Jackman
New member
Okay, this is going to sound so strange, but stick with me. I was three months into my thesis on renewable energy systems, and I was drowning. I had so much data, so many articles, and so many half-baked ideas floating around in my head. I felt like I knew nothing. 
Then, my supervisor gave me a weird piece of advice: "Stop trying to write the thesis. Just write a technical manual for yourself first." I was so confused. But I tried it. I sat down and started writing as if I had to explain my entire project to a brand new researcher. I wrote simple definitions, created flowcharts of my methodology, and explained my equations in plain language. I wasn't worrying about academic tone or perfect citations—just clarity.
And you know what? It worked. By forcing myself to write in that super clear, technical writing style, I finally understood where the holes were in my own logic. I spotted a flaw in my data collection method that I'd missed for weeks. It was like turning on a light in a dark room.
Now my actual thesis is coming together so much faster because I have this "plain English" foundation to build on. If you're feeling stuck with a big project, try explaining it like you're writing a user manual. Future you will be so grateful! Has anyone else used a trick like this?
Then, my supervisor gave me a weird piece of advice: "Stop trying to write the thesis. Just write a technical manual for yourself first." I was so confused. But I tried it. I sat down and started writing as if I had to explain my entire project to a brand new researcher. I wrote simple definitions, created flowcharts of my methodology, and explained my equations in plain language. I wasn't worrying about academic tone or perfect citations—just clarity.
And you know what? It worked. By forcing myself to write in that super clear, technical writing style, I finally understood where the holes were in my own logic. I spotted a flaw in my data collection method that I'd missed for weeks. It was like turning on a light in a dark room.
Now my actual thesis is coming together so much faster because I have this "plain English" foundation to build on. If you're feeling stuck with a big project, try explaining it like you're writing a user manual. Future you will be so grateful! Has anyone else used a trick like this?