Selma Dekker

Thesis coach for Commercial Economics, Marketing, Business Administration, Social Work and Change Management

Does your thesis, research proposal, plan of approach or graduation project feel overwhelming? Are you unsure where to start, what exactly is expected of you, or how to bring structure to everything you need to do?

Selma helps bachelor’s and master’s students create clarity and move forward step by step. She supports students with research proposals, plans of approach, theses, portfolios, professional products and other research assignments.

Her coaching style is personal, practical and clear. Selma believes it is important that you do not only know what you need to do, but also understand why. Once that becomes clear, it is often much easier to decide how to move forward.

Selma is a good match for students in Commercial Economics, Marketing & Sales, Business Administration, Change Management, Social Work and Socio-Legal Services. Within these fields, she can also provide more subject-specific guidance.

How can Selma help you?

A graduation research project consists of many different parts. You need to define your topic, analyse a problem, formulate research questions, find relevant theory, choose an appropriate research method and eventually bring everything together into one logical and coherent report.

Selma helps you break that large assignment down into manageable steps. Together, you look at where you are now, where you are getting stuck and what you need in order to move forward.

Perhaps you do not fully understand the feedback from your university. Maybe your theoretical framework is still too descriptive, you are unsure how to operationalise key concepts, or you have doubts about your research methodology. Or perhaps you simply need someone to discuss your ideas with and ask you critical questions.

Selma explains complex parts of the research process clearly and likes to use practical examples. The research, thinking and writing always remain your own. Her aim is to help you understand what you are doing, so that you can continue independently with more confidence.

Discussing and developing your research ideas

Sometimes you know roughly what you want to say, but getting it onto paper is a completely different challenge. Or you may have several ideas in mind and struggle to decide which direction makes the most sense. That is where discussing your research with someone can really help.

Selma listens, asks critical questions and helps you organise your thoughts. Together, you explore which choices are logical and how you can support them academically.

This may involve your research context and problem statement, main and sub-questions, theoretical framework, research design, results, conclusions or recommendations.

Step by step, your research becomes more structured and coherent, making it easier to turn your ideas into clear academic writing.

Help with planning, structure and procrastination

Writing a thesis often means working independently on one large project for several months. And that is exactly what many students find difficult.

Where do you start? What should you do first? How much time do you need? And how do you prevent procrastination from turning your deadline into a last-minute rush?

Selma helps you divide the process into small, realistic steps. Together, you look at your deadline, what still needs to be done and what a realistic planning looks like.

But it is not just about creating a schedule on paper. Selma also looks at what actually works for you. Do you benefit from clear milestones, more accountability, or someone who helps you decide what to prioritise first?

By making the workload smaller and more concrete, the entire process becomes easier to oversee and the threshold to get started becomes much lower.

Thesis coaching for part-time students and working professionals

Are you combining your studies with a job, family or other responsibilities? Then completing your degree often requires a different approach than when you can fully focus on studying.

Selma understands this from personal experience. She completed both her bachelor’s degree and university master’s degree part-time, while working full-time and raising a family.

Because of this, she understands how difficult it can be to find enough time and energy for your studies.

Together, you work towards a planning that is not only ambitious, but above all realistic. A healthy balance between study, work and personal life makes it much easier to stay motivated and complete your degree successfully.

Additional support for ADHD, autism or acquired brain injury

Not every student benefits from the same type of coaching. Difficulties with concentration, sensitivity to stimuli, limited energy levels or a greater need for structure can have a significant impact on the thesis process.

That is why Selma does not only look at your thesis or research project, but also at what you need in order to work on it effectively.

Thesis coaching for students with ADHD

Do you find it difficult to stay focused for longer periods of time? Are you easily distracted, or do you struggle to decide where to begin because there are simply too many tasks?

Selma can help you make your assignments smaller and more concrete. Instead of agreeing that you will “work on your theoretical framework this week”, for example, you decide together exactly which section you will start with.

You also look at a working rhythm that suits you. Small steps, clear agreements and a good overview can make it easier to get started and maintain your focus.

Thesis coaching for students with autism

Students with autism may benefit from additional clarity, predictability and structure. But what works best differs from person to person.

That is why Selma first discusses what you need. Perhaps a detailed schedule with clear intermediate steps works well for you. Maybe you prefer to know in advance exactly what will be discussed during a meeting. Or perhaps you benefit more from regular short check-ins.

The coaching is adapted to your way of working. Together, you regularly evaluate whether the approach still works for you and make adjustments where necessary.

Studying and graduating with acquired brain injury or during recovery

Completing your studies can also be more demanding if you are dealing with acquired brain injury (ABI) or are going through a recovery process.

Based on her own personal experience, Selma understands that your energy levels and concentration may vary from day to day. During the coaching process, you therefore look carefully at what is manageable for you, where you need support and what way of working is realistic.

This may include shorter periods of concentration, breaking assignments into smaller tasks, allowing sufficient recovery time and being flexible when your energy levels are temporarily lower.

Selma deliberately focuses not only on what has become more difficult, but also on what you can still do independently. The aim is to help you continue making progress while maintaining a healthy balance between study, work, personal life and recovery.

About Selma

Selma studied Commercial Economics at a university of applied sciences and later completed a university master’s degree in Change Management. She completed both programmes part-time alongside her work.

After many years of working in the corporate sector, she started coaching students in 2021 alongside her full-time job. What began as an interest in helping students and sharing her knowledge gradually became a larger part of her professional work.

Since 2023, Selma has focused more extensively on thesis and graduation coaching. In addition to one-to-one student coaching, she has experience delivering workshops at university level, assessing graduation projects and taking part in assessments and thesis defences.

This means she understands the graduation process from different perspectives. She knows what assessors look for and can help you review your own research with that same critical perspective.

How Selma helps you move forward

Selma likes to see herself as your guide throughout your thesis or graduation journey.

You choose the destination and carry out the research; Selma helps you map out the route. She points out important elements, helps you when you get stuck and works with you to identify the next logical step.

Her coaching is always adapted to what you need. Some students mainly benefit from a critical sparring partner, while others need more structure, explanation or direction.

With clear explanations, practical examples and manageable intermediate steps, Selma helps turn that huge mountain of work into a series of smaller, achievable steps.

The goal? To help you regain overview, understand what is expected of you and continue working independently towards the finish line.

Would you like to know whether Selma is the right coach for you?

Are you stuck with your research proposal, plan of approach, thesis, portfolio, professional product or another graduation assignment?

Book a free consultation. We will look at your degree programme, assignment, deadline, what you are currently struggling with and what kind of support you need.

We will then discuss whether Selma is the right thesis coach for your situation.

That way, you quickly know where you stand and can move forward with your studies or graduation research with greater clarity and direction.

Areas of expertise

• Commercial Economics
• Marketing & Sales
• Business Administration
• Change Management
• Social Work
• Socio-Legal Services