Ten things you wish you'd know before you start your

dissertation…

Are you putting the final touches to a dissertation?

Let's pass on some tips to those who'll be doing them

next year

HERE’S MY

If you feel that your dissertation adviser isn't right, change!

If you’re not satisfied or you feel like they’re not giving you the right advise then better find someone else, but of course provided that your reason is valid.

If you mention that you’ve been working on your

dissertation to somebody whether it be your family, friends or

strangers, they will ask you what it's about. Keep in mind that they will be

expecting a more impressive answer than

you can give.

Prepare forlooks of

confusion and disappointment

Some anticipate grandeur in history dissertation

topics – like war, genocide, formation

of modern society.

If they ask questions, maybe they're just being polite.

Better don’t ask friends how much work they've done.

You'll end up paranoid – or they will. Either way, you

don't have time for it.

There will be that one day before deadline, when you will: freak out, doubt your entire thesis and decide to start again from scratch.

You might even come up with a new question or a topic and try to start working on it.

You will at some point collapse in an exhausted, tear-stained heap.

But unless there are serious flaws in your work (unlikely) and your supervisor recommends starting again (highly unlikely), don't do it.

It's just panic, it'll pass

A lot of the work you do will not make it into your dissertation.

The first few days, I felt like everything I was unearthing was a gem, and when I sat down to write, it seemed as if it was all gold.

But a brutal editing down to the word count has left much of that early material at the wayside.

You will print like you have never printed before.

This will start to affect your weekly budget in a big

way.

WATCH OUT FOR:

the paper jam!

Whatever you do your dissertation will interfere with your

LIFE!

May be it your social life, commitments, societies,

other essay demands and other else.

Plan your time down to the last hour and don't have a single moment of deadline panic, you'll still find that thoughts of your dissertation will creep up on you when you least expect it.

Your dissertation will haunt you! You'll fall asleep thinking about it, dream about it and wake up thinking about and you'll feel guilty when you're not working on it

Your time is not your own.

Finishing it will be one of the best things you've ever done.

It's worth the hard work to know you've completed what's likely to be your

biggest, most important, single piece of

work.

BE PROUD OF IT!