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Dissertation
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm going to be starting my final year at Uni in a couple of weeks and am starting to try and write my dissertation.
I've done quite a bit of reading over the summer, but I'm finding it really difficult to get started on the actual writing of the dissertation.
I know when I get back I will be able to get help from my dissertation supervisor, but I was just wondering if anyone who has written a dissertation before has any hints and tips for those of us writing them now?!
I've done quite a bit of reading over the summer, but I'm finding it really difficult to get started on the actual writing of the dissertation.
I know when I get back I will be able to get help from my dissertation supervisor, but I was just wondering if anyone who has written a dissertation before has any hints and tips for those of us writing them now?!
Post edited by JustV on
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I'm in exactly the same position as you! I've done a fair bit of reading and know enough about my topic to do the 1,500 word outline essay (also known as introductory chapter to the dissertation!) but it's just getting round to it, especially as I'm juggling work and general day-to-day things.
I'm gonna try and crack on with it tomorrow as my housemates get back tomorrow evening so it's probably the last time I'll have the house to myself for a little while.
My dissertation is quite well structured - the uni gave me a booklet with what I have to have done when and it's all reasonably broken down. I'm just going to do this essay, I think it's just so the dissertation advisor knows where I want to go with this work, can judge my writing style etc.
Good luck with it!
Basically just break it down. My word count to aim at was 12,000 words so I broke it down into chapters and words per chapter. My first dissertation tutor said that you need at least 5 chapters. So just divide your total by the chapters you need and thats your word count per chapter. I know it seems like you will never reach the word count but trust me, you will. I went way over and had to cut mine down severly.
Also, if your writing on your new laptop, dont' expect the check grammer to be on automatically like on a PC. I assumed it was and it wasnt. I got dissed for my grammer big time!!
I'm not entirely happy with what I've written so far as I think it's a bit dull mainly because it's just intended to be a descriptive piece before I move onto the analysis. But I figure if I just get a first draft done then I can feel like I'm getting somewhere and move onto making it a bit more interesting
Its so rewarding to finish up at the end and realise you are perhaps one of ten experts on the planet in a certain area. And if you get into it enough it will provide a path for your future career and may even make you want to further your education by turning it into a thesis. Its 6 months since I handed mine in and if you sat me in front of a blank screen now I could write another 20,000 words on the same subject easily. You'll never write another essay in the same way again. But start early, theres no beating thorough research.
Have fun, I know I did.