Requirements of the Senior Thesis

NARRATOR:Listen to a conversation between a student and his academic advisor.

MALE STUDENT:Hi, sorry I'm late, Professor Blaine.

FEMALE ADVISOR:No problem, Jim. So you've got some questions about your senior thesis requirement?

MALE STUDENT:Yeah, I've got a couple of problems actually.So, the first thing is, you normally write it during the first half of the academic year, right? In your final year of studies?

FEMALE ADVISOR:Right.

MALE STUDENT:But I have my student teaching scheduled for that time-I wanna teach high school English after graduation.So I really need to give that my full attention, and I just worry that I won't be able to if I'm writing my senior thesis at the same time.I mean, it's supposed to be 35 to 50 pages. That's a serious commitment.

FEMALE ADVISOR:You're right, but it really isn't a problem.

MALE STUDENT:Really?

FEMALE ADVISOR:No, a lot of English majors get teacher certification.So we have students like you do their senior thesis after their student teaching.It works out well, because many students want to use a unit they taught as the basis of their paper.So you'll just enroll in a thesis seminar for the second semester.

MALE STUDENT:Well, that's a big relief. But it brings us to my second problem.I've really focused my studies on Old and Middle English literature.I'm even thinking about doing a graduate degree with a concentration in that after I've taught for a while.So I was hoping to do my senior thesis on Chaucer, on The Canterbury Tales, because that would obviously be useful if I do go on. But...

FEMALE ADVISOR:[Interrupting knowingly] Ahh, but Professor Johnson...

MALE STUDENT:Exactly, Professor Johnson is going to be taking a sabbatical to do research in France during the second half of the year.So, without him around, I'm, uh, not sure how I could do a senior thesis on The Canterbury Tales.I mean, the focus of his teaching and research is unique around here.

FEMALE ADVISOR:Yes, I understand. It would be difficult to do your paper without Professor Johnson around.Hmm. Would you allow me to try to sell you on an alternate plan?

MALE STUDENT:Well, you can try... but Chaucer's sort of my hero, if you know what I mean.

FEMALE ADVISOR:Well, I'm teaching a course on the literature of the Renaissance in the first half of the year.It'll meet late in the day, so it won't interfere with your teaching.And I haven't offered it in quite a while now, so I doubt you've ever studied that period on the college level.

MALE STUDENT:No, I haven't.

FEMALE ADVISOR:If you'd be interested in taking the course, I'd be happy to give you supplemental readings. And I'd also be happy to be your advisor for your paper later on.

MALE STUDENT:Well I've never looked at that area before, but I've always had an interest in it, so that does have a certain appeal.

FEMALE ADVISOR:Well, if you do decide to go this route, I would make that decision soon, and I would use this summer productively.After all, this is not going to be like taking an intro course.