Hi everyone!
I hope you’ve had a productive week! I’m writing to give you details about preparing for the May 2 rehearsal. You should still remain mostly in the production zone, but reserve one day between today and Tuesday to prepare! Presentation doesn’t have to be perfect, but please use this draft/rehearsal as an earnest effort to get you prepared for May 8/9.
The “Too Long Didn’t Read” Version (for those too deep in production):
- Reflect on what you’ve done so far, starting from before thesis!
- Read out the “Final Spring Presentation” Section of the syllabus
- Review the “Final Checklist” section of the syllabus
- Make a draft presentation to rehearse May 2. Zoom links will be added on the signup sheet and onto your calendar.
Lengthy version (for those who find comfort in detail!):
As a reminder, this presentation is NOT the same type of presentation you’ve seen on the thesis archives (those are like your summer presentation!). THIS presentation is about clearly conveying what you’ve done for the specific sake of getting strategic feedback on what your next steps / focus should be in Summer, in alignment with your personal goals.
To get there, It may be nice to do a bit of reflection, specifically on what you have learned, and what your goals are. Start by going back through your blog posts, and making a list of everything you have learned, and everything you have done. No “thing” is too small! Try to give respect to each piece. If you have any documentation to represent those pieces, perhaps those are the building blocks of your presentation! I also recommend trying to reconnect with your overall goals: why did you start this program? How has the thesis process spoken to that, or has your understanding of your reason shifted along the way, leaving you with new goals (also great!)?
I’ve added a few new sections that might also help orient you for this presentation. One is a detailed description of the points to make in the Spring presentation – which is also echoed in this Final Spring presentation template. I actually *don’t* recommend starting from the template but if you feel it will save you significant time, go ahead.
There is also a “Final Checklist” that represents everything we’d hope you have done by the end of your thesis in Summer. Taking a look at this in advance and seeing which areas you have yet to cover might be a good starting point for thinking about your final Spring presentation – ask what steps you need to take to complete the checklist!
Remember: no one expects you to do more than humanly possible and you don’t need to “prove” anything to anyone – this presentation (and the final summer one) are stopping points on your own journey, and you are simply sharing now as a way to figure out where to go next.
As a preview into the future: your public presentation in summer will be a different kind of presentation. I’ve started compiling some tips here for you to use after our time together has ended! And there are many more on the thesis resources page. If you are inclined, you can take a glance at these now to get a sense of what’s to come. You will get there!
Open to answering any questions you may have!
Warmly,
Sarah
—
