So far it seems that except for Chung, Harvard seniors are a bunch of masochists. Why suffer through the misery they all describe?

As hokey as it sounds, personal academic satisfaction is what makes it all worthwhile.

"Ever since I came here, I wanted to do a project that was my own and original," says Chung.

"I love to study poetry, and I'm just sitting around studying Donne's poetry," she raves.

Seniors also feel gratified when they churn out the final product.

"I can't tell you what a good feeling it was when I printed it all out together," Chung says. "It was so much paper and so many words my fingers had typed.

"It's like giving birth--each copy will weigh almost three pounds," she says.

Despite its destruction of his social life, Narducci says his thesis was overall a very positive experience.

"I had the opportunity to do real research and to contribute to the field," he says. According to Narducci, his advisor wants him to publish his study on "the effects of mental representations of significant others on how we form first impressions."

Narducci "feel[s] good about the field" of psychology as a result of his work with his adviser and other professors.

He says he also learned a lot about himself in the process.

"If you want to go to grad school, it's important to find out if you have the ability and tenacity," he says.

Are Capstones Resume Builders?

With the final decision looming before juniors, many wonder if they should write the thesis in hopes of giving their resumes some extra punch.

And the answer from every senior, whether writing a thesis or not, is a resounding no.