Master thesis and the Xmas vacation

During the Christmas holiday you should continue to think about your thesis project. After the exams you will probably feel exhausted and a little burnt out. Don't panic! This is normal, but it means that you need to do two things:
  • Rest - catch up on sleep, go for walks etc
  • Play - read a novel, watch a film, etc
You need to wind down and be good to body and soul, but it is also important however that you do not switch off completely from your studies. Instead you should integrate a little bit of constructive work into your play.

What to do

Spend a little time over the holidays browsing and collecting relevant literature, surfing around. Order books from the library or articles online.
  • Don't spend a lot of time reading them (unless you really feel like it!) but browse the material a few times when you feel like it.
  • Collect the central documents that will form the basic literature of your project. This in itself is important progress.
  • Remember to write down the references where you found them since you will need these later for your bibliography.
  • While you are searching, don't think just about the technical literature, but ask yourself: what are the larger implications of the project? What does it mean for society, for the future? Are there any popular science books or articles, or even novels that deal with the subject matter? All these things will help you to get in the right frame of mind for your work in the final semester.
Think of this as play. Follow up on threads that interest you. Explore and reject things that look irrelevant (but keep those references too, as you might want to explain why they are irrelevant later).

This is enough work for the holiday period. By doing these few things, you will keep yourself motivated and you will kickstart the final semester with an important task under your belt.

Enjoy the holiday!