A dissertation is a form of writing in the field of academics that requires the insights and intellects on a certain subject or topic. At the end of a course, mostly a degree, a student is required to write a dissertation by selecting a topic and thereafter writing a proposal. Upon the approval of the proposal, the student is then required to write down the dissertation. A dissertation is normally the culmination of several years of learning and performing research activities. Most students ignore the importance of preparing for a dissertation. Unfortunately, most scholars just wake up on a random day and start putting different paragraphs together in the name of the dissertation.
Students spend a lot of time worrying about writing a dissertation paper simply because they do not have any idea on where to start. A student needs to lay a serious groundwork if they are to complete their dissertation with minimum stress or headache. The process of writing a dissertation is long and tiresome and as a result, an individual needs to do a thorough preparation not unless they would want to fail. This article will present five ways students can use to prepare for their dissertation.
Make a schedule
Before starting anything, it is always important to listen to the guidelines and advice provided by the professors or tutors. Most of these pieces of information cannot be found in any literature book. The following step is developing a schedule and ensuring that you always stick to it. Writing down a plan in accordance with the priorities will assist you to avoid mixing up different activities.
Although at times it may feel awkward planning for things that are to happen ahead, doing so will make your objectives feel more achievable since you will be following a structured writing format. Preachyessay.com suggests writing down the number of pages you need to complete in a single day then try to get yourself used to a writing routine. You should work during hours when you feel you are most active
Spend most of the time developing a thesis and writing the methodology
A thesis statement is the foundation of any research paper. It is the most important section of a dissertation paper because other main concepts will be based on the thesis statement. Although it is important to write a thesis statement before getting into the main points, a student may realize that the methodology and thesis statement will tend to change as a person develops the main concepts of the paper.
However, students should understand that a good thesis statement on the dissertation will assist in the good flow of ideas. A student should spend a good amount of time writing and rewriting the thesis statement as well as the methodology to ensure they have a good idea of the flow of ideas.
Move on to a different section when stuck
A dissertation consists of different sections. Once you have developed the thesis statement and the methodology, you can now proceed into writing different sections of the dissertation. Students should train themselves to move to different sections they find easier in the event they find a certain section challenging. Once a clear methodology and a thesis have been developed, a student will be able to move around through different sections of the dissertation.
Although students should deprive themselves of avoiding difficult sections, there are times when handling the easy sections first will assist in saving more time? As a student continues to make progress in their dissertation, they will get rid of the fear, which makes a person to cease writing.
Resist the temptation to stop writing
Having motivated you to move to easier sections once things seem difficult, you must resist the temptation of postponing the scheduled activities to the following day. This, however, does not mean that you should force yourself to continue writing even when you are tired. In addition, it does not mean that you should continue researching over a certain topic even when it is clear that you need to make changes.
Notably, if you find yourself having doubts or thinking too much about a certain section of the dissertation since it requires more research or thinking my advice is that you handle it first until you are sure that progress has been made. You will be surprised at much progress you will have made out of your persistence.
Always take notes
There is nothing worse to a student such as completing your whole dissertation only to find out that you have not taken note of the references you used five months ago. Taking notes is important for two main reasons. To begin with, it aids students in keeping a record of what they have learned after researching and secondly, you will not have to go back to the bibliographies used to search for specific information.
Taking notes assists students in preventing cases of plagiarism since there will be a good citation of where information was obtained from. Before writing any dissertation, you should equip yourself with a notebook where you will write all the important information obtained from research material.
Now that you have all the information on how to prepare for a dissertation, you need not waste any more time. Students should always strive to write about topics that excite them. Writing about a topic you enjoy will aid in ensuring that the enthusiasm and excitement will not get drained on the way. Anytime you find yourself in doubt over what to do next, you should always consult your professor or research using google.
Although writing a dissertation is a long and tedious process, the results are rewarding and worth the sacrifices and efforts made. Finally, never compare your progress to that of a friend or a course mate. It is so easy to feel like you are not making progress when you start comparing yourself with others. The most important thing a student can do while preparing for a dissertation is ensuring they make progress each day.
