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How does one find a thesis problem to solve? | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
[new] Advisor can be a lot of help (none / 0) (#1)
by halewis on Mon Aug 07, 2006 at 07:03:33 AM PDT

I think that how much help an advisor gives will vary depending on the individual, but my experience is that your advisor is likely to be a great deal of help. I think most people enter grad school knowing the general area they want to study, but not the specifics (and there may well be background coursework before you can understand what direction to even look for problems). Ideally, once you have an advisor, you can talk about what directions to pursue, and the advisor can help point you in potentially fruitful directions, suggest sources, or listen as you explain ideas. I know that my own advisor was crucial in my coming up with a thesis topic.

Even in cases where you come up with your own ideas with minimal help from your advisor, I suspect that the ideas will often come from graduate coursework, and then the professor teaching the class may have suggestions.

As for finding a problem that is nontrivial but within reach, well, that's the Big Question. One approach is to work on a series of smaller problems that together add up to something significant. Another benefit of starting small is that you may find yourself drawn to particular questions, so as you discover certain smaller results you discover what direction you really want to head in. I'd expect that there are other approaches, though, and I look forward to reading the other suggestions!



How does one find a thesis problem to solve? | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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