Tips on how to overcome the challenge called the bachelor’s thesis

The hardest part is usually getting started. The first step toward a successful bachelor’s thesis can be simply reading our tips. Then you’ll know how to begin the actual writing.

Don't underestimate the choice of topic

Keep in mind that writing your bachelor’s thesis will take a significant amount of time, so if you choose a topic you’re not actually interested in, you’re in for hours and hours of struggle. Some students randomly pick a topic that sounds easy, or go with whatever is left, thinking they’ll somehow manage to write it.

But it often turns out that writing becomes very difficult, and finishing the thesis — as well as defending it — turns into a major source of stress and misery. Take your time choosing a topic and make sure there’s something about it that genuinely interests you and that you can really dive into. But be careful — a seemingly attractive topic can also be a trap full of complex and hard-to-find sources.

Do some research on the topic

When working on your topic, you’ll need to draw mainly from academic literature. So it’s best to do a bit of research right at the beginning. Ideally, consult your thesis advisor or another professor about the topic so you know what you're getting into.

Our tip: It’s always better to choose a narrower topic that allows you to go deeper, rather than a broad one that may end up feeling superficial, unfocused, and unstructured. Sometimes, less really is more.

Where to find sources for your bachelor’s thesis?

Not sure where to start looking for sources? The easiest solution is to go through large book catalogs. The largest book catalog in the Czech Republic can be found at caslin.cz — you just need to register and then log in using your username and password.

Another useful source search tool is the National Library catalog, available at nkp.cz. Of course, also visit your university and scientific libraries, and don’t hesitate to ask your thesis advisor for guidance.

Last but not least, you can take a look at final theses by other graduates on similar topics to see what sources they used. But careful — don’t even think about copying their content. The committee members are very sensitive to that.

Create a timeline

Let’s be honest — the motivation to sit down and start writing doesn’t often come naturally. Fortunately, university has likely already taught you the importance of discipline, which is there for you even on the days when you really don’t feel like writing but know you have to. However, without a set timeline, discipline alone might not be enough.

Calculate how much time per week you can realistically dedicate to writing, and based on the required length of your thesis, determine how many pages you’ll write each week. But also make sure to include enough time at the end for final edits and a thorough review.

From time to time, you might need to change or rewrite something in your thesis — and if you plan for that in advance, it won’t throw you off track. And remember, putting off writing won’t help you in any way.

Keep track of deadlines and submission requirements

It may sound obvious, but many students underestimate deadlines and end up running out of time, getting stressed, and — in the best case — paying extra for express printing of their thesis. In the worst case, they sign up for the autumn defense date.

So be sure to check the academic calendar in advance for deadlines and requirements related to the submission of your bachelor’s thesis, the defense, and also exams, credits, and course requirements that must be completed before submitting your final thesis. The best approach is to set your own deadlines at least a week earlier than the official ones.

Consult your thesis regularly

If you don’t want your thesis advisor to cross out everything after you’ve written a third of your bachelor’s thesis and send you back to square one like in a game of "Sorry!", go to regular consultations with every progress or planned change.

That way, you'll be sure you're heading in the right direction, and if your advisor sees that you're genuinely working on your thesis over time — and not throwing it together at the last minute — you’ll have a better chance of getting their support during the defense.

But don’t hesitate to reach out to other experts who can help you with your writing — whether it’s about the thesis itself or the topic directly. They can offer useful tips you might not find online or in books.

Back up your work regularly

When it comes to your final thesis, it’s worth preparing for the worst — like your computer breaking down and losing all your work. If just the thought of that makes your hair stand on end, definitely don’t try that adrenaline rush in real life. To be safe, regularly save and back up your work to the cloud, a USB drive, or at least email it to yourself. You never know what might happen to your computer.

Format your document from the very beginning

Every bachelor’s thesis follows clear formatting and content rules. These rules can vary slightly from one university to another, so make sure you study the correct ones. The best approach is to browse through theses written by students from your own school to get a clear idea. Just be careful not to take inspiration from a thesis written back in 1985.

Set up the formatting in Word (avoid using other programs for your thesis) before you start writing — otherwise, you’ll create a lot of unnecessary work for yourself when finishing it. This mainly includes setting up an outline with associated chapters, choosing the correct font type and size, and deciding on a citation and referencing style.

Study the rules for writing a bachelor’s thesis

Writing a bachelor’s thesis is not the same as writing an essay, composition, or blog post, so it’s very helpful to study the rules of academic language. That way, you’ll know how to properly formulate words and sentences and how to structure the entire thesis.

You’ll also learn what belongs in a final thesis — and what doesn’t, like personal opinions and impressions. To successfully defend your bachelor’s thesis, all information must be supported by evidence, and every argument should be backed up with specific examples.

Be careful with proper citation

A key element of a successful bachelor’s thesis is proper citation, which follows strict rules set by citation standards (ČSN ISO 690 and ČSN ISO 690-2). In this case too, a thesis by a graduate from your school can be a helpful reference. So first study how to create citations, and then look at how it’s done in practice.

Watch out for “unintentional plagiarism,” which can happen when citing secondary sources. Always double-check where each idea comes from. In your thesis, you must clearly distinguish between what’s your own and what’s taken from others. Cite as you go, so you don’t forget the original source of any idea.

Our tip: You can make this tricky part of your thesis easier by using a citation manager (like Zotero or Mendeley), websites like citace.com, or the citation generator in your word processor. You can also check if your thesis is too similar to another one using odevzdej.cz.

The introduction and conclusion are the alpha and omega of your thesis

It’s quite possible that some members of the committee won’t have time to read your entire thesis. But what every one of them will read is the introduction and the conclusion. So make sure you give those sections extra attention.

Imagine that these parts will be read not only by the evaluation committee but also by other professionals or even your friends. So they should be clear and engaging for all of them. Write the introduction and conclusion after you’ve completed your research, so you can tailor them to match the actual outcome of your thesis.

What to write in the introduction and conclusion?

In the introduction, present the topic and explain why you chose it. Describe how you plan to approach it, state the goals of your thesis, outline your research questions, and explain how you intend to answer them. Also, give an overview of the sources you’ll be using.

In the conclusion, summarize the key findings you’ve reached through your research, describe the method by which you arrived at them, and explain their significance for the given field.

Consider investing in proofreading

Do you know the term “author’s blindness”? This sneaky phenomenon — responsible for typos and grammar slips even after the tenth read — affects not only students but also professional writers.

Basically, it means that the brain that created the text focuses more on the message than on the arrangement of individual letters. Since it remembers the content well, it automatically skips over and mentally corrects mistakes during rereading. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t rely on your own proofreading alone.

Of course, go through your thesis several times and fix anything that doesn’t feel right. But when it comes to the final check for spelling errors, typos, and other textual issues, it’s worth considering an investment in a professionalní proofreader. They specialize in correcting grammatical and stylistic inaccuracies and will make sure your work is flawless.

Don’t leave submission to the last minute

Once you’ve finished your thesis, made sure it’s free of errors and typos, and received the green light from your advisor, you can send it to print. Do this well in advance. Also, don’t forget to upload your bachelor’s thesis to the university portal in electronic form, using the correct format as specified in the guidelines.

Since these servers don’t always work as they should, definitely don’t leave it until the final day. Let’s be honest — the most important thing is to actually finish and submit your thesis on time. So don’t delay any longer and get started right away.