Top 5 Dissertation Tips and Tricks

Rebecca Matthews - University of Sunderlandon 29 May 2014
Top 5 Dissertation Tips and Tricks

Unsure how to tackle the huge task of doing your dissertation? One student tells Student Hut her top tips for getting you through the biggest assignment of your degree!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been scouring the Internet for some pieces of advice about my dissertation. I guess I’m trying to get myself in the zone so I can be as calm as possible! So, I thought I would compile the best five tips and tricks that have helped me for you to consider as well!

1) If your dissertation supervisor isn’t right, then change!

​This one makes perfect sense – there’s nothing worse than having a supervisor that makes you feel a little awkward about asking for help. Or maybe you feel you would benefit from having another supervisor who has more experience in your field of research. I’d say, if you’re having doubts now, it’s best to change your supervisor early.

2) Don’t interrogate your mates about how much they’ve done!

You’ll make yourself paranoid about how much you’ve done, which will stress you out! I did that while writing my proposal – I kept looking at other people’s work and comparing it to my own and it really didn’t help. I vowed never to look at another one again!

3) Plan, Plan, Plan!

Grab yourself a pocket diary and start planning your work! This way, you’ll know what stuff to do and when. It’s been said that writing a dissertation will take over your social life, but it’ll all be worth it when your graduating with top notch marks!

4) Don’t leave it too late to print and bind!

Imagine the queues on the last day! It’ll be worse than Christmas at Argos! If you’re happy with what you’ve done, and you’re ready to print, then do it. And make sure it’s somewhere safe – like, behind bullet-proof glass, guarded by 4 German Shepherds.

5) Save and back it up!

Be very cautious with your work and make sure you save it every so often. Even if you set yourself a timer to save it every 10 minutes. Not only that, but back everything up! Get yourself a free DropBox account if you don’t already have one. I have and it’s been a total lifesaver.

So, there we have it! Feel free to keep these tips saved somewhere so you remember for next year. Good luck!

Liked this article? Check out more dissertation tips: how to survive your dissertation deadline, The 10 Types of Students You'll Find During Exams and 10 Things that annoy everyone in the library!

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Rebecca Matthews - University of Sunderlandon 29 May 2014