A major part of completing any master’s programme is writing a thesis. Right from the get-go, Thilo had some ideas of what kind of thesis he would like to pursue. As Thilo recounts, he landed on the topic of incidental language learning through video games due to his personal interest in becoming a teacher.
Choosing this topic was also practical for Thilo. A game-assisted language learning study had recently been done on a game called Her Story, which meant that there was previous research on the topic. With a plan in mind, Thilo set out to make his vision into reality.
Fieldwork in Switzerland
In order to start his research, Thilo had to find two things: students, and copies of the game he would use. Initially, Thilo wanted to use a different game, but only the creator of Her Story answered his request for free copies. Secondly, Thilo needed to find students to participate in the study. Thilo had planned to work with Finnish students, but it turned out to be more convenient to use his connections in Switzerland. Thilo’s girlfriend, who was living in Switzerland, knew several teachers who luckily agreed to have their class participate in the study.
Even with these small victories, Thilo remembers how halfway into his plan things seemed to start to fall apart. For example, having to actually plan and hold lessons for the students felt intimidating at first, as he was new to teaching: “Creating the materials for the lessons ended up taking a lot more time and effort than I thought”. While Thilo managed to overcome these challenges, he notes that there were still times when the progress seemed slow. Thankfully, Thilo had the support of his supervisor and peers, and received continuous feedback and advice on how to continue the process.
In addition to direct support, deadlines for certain stages of the thesis process were sprinkled throughout the semester. This spacing of deadlines helped in breaking down the writing process into more manageable segments.
Student life should not be overlooked
Alongside working on his thesis, Thilo found it important to maintain and form meaningful relationships with peers. When it comes to student life in Helsinki, Thilo brings up the importance of student organizations: “It’s a really nice way to feel connected to the people around you and I think it also helps you with your academic work if you’re feeling better in your free time”.
As the former chair of the Organisation of International Social Scientists at the University of Helsinki, also known as CISSI, Thilo considers being on the organising side of events meaningful and encourages joining any student organisation suitable for you. Thilo describes his experiences in the organisation as some of his best memories from his time in Helsinki. Joining a student organisation provides additional meaning to student life.
Upon the finalisation of our interview, Thilo advises any current or future master’s students to remember that you will face varying stages of the writing process. Creating a plan is essential for the success of your thesis, but should the plan fall apart, one should not punish oneself too hard – you can probably afford a few days off.