Dos and Don'ts of Honours Year

Towards the end of last year when I was procrastinating editing my thesis and writing a journal article, I put together a short list of Dos and Don'ts I wish someone had told me when I started my honours year. I wanted to share this on the blog in the hope it may help new honours students this year or final year students considering honours for 2015. Please remember though, these are my personal views and reflections and they may not apply to all students in all circumstances.

DO…

• Start in summer.

This is fairly obvious, but the earlier you can start your research the better. I started “seriously” researching my topic in late 2012 and quickly found that life often gets in the way of research, whether it’s internships, holidays (you or your supervisor), or medical issues. Start early and (hopefully) you'll be able to maintain your sanity come submission day in October.

• Teach. 

They say you have only really mastered a topic when you are comfortable teaching it to others. Teaching allows you to think deeply about a topic you’re interested in and share your knowledge with others. It improves communication skills (verbal and written) and is an opportunity not available to undergraduate students at Griffith. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching and found it provided a nice break from the endless research during Semester 2. Plus, it pays well and you get your own office. :)

• Explore other research areas outside your dissertation. 

This can be through RA work (which is another great way to earn some extra $$$), talking to your peers or other academics, or simply reading widely. This benefits your own research by introducing new perspectives and keeping things fresh.

DON'T...

• Take on an excessive teaching load.

You are there to research first and foremost. It’s okay to say no to extra tutorials.

• Choose a supervisor based solely on prestige or job title.

Most importantly, your supervisor needs to share your research interests, so do your research and speak to academic staff to get an idea of who might be a good match for your project. Almost as importantly, you need to get along personally with your supervisor, because you are going to be spending A LOT of time together. Your supervisor will do more than just read drafts and answer some emails – they can be a referee for job applications, a gateway to a whole network of contacts, a confidant, a co-author (if you choose to publish your work), and a source of employment (for teaching or RA work). And don’t forget, you can also choose two supervisors if you want to!

• Think you have to alienate yourself from your peers to succeed.

In my experience, in honours your peers become an even more important support network than they were as an undergraduate. They can relate to your research journey better than anyone, and can be useful during the editing phase when you need a fresh pair of eyes to proofread your thesis.

I hope these points are helpful. I'm happy to talk more about my experience in the comments if anyone has any questions.

Side note: if any honours or final year students are interested in being a co-author on this blog this year, please let me know! You can email me at griffitheconomicsblog@gmail.com or message me on Facebook.