Rock your Thesis: Get ready to write

What is the Rock Your Thesis Guidebook?

This self-paced guidebook accompanies our popular in-person Rock Your Thesis workshop series.

We’ve divided the guidebook into four main sections, each of which explores a distinct stage of the thesis-writing journey. If you’re in the early stages of your thesis-writing journey, we recommend skimming the whole workshop to learn about all the stages involved in completing your thesis and your degree. Then, as you approach each stage of your project, review the module focused on that stage more carefully, try out the strategies we recommend, and complete the exercises we’ve included to move your project forward. 

1. Plan Your Project will help you to recognize the goals of thesis-writing, identify key milestones, and manage the thesis as a project.

2. Articulate Your Research supports you through contextualizing your project within a larger research field through a literature review and articulating the significance and contribution of your own research. 

3. Draft and Revise gives you the opportunity to apply global and local revision strategies and guides you through managing the distinct stages of the revisions process. 

4. Submit and Defend prepares you for completing the stages of your degree that occur after you submit your thesis, including defending your thesis with confidence! 

Through four modules, the Rock Your Thesis Guidebook walks students through the thesis- or dissertation-writing process from planning to drafting to revision to convocation! 

Access the Guidebook:

To access our workshops, you'll need to self-register for “WCC Workshops” on LEARN.  

  How to self-register on LEARN: 

1. Log into the LEARN website using your UWaterloo credentials 
2. Click on Self-Registration in the menu at the top of the LEARN homepage 
3. Scroll down to WCC Workshops and click on the link 
4. Follow the registration instructions on LEARN