Like several of my fellow seniors, I am writing a thesis. And, if I've spoken to you at all in the past three weeks, you know that it's due on Friday. Having written nearly 100 pages on Native American water right negotiations in the Southwest after a year of research, I thought I might outline some of the pros and cons of the experience for any Juniors considering a thesis:
PRO: You become an expert. But really. Writing a thesis on a topic is unique in that you presume to put forth brand new ideas into the academic marketplace. You aren't comparing and contrasting. You aren't reviewing existing literature. You're becoming an expert in a topic to a great enough extent that you can write a paper that presents an idea that has not been introduced before. It takes a godawful amount of time and work, but it feels great to become a producer after four years of consuming.
