10 Key Things To Keep In Mind When Writing Your Dissertation

Whether you’re a super-organised fresher who’s already thinking about a dissertation idea or a final year student on the verge of tears by simply seeing the word-count alone, there are a lot of positives that you and everyone else can take by simply writing your final year thesis piece. As much as it’s a lengthy process that you can’t escape from as a Uni student, and how it can significantly take-up the majority of your time and mental capacity, you’ll come to realise that the writing and researching aspects in constructing your dissertation idea will prove to be useful in the pivotal years to come. Here are the many things to keep in mind when comprising a final dissertation piece.

1. Always plan ahead.

Even if you’re starting to get a hold of the many lectures and the many times you have to go to the library in your first year of Uni, it’s never too early to begin thinking about your dissertation and what you specifically want to write about. Even if you’re noting down some of your favourite academic authors and topics that you’re in interested in, the earlier you do this will save you stress and time scouring the library shelves for books and other references. Make the time to gather all the necessary information early and chip-away at it throughout the year; you'll thank yourself later! 😉

2. You can only go so far when you're on your own.

As much as the dissertation must be constructed by your own understanding of the argument that you’re trying to get across, the help of others can certainly help you go a long way. While I had a lecturer that supported my thesis idea and guided me with my structuring of the points that I would make, the support from friends and family was equally imperative in instilling confidence into my own writing and provided me with enough resolve to get the work done. Speaking of which…

3. Perseverance is a virtue.

If there’s one asset that remains to be a necessity in accomplishment, it’s the consistency of perseverance. Why? Well, as much as it’s frustrating that something you’re working on isn’t being completed in the way that you hoped, and how easy it is, in return, to just finish the work later, having the persistence to complete a piece of work, even if it’s something that you hate, will set you apart from those who squander their time and opportunity. In being determined to complete a dissertation piece will give you the belief that you can overcome any grave obstacle that comes your way. 

4. Never be afraid to ask questions.

Even if you might feel that the query that you’re puzzled over is ‘silly’, never be afraid to voice your concern over anything. We all think in different and in eccentric ways; it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a question to your boss, teacher, family member or friend on what-ever it is you’re unsure about. After all, we can only go so far when you’re tasked to do something independently…

5. Make notes of anything and everything!

From page numbers to names of literary sources and other references, it’s imperative that you make note of anything that relates to what you’re researching. Even if it doesn’t directly link to what you’re trying to argue, you never know when that specific piece of information might be important to be mentioned in an area that you’re struggling to work on. Plus, it makes it easy to organise your thoughts and not feel as though you’re in a frantic panic when you’re close to a deadline. 

6. Determining and managing the information that you have.

Of course, there’s going to be that moment in finishing your research when you have to decide where each of the quotes and other references you’ve written-down will be placed in the structure of your dissertation. Yes, deciding which particular pieces of information to use in the different sections that you have isn’t easy. However, as long as you know the rough layout of your thesis from the beginning, then compiling and implementing the sources that you have in your disposal, will be less daunting and more manageable for your own sake! 

7. Effectively use the time given to you.

To put it simply, it’s all about balance. The time that you spend in comprising your dissertation isn’t supposed to take over your life.  As long as you stick to a schedule which see’s you effectively balancing both work and play, then there’s nothing to threat over. Just don’t even try to be that guy who plugs-away at his dissertation 24-hours before it’s due-in. After all, you are given months to write 10,000 words for a reason! So use the time you have to your advantage!

8. Take things step-by-step.

There’s no denying that there are going to be days where you have no idea how to get from point A to point B in an argument that you’re trying to make sense of and, that’s okay. It’s perfectly fine to feel uncertain about what you’re writing because, to feel tentative about writing a sentence that doesn’t make sense with what you’ve written initially, means that you’re a perfectionist as well. You’re someone that’s striving to go beyond what is asked for and refuses to accept any standard short of excellence. As long as you take things step-by-step and use the badly written sentences to help figure out what you say, everything will seem clearer for you.

9. Always keep the work you've done over the years.

Even if it’s just a couple of note about a topic that you don’t particularly like, keep a hold of everything. Honestly, it will come in handy for when you need a decent reference for what lies ahead. By using the things that you’ve learnt, you can’t go wrong. Believe me, I even used an essay that was about Hong Kong social and political anxieties of late 80’s films in my own dissertation on Japanese film-maker Hayao Miyazaki.

10. Finally, reward yourself! 🎉🎓

You’re going to need to motivate yourself every-so-often and what better way to do this than to reward yourself! Through the hardships of getting-up early in the morning for lectures and studying in an ever-busy library, You got this!

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Written by Alexander Rabbitte