The best tips come from "fresh graduates" who have recently completed their studies. One of these alumni is Sebastian Faltin, who received his Master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Liechtenstein in the summer semester of 2021. Sebastian reported on the results of his master's thesis on "Narcissism and Entrepreneurial Intention at Fashion Universities", how he compiled them and how he wrote his thesis, as part of a lecture for first-year master's students in the Entrepreneurship and Management program.
His core statement is "Thinking about the end right at the beginning" - Sebastian Faltin explains exactly what he means by this:
"Classic tips such as 'Start early enough...' are hardly helpful. We have heard such advice from our parents and teachers at least since we started school. Not only is 'start early enough' already coming out of your ears, but if we're honest, it's not exactly one of the core competencies of students.
Of course, it's important to start as early as possible. Whether it's combing the literature, conducting interviews, or collecting data sets, timing is critical. Unfortunately, decisive timing or 'starting early enough' is something very subjective and we all know the statement: 'I work best under pressure'. The maxim should therefore not be to start as early as possible just to finish stress-free and on time. A schedule that allows you to deliver on time is a basic requirement.
More important than starting early is a vision!
Now many will say: 'A vision for a thesis? Sounds like student haughtiness - overzealousness at best.' But a vision, a 'big picture', which you see and follow like a fixed star in front of you, protects you from writing a thesis just for the sake of handing it in. Rather, it helps to write a focused thesis that provides new, perhaps even surprising insights on a topic. A topic that inspires. And this brings us to a very important point when it comes to writing a good thesis:
Passion!
No matter if during my bachelor or master studies, when I thought about writing a little book soon, I was dreaded. During the Bachelor's program, it was a very tough and hardly satisfying ordeal for me. Why? It's simple: keep your eyes open when choosing a topic! We all know the long lists of suggested topics. There are usually many exciting topics to be found on them. However, we students often tend to apply the wrong criteria when prioritizing the choice of topics. We quickly discuss which topic is the easiest, which requires the least effort, or even which professor gives the most favorable evaluation.
However, it is much more important to find a topic that inspires.
A topic that is as much fun to read about as it is to write about. A topic that awakens intellectual curiosity for more and invites visionary thinking. Once you have found such a topic, you can begin to imagine the end: How will I feel once the thesis is successfully completed? How will I present the results? What kind of findings do I expect? How will I arrive at these insights?
All of this will help one to not only successfully complete the thesis, but to do so with joy - whether it be in the research, the surveys, the evaluations, or the writing itself. So don't just pick the most convenient topic and write away wildly. Take your time choosing a topic that excites you. Think about what insights you want to gain. Imagine presenting your findings to your professors with complete success. Therefore:
'In the beginning, already think the end.'"
Valuable reflections by: Sebastian Faltin. He is an alumnus of the University of Liechtenstein and today Sales and Marketing Manager at Innoforce in Ruggell (Liechtenstein). Innoforce specializes in the development of software in medical informatics, especially for ear, nose and throat medicine, hearing aid acoustics and ophthalmology.
All information about the Master Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of Liechtenstein
Accompanied by our coaches and mentors, you will independently identify, evaluate and realize a business idea in this master's program. In courses such as Start-up Management, Financial Management or International Entrepreneurship you will gain the necessary knowledge base. Your studies will be complemented by a study trip to start-up hubs such as Silicon Valley, visits to companies and technology parks, conversations with entrepreneurs, pitching sessions in front of big names in the start-up scene, complex case studies and guest lectures.
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