Dissertation Writing: 5 Steps to Get You from Start to Finish Not everyone is good at writing. Therefore, while some can find dissertation easy, it can be difficult for some. Good thing, it can become easier with these 5 steps: 1) Communicate with Chairperson Your chairperson knows a lot more than you do so better establish a good relationship with this individual from the start. Of course, the person also has an outstanding relationship with the members of the dissertation committee so the chairperson can influence their decision. Hence, having a nice relationship with the person can shift the outcome in your favor. One thing to remember is to always keep your questions to the chairperson direct to the point. The individual wouldn’t like it if you waste his time with unrelated questions. Besides, the person has other things to do other than being the chairperson of your dissertation. Once the chairperson has given his feedback, it’s important to implement them all immediately. After the changes were implemented, be sure to give the chairperson updates. Finally, always remember the deadlines you both agreed on. If you don’t meet your own deadline, that will leave a bad impression on your part. 2) Break Down Tasks Into Smaller Parts All tasks can be manageable once they are broken down into smaller ones and dissertation is no exception. Hence, don’t feel worried when you’re faced with a task that’s too big. First, create an outline that lists down the parts of the dissertation. After that, concentrate on each part carefully. The good news is even if you’re already halfway done with the dissertation, you can still create an outline. Of course, it would be a splendid idea to get the assistance of your chairperson in making the outline. 3) Make a Schedule It’s no secret there are a lot of things on your plate apart from the dissertation. Hence, it would be a great idea to make a schedule. For example, dedicating 3 writing sessions per day of at least an hour each would definitely be a big help in completing your dissertation on time. Of course, it would be best to schedule the sessions during times of the day when you have lots of energy. Best times to schedule them would be after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. There’s no question you’ll be motivated to finish the project during those times. As time passes and the tasks lessen, you’ll observe how effective the strategy is. Also, it would be a lot better to do that rather than not working on your dissertation during days when you’re very busy. Another thing to remember is to not take three writing sessions in succession. It would be best to take a 15 minute break in between them. 4) Rehearse the Presentation Perhaps the part about the dissertation that most people dread is the presentation. You can’t blame yourself if you get very nervous about presenting your work in front of so many people. Therefore, it
would be best to rehearse your presentation. First, do it in front of a mirror to make sure that you’ve memorized your lines. After that, do it in front of your friends so they can critique you. When they do, you’ll know the areas you must improve on. Not only will they suggest areas of improvement on your presentation but on your PowerPoint presentation too. Of course, always remember to present in a loud and clear voice. If you know you have a soft voice, you must shout. Besides, the tone of your presentation can make or break your dissertation. 5) Control Emotions Since the presentation is very crucial, you must control your emotions before doing it. The last thing you’d want to happen is to break down in the middle of the presentation because you remembered something awful. It’s important to forget all the negative things that happened and just remember the positive ones. One way to control your emotions is to do relaxing things like doing yoga and getting a full body massage. Another way is to list down your negative emotions and find a way to eliminate each one of them. Of course, your chairperson would be a big help in this situation as there’s no doubt he dealt with the same thing during his presentation.
Follow these simple steps and you’ll easily complete your dissertation. It’s no secret it looks like a tall and hard task at first. Good thing, all you need to do is to do the right things and it will be over in no time. After all, you can accomplish anything as long as your heart is into it. When it’s all said and done, you’ll feel confident of accomplishing other requirements in college. When that happens, it will only be a matter of time before you graduate.