I’m not going to lie: essay writing has been difficult for me as a Literature student since Year 1. Last year, I decided to take the courage and go against the crowd. After much internal debate, I sat down one night and typed my email: “Dear Professor, I am writing as I would like to opt out of my final year project.”

Here’s why I did it.

Research Heavy Modules To Clear

Every NTU literature student must take a minimum of 4 HL4000 modules, which are 4 AUs each, during their entire academic year.

(If you are interested in the programme structure of NTU’s English Literature course, click here to learn more!)

At the end of year 3, I had 16 AUs left to clear. Sounds very little compared to the rest of my peers, who still had to clear 20+ AUs in their final year. After talking to my seniors and checking on the modules I would take in Year 4, however, I realised that most were research-focused. This meant that the grading criteria consisted of students completing research papers that usually comprise 3500 to 4000 words — not to mention the usual group presentations and assignments common in most literature modules.

I had to be realistic. Could I handle research-based modules alongside my final year project? This is something you guys should also consider. As much as most of your peers are discussing their enthusiasm towards final year projects, completing them requires a lot of mental and physical strength over six months.

Fear of Inarticulacy In My Essay

In literature essays, the tendency to repeat your points or go way off topic is widespread among students. Since year 1, I often received feedback from my professors that my essay’s main argument isn’t strong enough and how that is evident in my writing style. It has been my biggest struggle till today. Furthermore, with the intensity of modules increasing in our final year, the struggle of writing articulately increases.

For English students, a final-year project usually takes up one semester of their final year. Students are expected to defend an original thesis in the format of a research paper spanning a maximum of 11,000 words. Word count was the main concern when I first read up on FYP’s requirements. As someone who struggles with a 3000-word essay, 11,000 would surely be an insurmountable task. This is one of the main reasons I chose to opt out of FYP; the fear of submitting a FYP that does not flow like a research paper is the number one fear I have.

Juggling Other Commitments

Apart from school, I juggle a part-time tutor job, freelancing for various blog sites, and maintaining my social platforms as a book content creator. These take up much of my time; however, I always prioritise my studies before anything else.

However, as it is my last year, I decided to embark on various side hustles to understand what jobs I like, and which suit me. This ensures that I know what kind of jobs to avoid and how to utilise my skills effectively when I embark on my job hunt next year. Therefore, I had to sort out and ask myself if I could focus on my FYP with all these extra commitments. No one wants to submit an FYP that is rushed at the last minute, or not done with a thorough plan and commitment to the thesis paper.

How To Decide If You Should Do FYP?

I hope my article does not scare you into thinking that FYP is stressful for everyone. It is subjective and based on many factors like your commitment, availability, interests, etc. If you are someone who thrives on researching an argument and compiling secondary sources, loves to write, or has a passion for pursuing further studies, it is truly for you! If not, that is alright, too.

Do not let FYP determine you as a student, even though I know how much importance people put on their final-year projects. Just remember that you know yourself best, and what you think is suitable for you should only be for you to decide.