Two graduate students in History of Art reflect on their thesis experiences

19/04/2017

The round-table conference that took place on 19 April at the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts followed the proposal of the two graduate students in History of Art Marta and Alba and was very well received by the university community. The initiative could even be adopted by other UAB Faculties.

The thesis process can be difficult for a variety of reasons. The two speakers highlighted the importance of choosing a motivating topic due to the amount of time that students usually spend working on it. According to Marta and Alba, changing the topic of the thesis after a while should not be seen as a mistake but as a very valid option. Regarding the relationship with the advisers, Marta and Alba encouraged the students to think of the advisers as a useful resource for obtaining information, tools and contacts or even narrowing the focus of the thesis if necessary.

According to the two speakers, good time management and perseverance are crucial factors since research doesn’t always yield successful results. Students can choose wether if they want to start a research project from scratch or expand an existing research. The university thesis might give a boost to the students’ professional career and open up many doors in the labour market for them.

The conference held on 19 April sought to provide guidance and advise for students who are about to start their thesis (TFG). This initiative has received support from the thesis coordinators and the Community Involvement Unit, following a decentralization plan to encourage student involvement at every UAB faculty.