Jaqueline Perez Gamboa

Yonsei GSIS Newsletter, Chief Editor

Writing a thesis at GSIS is probably one of the most challenging parts of graduate school. Not only academically, but emotionally, mentally, and honestly… physically too. Between deadlines, corrections, meetings, interviews, administrative procedures, and the constant feeling that you should probably be reading one more paper, it is easy to lose yourself in the process.

So instead of writing a perfect guide about “how to write a thesis,” I wanted to share a few things that have genuinely helped me survive the process so far, along with things I wish I had known earlier.

Lose the fear of talking to professors:

Finding a supervisor and committee members can become one of the hardest parts of the thesis process, especially at GSIS where not all professors are full-time faculty members. My biggest recommendation is to start building connections early. Take professors’ classes, go to office hours, ask questions, apply to be a TA or RA if possible, and most importantly, introduce yourself. Many students avoid contacting professors because they feel intimidated or think their ideas are not “ready enough” yet. But honestly, asking questions and starting conversations is one of the best tools we have. Send the email. Present your proposal, even if it still feels incomplete.

Deeply love your research topic:

Your thesis becomes your entire life for a long time. You will wake up thinking about it, spend all day reading about it, and probably fall asleep editing it. There will be endless corrections, moments of doubt, comments that completely change your structure, and days where you genuinely question if you know anything at all. Loving your topic is what makes those difficult moments bearable. If you choose a topic only because it sounds impressive or “academic enough,” the process can become emotionally exhausting very quickly.

Do not disappear into your thesis completely:

At some point, many graduate students accidentally isolate themselves because they feel guilty doing anything that is not thesis-related. But having small spaces outside your research is honestly necessary. For me, joining the book club helped a lot because it forced me to read things completely unrelated to my thesis. I also asked my friends to randomly invite me to dinner whenever they wanted, which sounds simple but genuinely helped me leave my room and reconnect with people. Sometimes even making playlists becomes a good way to disconnect mentally for a while.

Always stay attentive to office announcements and administrative deadlines:

A huge part of thesis writing is not actually writing, it is paperwork, forms, signatures, revisions, and deadlines. And honestly, if you are confused about something, my best recommendation is to go ask directly. Emails are useful, but sometimes going to the office and asking questions face-to-face helps clarify everything much faster and avoids unnecessary stress later.

Talk to students who already survived the process:

Seriously, ask them everything. Ask about timelines, formatting, committee dynamics, presentations, stress, interviews, paperwork, literally anything. Graduate school sometimes creates this strange feeling that we should already know how to do everything independently, but the truth is that most students are figuring things out as they go. Other people’s experiences become one of the most valuable sources of guidance and reassurance during thesis season.

And maybe the most important thing to remember is this: struggling during the thesis process does not mean you are failing. It probably just means you are actually doing it. Writing a thesis is, in fact, challenging. From revisiting everything we have learned, to articulating our ideas clearly, writing them academically, and somehow bringing the entire project to life. It is exhausting, overwhelming, and sometimes incredibly frustrating. But at the same time, it is also a privilege. 

So if you decide to write a thesis at GSIS, I genuinely wish you all the success. And if you ever need advice, reassurance, or simply someone who understands the chaos of the process, please feel free to contact this writer anytime.