10 Things to Know Before Writing your Dissertation – 2024 Guide
Writing a dissertation is one of the things that makes college students tremble. Dissertations are associated with long hours of research and unending trips to the library. That is why Thesishelpers.com is dedicated to making your dissertation writing experience smooth and seamless.
As a student, it is good to learn the tricks that make dissertation writing easy. Dissertations are totally doable if you have the right information with you. There is no need to panic or procrastinate.
Rather than spending so much time worrying about your dissertation, why not read this informative article we’ve prepared. We’ll touch on ten things you should know before writing a dissertation.
Let’s dive in!
1. Pick a Good Dissertation Advisor
Did you know that you are allowed to choose the dissertation advisor you want to work with? There is magic in choosing what works best for you because it means you’ll always feel at ease asking for guidance.
Go for a professor you feel comfortable around so you won’t have a hard time asking questions and running ideas by them. You need a dissertation advisor who will ensure that you’re doing every stage of your dissertation writing the right way.
The best way to decide who your advisor should be is by shortlisting professors who are interested in the field you want to explore. This way, the advisor will be as enthusiastic as you are about the dissertation.
2. Pick an Interesting Theme
Now that the supervisor box has been checked, the next step is to pick a theme that’s both interesting and unique. The fact is, you are not the only one who will be writing a dissertation that focuses on the field you choose. So to stand out, you have to go with a theme that no other student will think of picking.
Being unique and original gives your dissertation an edge, and this automatically earns you more points.
Remember that dissertations naturally take longer to write. Ask yourself if you’ll still find the theme you’ve chosen interesting after two weeks of extensive and tedious research.
An interesting theme allows you to enjoy the research process, which is the most important stage of dissertation writing. Once you get the right material, writing won’t be hard.
3. Move at a Pace You Like
Of course, there is a deadline for submission, but this does not mean you should rush through the entire process. To ensure you’re moving at a pace you like, start early so that you give each state the attention it deserves.
Remember not to compare yourself with your peers because, at the end of the day, you are working on different projects. Understand what your dissertation needs and focus on keeping up a productive pace.
4. Gather All the Notes
Even before you get down to writing the dissertation, you have to make sure that you have all the writing material. Establish a system that allows you to keep track of all your notes throughout the research process.
Well organized notes will give you an easy time with the writing process. be sure to note down all the recommendations that you get from your supervisor. You need to read extensively on all the topics you will be discussed to ensure you know what you’re talking about.
5. Define your Scope
Since a dissertation is such a big student project, it goes without saying that you’ll need a lot of research material. However, this does not mean that you have to use all these resources in your final copy. Defining your scope saves you from drowning in a sea of research material that doesn’t even relate to your project.
6. Your friends don’t have to understand your Project
As a student, peer validation means a lot, especially when you’re working on a big project. However, your friends don’t have to understand what you are working on. This is about you and not them, so proceed even without their approval.
If you’re really sure this is what you want to explore, no one should stand in your way. Your social life might also suffer while you’re engrossed in producing a presentable dissertation, but that’s okay. You can always catch up once you submit the paper.
7. Take Breaks
Don’t let the pressure consume you; take as many breaks as you can afford to keep your mind fresh and your body rested. This is not the time to pull an all-nighter because the exhaustion will affect the quality of your dissertation.
Manage your time well from the time you begin working on the dissertation so you won’t have to sacrifice your breaks to beat the deadline. Consider getting an accountability partner so you can keep each other on your toes.
8. Be Ready to Spend on Printing
If you don’t have your own printer, you should be ready to spend on printing. It is quite common for students to redo their dissertations a couple of times after the printed version is out. This means that you’ll have to reprint the dissertation to ensure all the changes you’ve made are reflected in the printed copy.
Being ready with printing money ensures that you don’t stop working on the dissertation because you’re financially challenged.
9. Revise Your Paper
Before you submit your dissertation, ensure that you revise it for any errors. Submitting a paper with grammatical errors can cost you a lot of marks. Consider reading the dissertation out loud to see if all the sentences make sense.
There are also many editing tools you can use to comb through your work. Apps like Hemingway and Grammarly ensure that you submit a paper void of grammar errors or plagiarism.
10. The Dissertation will take over your life
There is no way around it; the extensive nature of dissertation writing will hardly allow you to have a social life. Accept this and purpose to catch up with your friends once you complete the work.
Wrapping Up
Writing a dissertation is a big deal because it determines if you’ll graduate on time or not. You need to set aside enough time for this project and treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Your life might seem solely focused on the dissertation for a while, and that’s okay. You can always catch up with friends once the work is done.