Writing a PhD thesis is always considered as a long, stressful journey; however, I want to share a different perspective based on my own experience. I managed to complete my PhD thesis writing in 5 months. No shortcuts, no ghostwriting – I followed a structured approach, discipline, and the right mindset. If you are struggling with your thesis writing, I hope this post gives you both clarity and confidence.
Discover Dr. Sowndarya’s practical approach to writing a PhD thesis in just 5 months. Learn strategies and tips to speed up your thesis writing journey.
Let me be honest—I didn’t plan to write my thesis in 5 months. I had spent 4 years on my research, experiments, and data collection. Like many PhD scholars, I kept pushing the writing phase. When the pressure of submission, deadlines, and funding timelines finally caught up, I had no choice but to complete it. That’s when I decided: It’s now or never.
I Had a Clear Research Direction Before Writing
Before I started writing, I had already completed most of my experiments and had a clear understanding of my research objectives and findings. I didn’t wait for “everything” to be perfect-because in research, there’s always more to do. I focused on what was complete and meaningful, and built my writing around that.
I Broke Down the Thesis into Chapters and Set Deadlines
One of the best decisions I made was to break my thesis into manageable parts as per my University guidelines, ie, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. I set weekly goals and treated each chapter like a small project. This way, I could see progress every week, which kept me motivated.
I Used my Published Works as a Foundation
During my PhD, I published two research articles, works presented at conferences, and an Indian patent granted for my research work. These publications became the backbone of my thesis. I reused my methodology and results sections, reformatted them, and rewrote the discussions to suit the thesis context. Not only did this save time, but it also added credibility to my work since the content had already been peer-reviewed. I made sure to maintain consistency in formatting and added connecting text wherever needed.
I Wrote Every Day- Even if It Was Just 200 Words (Half-a-page)
I made it a habit to write something every day. Some days were slow, and writing 200 words per day became a big deal. But I didn’t skip writing. During those days, I got stuck with writer’s block. I used some tips and tricks to overcome this. You can refer to my article on “Tips to overcome writer’s block in PhD thesis writing”, where I shared some of the important tips that I followed to overcome this, and it worked for me. Once I got into the flow, some days I wrote even for 1 or 2 pages. The key was consistency, not perfection.
I Focused on Writing First, Editing Later
One of the biggest mistakes that all of us make is trying to write and edit at the same time. So, I separated these two tasks. My goal each day was to write 800–1000 words without worrying about grammar or structure. The idea was to keep the momentum going. I often wrote rough paragraphs and improved them in later drafts. This approach helped me avoid writer’s block and maintain steady progress. Once each chapter was complete, I spent time polishing it.
I Communicated Weekly with my Supervisor
I made it a point to send updates to my supervisor every week, whether it was a completed chapter or a revised outline. His feedback helped me identify gaps early, so I didn’t waste time rewriting entire sections later. This constant communication reduced the chances of major last-minute changes. Early feedback helped me correct the direction of my writing when needed. It also built trust and kept my supervisor engaged throughout the writing phase, which helped me to avoid stress during the final submission.
I Used Reference Managers to Save Time
I used tools like Mendeley or Zotero to manage my references. This saved me hours of formatting and helped me stay organized while citing papers. Trust me, this alone made the writing process much faster and less stressful.
I Reused and Polish Visual Content
I have a habit of creating suitable figures, graphs, and tables from results once I complete my experiments. Every week, we used to have internal discussion sessions, where we present our research progress to our supervisor. So, this helped me to use these visuals in my thesis after ensuring they met formatting guidelines. I maintained a consistent style across all figures and wrote clear, concise captions. By avoiding the need to create visuals from scratch, I saved a lot of time. I also used diagrams to explain complex concepts, which made my thesis more reader-friendly and well-organized (Comment received from my examiners during my defence presentation).
I Reduced Distractions and Managed My Energy
During those 5 months, I treated writing like a full-time job. I minimized social media, avoided unnecessary outings, and worked during the hours I felt most productive. I am a night person. So, for me, late nights were golden. Even though I was on a tight schedule, I didn’t work 24/7. I took small breaks now and then, went for walks, talked to friends, or just listened to music. These moments helped me refresh and come back with better focus.
I Believed in Progress, Not Perfection
One important lesson I learned: Our thesis doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be good enough to communicate our research. Perfectionism is the biggest enemy of progress. So, aim for clarity, not complexity. Whenever I felt tired or frustrated, I reminded myself why I started this journey. Completing my PhD meant more than just a degree- it meant contribution, growth, and opening doors to future opportunities. That kept me going.
Takeaway Message for PhD Thesis Writing in 5 Months
Writing a PhD Thesis in 5 Months isn’t magic; It is possible with the right planning, consistent effort, and support. If I could do it, so can you. Stay committed, take it one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. Feel free to share your own thesis writing experiences. Always remember that every PhD journey is unique; respect your pace, go with the flow, and believe in your power to finish it successfully.
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