The dissertation is a research project any student seeking to get a degree or diploma must complete as a way of showing the things they've learned during the years they've spent in school.
Students get to pick their own topic and it can be anything they have an interest in and would be interested in carrying out an investigation for.
The only catch is that the topic has to be related to their field of study. For instance, a dissertation for someone studying chemical engineering won't be the same as a dissertation written by someone studying journalism.
The paper of someone studying chemical engineering will involve lab research, hours of testing theories, and recollection of their own data. Whereas, the paper of a journalism student will have a lot of information collected from books, webpages, and objective information. One will spend time in the lab and the other in the library.
Even though each dissertation is different, it doesn't mean they are not all equally demanding.
Continue reading and learn what you can do to stay on top of things every single day you are doing your dissertation. Remember that you can hire a private tutor from Superprof to guide you through this process, from the planning phase all the way to the conclusion.
Tips to save time while searching for a topic
The first step of a dissertation is figuring out what you want to write it about. If you are in university, trying to get your undergraduate or graduate degree, chances are all possible projects in your field has already been done.
The key is to think of a twist or a way to turn things around in your favor. For instance, if you want to do an investigation of the impact of social media on school grades of 9th graders but it has already been done. You can turn it around and do a different angle on the same topic.
It doesn't mean you have to change your topic entirely, it only means you need to figure out a way around what has already been done. To do so you can work with a private tutor from Superprof or directly with your dissertation tutor.
Finding a topic you love, feel passionate about, is doable within the time frame you have, and will make you stand out amongst the rest of your classmates can be tricky.
To pick a topic you first have to stay true to yourself. Many students get lost in the plan of doing crazy big projects and forget to do something they love. If you are focused only on something you love, then you'll find your topic much faster compared to someone who is trying to do everything and anything.
Remember that preparing ahead of time can go a long way. Some people wait for the school year to start before they even think of getting started with their thesis.
Others choose to have their thesis in mind as juniors or even sophomores. It doesn't hurt to have ideas, search for topics, and create a list of possible projects. Having a plan can be good and can give you a head start.
Finally, don't waste time waiting to see what other students are doing because everyone has their own ideas, path, and process. To get on track, just focus on yourself and your process.
You can spend long hours trying to figure out what everyone else is doing or you can use that time to figure out what you'll do for yourself.
If you're still having a hard deciding on a topic, you can always work with a private tutor from Superprof. There are plenty of tutors who are specialized in dissertations, all you have to do is search for someone who can help you reach your goals.
Find an experienced dissertation coach on Superprof.
Tips to save time while doing the research
Once you start doing your research you can save time by planning every step. You can spend one week or one-month doing research or set a date on your calendar with the date you want to be done with this task. You can also decide what week you'll dedicate to your thesis, and what week you'll dedicate to other work.
Don't forget that you can work every Monday and Tuesday on your thesis, or any day, but plan out when exactly it is you're going to sit down to work.
You'll have to use all the research skills you've learned through undergraduate or graduate school and put them to practice while you work on your thesis.
The key to avoiding stress is to do your best at keeping track of the information you get. If you don't create a list with all the references you've found you might misplace an important one and end up stressed and losing time searching for it again.
Read everything you have to read, register your progress, and keep track of all the other tasks you have to complete before a given date. The research part of a dissertation can take a lot of time, but it is important to remember all your other tasks as you work on your time management skills.
The assignment is to complete a research paper, which means you'll also have to complete other parts of the project to ensure productivity and completion of your thesis.
Tips to save time while writing the dissertation
It is important to be economic with your time while you're working on finishing your dissertation. Many people struggle by the end because it is challenging to wrap things up.
If at first your thought that you'd write every chapter in under a month but it is taking you longer, don't panic! You can always ask for an extension or try to figure out a solution with your tutor.
Remember that plenty of tutors have a long career and experience helping students just like you. You can search for a tutor right here on Superprof and get the support you need during this process.
A tutor can provide you with guidelines for your research, design a schedule for every step of the project, and make you stay on top of things. It is the job of a tutor to provide anyone they're teaching with support, guidance, tips, and more.
To search for a tutor on Superporf all you have to do is go to our homepage, put the subject you need and the location (online is also an option), and click on the search button.
Then, a page with all the tutors available in your area will pop up and you can start searching for someone that suits your budget, schedule, and demands.
For instance, you might be able to afford a tutor's hourly rates but you are not very happy with their teaching methodologies. This is why you need to interview and have a conversation with any prospect.
Tips to become more efficient
Understanding what are the things that are slowing down your productivity will help you manage your time better and finish much faster.
For instance, if social media is distracting you can leave your phone out of reach when you are working or you can change the settings and allow a maximum of one hour of social media per day.
If any streaming service results distracting for you we recommend you set up writing dates with your friends. That way, if there is someone there in the room with you, you won't be clicking play on any TV show or movie.
On the other hand, if having people around can keep you from concentrating on your goals, then you can book a private study room in the library and write there. The key is to find a way around your distractions and to trick your mind away from procrastinating.
When you start your dissertation we recommend you take daily small steps so that you can have constant progress. You can divide the work into different tasks and try to get in a minimum of one hour per day of writing. Try to avoid sitting down to write for four hours, because you'll burn out soon and stop progressing.
Time management is one of the academic skills you must cultivate as a university student. Don't forget you won't only need to be good at time management while you write your dissertation but it is a skill you'll use your entire professional career.
It is better to learn from an early age how to develop and stick to a schedule or calendar, which is exactly what you'll learn as you complete your undergraduate, graduate, or PhD dissertation.
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