Are you having a look at your to-do list and realise that you must complete a dissertation? Well, it is officially dissertation season. You can trust me with the tips for developing a dissertation as I have experience with writing one undergraduate dissertation and one master’s thesis. I completed my undergraduate dissertation during the lockdown which helped me to research extensively on ways to write my dissertation effectively. My thesis was very much lab-based while also having a huge amount of literature review which was one of the hardest aspects of developing a dissertation. However, I survived and learned a lot about how to perform research much more efficiently.
Here are some of my top pieces of advice that you could utilise for the purpose of writing your dissertation:
- Don’t make a big deal out of it!
I get that you would say that it is much easier said than done. However, you must remember that your degree is on the line here. Carefully think about every assignment you have done in your whole academic career, from the smallest report to the largest essays and just think of its dissertation as something that is only much largest scale. Moreover, if this is your undergraduate dissertation then your professor would be more than happy to go over your drafts so that you can get as much advice as possible. Use this as a resource as their advice can prove to be beneficial. The overall thought is that you should not panic because when you start doing that you will get brain fog which can put you in a terrible cycle that will affect your dissertation negatively.
- Get into a routine!
By this point a near academic career, you must have developed a schedule that you follow for maintaining your study time and your social time. You should do the same while developing the dissertation. If you follow the same routine every single day, you will get it hardwired into your brain and you will not miss a single task. This was one of the best things I could do while developing my dissertation. I had an elaborate schedule with everything planned out which included performing research while also maintaining a healthy social life. Additionally, always remember to get appropriate rest throughout the day.
- Effort!
This might sound a bit obvious but putting in the needed effort is one of the most essential aspects to having a successful academic career as well as developing a dissertation that would ensure you get the highest grade. Maybe you could utilise your institution’s library for performing your research. However, while putting in the effort you must make sure that you are not stressing too much about it. If you stress too much about it can have a negative impact on your product activity and all the hard work you put into your dissertation. Try to start of your day productively so that you can end your day productively.
- Dig out old reports!
Have a look at the previous assignments you have done. Look at the reports and essays you have written to check the comments that were marked by your professors. These comments can act as a guide for you so that you do not make the same mistakes in your dissertation. You must make sure to learn from your mistakes so that you do not repeat them in the future. This is a handy method you can utilise to ensure that your dissertation will be of the highest quality.
- Know how to reference!
This seems obvious however this is one of the most essential aspects that first-time dissertation writers often overlook. On the other hand, they also many that do not know how to reference properly. Due to this, it is essential for you to learn how to properly reference. However, don’t feel down as you are not alone when it comes to not knowing how to reference. I would advise first learning the reference system that you are to utilise for your dissertation. There is a various different types of referencing systems such as Harvard, APA and many more, within all those it is necessary for you to understand which referencing system you should utilise. This is something you will come to know from your university or your professor. The referencing could be a tedious task however you will not be able to get high grades without it. There are also various online referencing tools you could utilise however personally I am not a fan of those as you can miss an opportunity for you to learn a new skill.
- Have fun!
You might be thinking that this is not advice. However, if you are thinking of pursuing a master’s degree it is essential for you to have fun during the development of a dissertation as this is not the first time you will be doing it. Nevertheless, you should consider the fact that this is potentially the last piece of university work you will have to do as an undergraduate student. It is a pivotal and iconic task, and you should have fun while doing it. Developing a dissertation is a feeling that you will love to hate. Cherish the feeling while you can as at a certain point in your life you will reminisce about these times.
So, I really hope that the advice I have mentioned in this article has helped someone. It’s a hard assignment to do but it can be worthwhile. If you put your mind to it you can do anything you want, a dissertation is nothing compared to that. However, even if this has not helped you feel free to contact with us.
Good luck and enjoy the process and you will surely get the high grades you are hoping to achieve.