Dissertation writing or thesis submission is a major requirement for most degrees and PhD programs. From when you decide on your dissertation topic to when you submit it- this piece of academic writing revolves around a roller coaster of emotions.
There can be absolute chaos, panic and feeling of being overwhelmed if you do not plan your work strategy efficiently. Here are some guidelines which I hope may help you in being more productive to start and finish your dissertation writing in record time:
1- Set out clear goals
Before you begin working on your topic, you should write down all the goals that you aim to achieve in a specific time period. This will help you stay on track and remain focused.
Make sure you are practical in your approach to setting your objectives so you do not feel overwhelmed later. Mark your goals in a calendar or make charts to help you keep track of how much you have achieved.
You should also keep your mentor in the loop when setting out your plans so he can guide you better in making realistic goals. This will help you manage time and give you a feeling of accomplishment when you achieve your goal.
2- Start Writing as early as possible
Once you have comprehended what is required of you, decided on a topic and have done your literature search, you should start writing as early as possible. This will allow you time to develop and analyse your ideas as you go on. While writing, setting out a practical goal like a thousand words per week will be motivating and productive for you.
Because of the immense importance and difficulty of the actual aspect of your dissertation writing, people are often reluctant to initiate the writing process.
You may feel that you have not researched enough on your topic to start writing, but the truth is that as you write, you will feel that your arguments and logic are taking on some shape, and you will realize the problems and aspects of your topic need more attention. You can also hire the cheapest dissertation writing services to overcome time management issues.
3- Give ample time and space for editing
If you start writing early and keep up with your consistency, this will give you ample time actually to ponder over what you have written so far. This will give you the margin to fix your errors, rewrite sentences that have poor structure or vocabulary and proofread plenty of time to reassess your logic and arguments to ensure a polished and coherent work.
Make sure you are not too firm about your writing and are willing to make amendments where necessary. Remember that your first draft is not your final draft, and you have to come a long way after writing your first draft.
4- Keep your mentor/advisor in the loop
The feedback of your mentor/advisor should be the single most important thing for you as you begin jotting down your ideas. You should sit with your mentor, set up regular meetings to discuss your ideas and logic with him and make him read your drafts for his feedback. Your mentor can best guide you if you are going in the right direction or not, which will ultimately help reshape your draft and thoughts in a way he thinks is the best for your research.
Throughout the long, tiring dissertation process, he will nurture your work and motivate you to do better. As you schedule your meeting with your mentor, it may also motivate you to get more work done before you meet him as he may also set up deadlines that you will be forced to meet, maximizing your productivity.
5- Make a weekly/daily schedule
Every individual’s work strategy that helps him promote productivity is different. Some people work better in the morning, while others tend to be more productive at night.
Therefore, pick a time of the day that you think is most appropriate for you. You may find it helpful to allocate two hours of your day daily to your dissertation or write two pages a day.
Taking one day off in a week will help avoid burnout and will increase your work quality and quantity on the remaining days. In this way, you will prioritize your research and spend plenty of time analysing your logic and arguments, and you will plan the rest of your daily chores around this.
You may also find it helpful to work in breaks; write for 30 minutes, then give your mind some time to relax, allowing more creative ideas to set in.
However, there should be no strict rules when it comes to distributing your time. You should just stick to one schedule. You can tailor your schedule according to your needs to ensure setting up a disciplined and committed structure for your work.
6- Prioritize your tasks
When you have to constantly struggle to keep academics, work life, personal life and your dissertation writing balanced, remember the key is to prioritize your tasks so that no aspect of your life falls out.
Make a to-do list daily so you can keep a check and balance on your activities and don’t end up doing unnecessary tasks when you are already short on time. This will also help you limit activities that are not obligatory and you will learn to say no to people in order to give more time to your dissertation.
Remember- even the tasks that seem easy and small may take a significant time of your day, consequently costing you the effort and hard work you could have put in your dissertation instead.
Final thoughts:
If you follow the aforementioned points, I am confident that you will get your dissertation writing done in record time. Dissertation work is usually tiring and slow as all the research, outlines, and processing may make it seem rather boring, and it may not have tangible results.
However, this does not mean that you should not celebrate your accomplishments. Remember- even if you are writing 200 words a day, you are putting in your thoughts, hard work and time into it.
So ignore any irrational thoughts that may strike your mind as you go on with your research and focus on how you can make the most of what topic you have picked in the given time period.