Study abroad or honor's thesis?

kjanebarnum · 01-29-2007, 06:48 PM

After reading the study abroad/graduate early post, I started thinking. I'm a junior at WashU and since I'm a transfer student, my options have been somewhat limited. I'm debating between applying to study abroad at University College London in Anthropology for fall 2007 or whether I should stay at WashU in the fall and write an honor's thesis. Writing the honor's thesis is the only way to graduate with Latin honors. I guess what I'm asking is what is more important to graduate schools: study abroad experience or an honor's thesis and Latin honors? Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

eastcoastbound · 01-29-2007, 07:00 PM

study abroad... graduate with honor is overrated.

mildred · 01-29-2007, 08:38 PM

Could you telecommute for the thesis? Know what I am saying?

If you could telecommute, then you could do your thesis out of London, eh? Worth looking into.

kjanebarnum · 01-30-2007, 06:45 PM

Thanks so much for the replies! Does anyone else have any points to make?

huskem55 · 01-30-2007, 07:05 PM

what field?

kjanebarnum · 01-30-2007, 08:27 PM

Anthropology. I'm into the biological aspect, particularly paleoanthropology and possibly primatology.

huskem55 · 01-30-2007, 09:32 PM

if you're going to be applying for grad school, i'd do an honors thesis- shows that you are competent (and willing!) to do in-depth research

DespSeekPhd · 01-30-2007, 10:50 PM

I think Mildred's idea is a good one. When I did my senior thesis, it basically involved my sitting down with my advisor a few times for review and revision. That can easily be done using email/phone. Speak to your thesis advisor - tell him/her that you would like to study abroad and do a thesis. If you arrange a schedule ahead of time, it should work fine.

UCLAri · 01-31-2007, 03:41 AM

I don't think you should live your life based on grad programs. What interests you more? What do you think will develop you as a human being and scholar more?

20 years down the line, what will matter more to you?

anton1212 · 01-31-2007, 08:26 AM

That is a really tough question. I found both things to be very rewarding experiences and I think they were both helpful in my grad school apps.

I also like the suggestion of trying to do both, especially if you would only be abroad for the fall semester. The only thing is it is going to mean being extremely organized. You would need to choose a topic and find an advisor before the end of junior year. If you can do that though, you'll have a major advantage. I was able to complete almost all of the research portion of my thesis during the summer before my senior year. Really once the research is done you can do the writing anywhere. It is definitely worth talking to your advisor about your options.

One thing to consider is that if you go to London, you are going to want to spend your weekends travelling and experiencing the culture not sitting in front on a computer working on a thesis. So ultimately, if you feel you have to choose one or the other then I think UCLAri makes a great point - pick the one that is most interesting/meaningful to you personally.

larationalist · 01-31-2007, 09:48 AM

coming from a completely different field, but isn't anthropology all about studying different cultures? I would think that experience abroad would be essential, really.

kwoo · 01-31-2007, 11:27 AM

I have been reading this thread with interest. My daughter has applied to grad school for journalism, communications and/or journalism combined with Asian Studies. How important is it to write an honors thesis while an undergrad in terms of gaining admission to grad school? My D did not write an honors thesis; however, she did study abroad in Beijing. (I posted earlier about chances of getting into journalism grad school.) Will the fact that she did not write an honors thesis hurt her chances of getting into grad school?

I apologize for highjacking this thread but it seems relevant to my daughter. Thank you in advance for any input.

Unclebob · 01-31-2007, 10:58 PM

Study abroad is more valuable in my opinion in artistic subjects (especially journalism). Its about being worldly and to bring perspective and insight to what you're writing. Nothing is better than being as international as possible for that.

And the fact it was abroad in Beijing, which is relevant to her grad application (i.e. with asian studies) thats even better. I expect she should do very well! Good luck!

Honors graduation is might be more important if you want to be a nuclear physicist or something technical that requires strong research ability.

Btw. to the original poster - year abroad definitely. It will stand out on the CV more than "honors".