What does a thesis mean?

A thesis is one of the essential components for writing absolutely all types of essays in college or university. It is the thesis statement that helps to focus readers on the idea that is fundamental in your article.

In turn, a thesis can be presented in the form of an argument or point of view that generalizes the idea of your paper in one or two sentences and is able to inform the reader of the primary purpose of the article. Such a tool is incredibly important and useful not only for those who will read your paper but also for the writer her/himself.

The fact is that with the help of a statement, you can direct the reader’s attention to the specific logical structure by which your work is written.

The thesis is intended to highlight two main foundations:

  • What ideas do you have?
  • What is the essence of your ideas?

Thus, it consists of two main parts, one of which says what you write about, and the second part indicates your opinion on the topic.

Examples of correct abstract writing

In order to better understand what a thesis is and how to write it correctly, it is necessary to consider this term with a specific example.

‘All successful students who were able to go to college share certain characteristics.’ In this case, the central theme is that the most successful students enter college. At the same time, the thesis of this work is that specific characteristics unite successful students. Thus, the argument of your work will be focused on a discussion of particular characteristics that help students to enter a college.

The following example may be: ‘For most adult students who return to college to receive higher education, the problems they encounter in the learning process far outweigh all their career achievements.’ In this case, the main theme will be focused on adult students who go to college. At the same time, the main idea of this work will be precisely what problems outweigh possible future achievements. Thus, to begin with, you will need to describe the issue itself and then explain all the accomplishments that the complex learning process levels.

And finally, the third version of the thesis can be cited as the following example: ‘To date, the number of adult students who go to college is much bigger than it used to be 20 years ago.’ The central theme of your work involves informing that the number of adult students entering colleges and universities has increased. At the same time, the main idea of the work will be focused on what reasons contribute to the fact that the percentage of adults who return to receive higher education over the past 20 years has increased.

Thus, judging by the thesis, you first need to explain the statistical reasons, then indicate the various economic factors that contribute to this. And finally, you must point to multiple social norms why these changes are essential for modern society.

The main tips of writing abstracts

After the above examples, it will be much easier for you to understand what the thesis is and how to apply it. Thus, in addition to understanding a term, you also need to know what mistakes should be avoided when writing strong points:

  • It should not be too voluminous. If you consider the above examples and focus on the fact that it is difficult for adult students to return to college, you need to explain precisely what difficulties these students are experiencing. Besides, it is imperative to indicate what opinions you hold in this case explicitly.
  • The facts you state should not be too narrow. The point is that a too short statement cannot be the basis for writing a full-fledged essay since it does not contain an author’s individual opinion on a specific issue. For example, adult students who return to college read no more than eight books in a semester.
  • At the same time, the reader may have a completely logical question, ‘So what?’ Now you can more clearly verify that such a judgment does not contain any personal analysis and argumentation by the author. And this is the essential factor that any strong thesis should possess.
  • A thesis should not sound like a simple announcement. If a statement does not contain a particular angle that will show the reader your personal opinion on this topic, then this will be more like an announcement than a thesis.

For example, if you decide to write on a topic: ‘Adult students return to college for higher education.’ Here again, there are patterns of the question ‘So what?’ In other words, what idea does this statement bring to the reader?

The main characteristics of a thesis

When writing a central argument for your work, you must make sure that it meets all the necessary components. Thus, you should analyze whether your argument has a precise topic that points to the thesis itself and whether your abstract contains personal ideas about the issue. Try not to make the thesis too large in volume or, on the contrary, too short, which simply states a fact.

Be sure to choose the point of view that you think is the most correct. Do not forget that in the process of writing your work, the abstract statement can be changed several times. Nevertheless, the most important characteristics of your thesis should be preserved no matter how you reformulate it.

Where a thesis should be placed?

You must indicate your abstract directly at the beginning of the paper. This can be done as part of one or two sentences in the introduction. Thus, the readership will be able to understand precisely in which direction the rest of your work will be written.

The usage of specifics in abstract statements

Try to make your thesis as specific as possible. Thus, you will exclude the situation in which, regardless of the material presented, the article may be considered a bad one.

Let’s consider the following thesis statement: ‘If you eat fast food, it will badly affect your health’. In this case, this can be viewed as a simple statement since you are not providing the reader with any specific facts and reasons why using fast food as food is harmful to the health of other people.

However, if in this case, you indicated at least a few reasons why eating junk food is harmful, then the reader would clearly understand what the bulk of your work will be written about.

In which case, your thesis can be called controversial?

As you can see in the above example, your whole thesis boils down to the simple statement of ‘pros and cons’. In other words, almost everyone knows that eating junk food is bad for health. However, what is the originality of your thesis and the stated idea, and where is your specific view on this topic?

Be sure to consider this factor when you are creating a strong thesis statement since this particular factor can shed light on your topic so that the readership correctly understands your opinion on the selected issue.