding that no matter how hard I try, it will never be entirely perfect. There will always be revisions needed, and I will always be striving for more clarity. This is the process of creating a thesis! The work is never done. The best advice I can give to future dance/movement therapists joining the program would be to continue having self-compassion for themselves throughout the process. This is something I have been attempting to do for myself and I truly believe it is helping.

Yes, I have a long way to go—but I have already come so far!

photo courtesy of “pinterest”

Another piece of advice that I have for prospective students is to START EARLY. If you are entering the program with a specific passion or a topic of study you are interested in exploring, go for it! Begin your examination of the topic as soon as possible. Luckily, I have just made my final decision and it is only the beginning of my second year. However I could have chosen a topic last fall if I truly wanted, and would possibly be feeling a little more secure in my process thus far. Nevertheless, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and each of us will take our own path on this thesis journey! I for one feel proud of where I am at this point, and feel confident in the changes and shifts that I know I will continually be happening along the way. Bring it on!

photo courtesy of “http://www.quickmeme.com”