When it comes to writing your dissertation, you might not know where to begin.
We all know that your dissertation is THE big piece of coursework that makes up a great percentage of your overall university grade.
Dissertations are usually between 5,000 and 12,000 words in length and can be about a topic of your choosing.
Your dissertation is handed in at the end of your final year, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be at the forefront of your mind throughout the course of your university degree.
So how can you ensure that you produce the best work possible?
Well, here are a few tips that might just help you along the way.
Contents
This is number one because it is absolutely essential for the success of your work.
If you choose to write about something that is uninteresting to you, you will get bored very easily.
On the other hand, if you’re genuinely fascinated by the topic of your project, you’ll feel more motivated to write every day.
Another vitally important part of the process is to choose a dissertation tutor that can support you and give you guidance.
They will meet up with you every now and then to read through your work and give feedback, as well as answer any questions you have.
It’s important, then, to choose a tutor who you get on with and who you can accept constructive criticism from. They should be someone who you feel free to contact and request meetings. There’s no point choosing a tutor that makes you nervous or is non-responsive.
Before you even start putting your ideas into words, get reading up on the topic.
It’s best to start thinking about your dissertation topic as early as possible, even if that’s a year before you start working.
Read everything you can, and read a variety of authors so that your work can source multiple authorities on the subject.
Writing a dissertation can be a bit of a slog at times.
You’ll have your good days and your bad days. One good way to stay motivated is by getting a friend to study with you.
That way you can both enjoy moral support, as well as share ideas and tips – not to mention some laughs along the way.
Just make sure that your study buddy is a focused person and isn’t going to serve as a distraction.
As well as a study buddy, having a routine is a great way to maintain the study rhythm.
Choosing a specific time of day and methodology can kickstart your brain into action automatically.
It’s a bit like going to the gym – there are days when you don’t feel like it but once you step foot in the door you go into automatic pilot.
You should also take time off when you need it. Having downtime is essential to good mental health and productivity.
So take a stroll, or have a nap, and see some friends. When you come back you’ll feel doubly motivated and work better.
It’s also advisable to find a quiet place to study in peace.
Some days you might prefer to seek out the silent sanctuary of the library.
On other days you might prefer student accommodation in Canterbury, in our Novel residences we offer study zones where you can get your head down and crack on with work.
Make sure you always have a copy of any work you do. That means storing a copy on the cloud, and on a USB drive too.
The last thing you want is to spend weeks working on your dissertation only to lose it all in the blinking of an eye!
Once you’ve finished a chapter of your dissertation, go through it with a fine toothed comb to look for any typos, grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
It’s amazing the amount of tricks your mind can play on you when you’re deeply engrossed in writing.
Even better, get a friend to have a quick look through your work before you submit it to your tutor.
Organisation is the key to success. If you want to maintain a healthy level of productivity without losing the flow, it’s advisable to set some realistic deadlines.
Having a goal means that you’ll keep going even on the days when you don’t feel motivated, and you’ll also avoid burnout.
It also means that should anything unexpected come up, you won’t totally get thrown off balance.
If there does come a day when you find yourself overwhelmed by your workload, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Get in touch with your tutor and explain your situation to them and they will help you to find a solution.
If you’re having personal problems, don’t be afraid or ashamed to access counselling services at your university.
Sometimes when we see a mountain of work before us, it’s tempting to make excuses and procrastinate.
No matter what the excuses are, you simply have to keep going.
Keep motivated and reward yourself with small treats to celebrate accomplishments as you go.
And most importantly, believe that you can do it. Once you get started and you keep going, you’ll see results.
So get to work, and enjoy! At the end of it all, you’ll look back with pride on your achievements and know it’s all been worth it.
Nowadays, prioritizing self-care has turned out to be more essential than ever. Amidst the chaos…
Test-taking is a fundamental aspect of a school student's life in Australia. From NAPLAN to…
Experiencing a lockout can be a stressful ordeal, whether it’s from your home, car, or…
A crucial aspect of harnessing real-time insights is leveraging integration between essential business tools, such…
AI image generation is one of the fastest-growing fields in artificial intelligence. In South Korea,…
Many homeowners in Kalamazoo find the process of creating the ideal outdoor living space to…