Dissertation Writing Made Easy

For every student, the thought of dissertation writing can be extremely intimidating. That first dissertation can loom in your head as soon as you start considering graduate school. It is natural that, when faced with something we dread doing, many of us are wary of getting started in the first place. However, by following an assortment of seven different steps, techniques, and ideas, you may actually look forward to your dissertation.

The biggest mistake that a lot of students make is to procrastinate. That is a somewhat natural instinct itself, simply because a lot of us spent our undergraduate careers putting a lot of papers off until a few days – or the night – before it was due. For many of us, especially those of us with any interest in or talent with writing, we may have gotten some very high marks on those paper, convincing us that we work best under pressure. Be that as it may, the difference between graduate school and undergraduate school is like the difference between going from elementary school into middle school or middle school into high school – times ten. Some of the study habits you used to have simply will not work any longer, and procrastination is one of them. You cannot let fear or anxiety get the better of you. Dissertation writing is a long, lengthy process and by the time you get to that “last minute,” that is pretty much all the time you will have to get it done. You simply cannot compile enough research, analysis, and testing for twenty pages into a few days. When you write your master dissertation, it is not something you can just begin doing several weeks early – you need to start months in advance, at the very least.

Even if that means that you just start considering different dissertation ideas months early. No matter what your field of study or interest, you can guarantee that you will have any number of possible topics at your disposal. Because dissertation writing, at its core, should be a learning process for both you and your readers, you should choose a topic in which you are interested, or about which you have always wanted to learn more. Deciding on a topic for your dissertation is a delicate balance: it is good to have a general idea about your subject matter, but you do not want to be a complete expert, because then unbiased opinions may show through in the paper.

Lastly, dissertation writing is not simply about the dissertation itself – do not forget that. You have to focus on your dissertation proposal as well, which means not only getting a jump on considering ideas, but thinking about your research methodology and possible sources as well.

Most of all, remember that you are not alone as you go through the process of writing. There are plenty of tutorials out there, but more importantly, your professors and advisors will be more than happy to offer you proposal help in any area you need it.