Handling Negative Feedback on Your Thesis Like Nobody’s Business

The process of writing a thesis is a long one. You research, you write drafts, and you develop your argument. As you write, you also read, re-read, revise, and reorganize. Feedback and criticism are essential parts of this process. Without external feedback, it’s difficult to identify problems or missing pieces from your argument. But receiving criticism can be emotionally challenging. Moreover, criticism on a dissertation can be hard to receive gracefully, as it is not uncommon to become very invested in your work.

The reality is you should and probably will receive harsh criticism for your thesis. The process of writing a thesis isn’t just about learning to research. It’s about growing as a writer and an academic. A thesis is usually the longest, most complex, and most challenging piece of writing that graduate students ever take up. And it’s your advisor’s job to invigilate your research rigorously. 

Even if you know this, harsh criticism can come as a shock. It’s not uncommon to have a strong emotional reaction of frustration, depression, anger, or tears. You may even experience imposter syndrome and feel like you aren’t qualified to be pursuing your degree. But it’s important to reflect on those emotions and process them so you can move forward.
 

If you don’t properly handle your emotions in response to criticism, they’ll likely build up and cause you stress. This stress can manifest itself in various ways, including physical illness and writer’s block. In other words, if you don’t deal with the negative emotions that you experience in response to negative criticism of your dissertation, you very well may find yourself unable to continue writing.

Everyone has different ways of handling emotions and blowing off stress, but here are a couple of common methods that work for many people:

• Try journaling. Writing your feelings down can help you identify how you feel and why you feel that way.
• Exercise. Moving your body can help clear your mind and burn off anxious or negative energy.
• Talk to a friend or peer. Having a sympathetic ear listen to your problems or distract you can boost your mood enormously.
• Treat yourself to something.  A small reward can be a big comfort.
• Meditate.  Sit somewhere quietly and try to clear your mind while you breathe deeply and slowly.

Remember, managing stress, in general, is an essential part of life. Whether it’s during your graduate studies or later in your career, prioritizing self-care and stress management are critical skills to cultivate and maintain.

Once you’ve gotten your emotions under control, or at least managed for the moment, you must work out how to respond constructively to your professor’s negative feedback. It’s really common to feel defensive when someone attacks your work, but part of growing as a writer is developing the ability to consider and incorporate feedback. So, once you’re calmer, take some time to go over your professor’s feedback. Then, think rationally about why they made the comments they did. 

Once you’ve done this, make some notes for potential changes that you can make. Brainstorm ways to incorporate their feedback. It’s okay if you don’t understand or agree with all of it right away. After all, your thesis is a work in progress. Note any questions that you have about your advisor’s feedback. 

Now, go ahead and write a line-by-line response to your advisor’s feedback. Note where you plan to make changes and list questions you have for them. I would advise sending them this response in an email and then scheduling a follow-up meeting to discuss it with them. This way, you have the time and space to process your emotions, consider their feedback, and make a plan for how to respond to them. You can also figure out where you need more advice or discussion about your research. 

If you feel stuck or need external help, seek the support of a writing center, or reach out to your peers for support and advice. Maintaining a strong network can help you handle criticism constructively. Your peers can also remind you of your strengths and reassure you, which can help with negative feelings of inferiority and imposter syndrome.

Receiving negative feedback on your thesis and feeling bad about it is, unfortunately, a very normal part of the thesis writing process. But if you adopt these strategies to manage your emotions and respond to negative feedback constructively, you can make it through to the other side without losing motivation or momentum to keep working on your thesis. 

Remember, you’re growing as a writer, researcher, and academic while you write your thesis. Enduring negative feedback on your work is rather necessary for this process! By managing your stress and taking good care of yourself, you can turn the negative experience of receiving criticism into a positive experience of personal and professional growth.