Approaching your dissertation can be a very daunting prospect. For many, it is the culmination of your undergraduate degree. The decision period for your dissertation comes around alarmingly quickly. For most subjects you are required to make proposal decisions in the summer before your final year, and it can feel difficult to give this focused attention at the end of a busy academic year. As a student currently facing into the final month of the dissertation, I want to offer a student perspective to approaching the project. To be clear, my advice comes from my personal experience as an English Literature student, so certain elements may be more relevant to you than others, depending on your subject or faculty.

Proposal Period

The final year project proposal typically comes around the summer before your final year, where you must submit a rough outline of your project plan. This is so that you can be matched up with an appropriate supervisor and is a useful opportunity to start establishing your ideas. Admittedly, it is hard to regenerate enthusiasm for academia after the examination period, especially as the sun of summer calls your name, but nailing your larger ideas down early is worth your time. Plus, it sets you up nicely for approaching a bit of focused summer reading before you return for that first semester. 

Summer Reading 

Your summer should first and foremost be a restful period – it’s important to unwind after a long academic year. After all, breaks are incredibly productive. Summer also offers an opportunity to begin reading around your subject, making tentative but useful decisions towards a line of research that interests you. Although this will make your work in the first semester much smoother, don’t overdo – you will have time in the semester to do this too. 

Balancing Semester One of Final Year Your Dissertation

Depending on your subject, your dissertation ranges between 20-40 credits. As the project is self-directed, you will have to schedule time for it yourself. You will need to balance it between your term-time assignments, examinations and seminar preparation. Personally, I found having one ‘dissertation day’ a week in semester one to be very useful; one day in which you devote time to your dissertation, not your other modules. This means you will have a focused and consistent approach, and that you’re ready for dissertation supervisions. If your project requires elements such as surveys, or trips to archives, organising aspects of this early will be essential to your progress (and stress levels) later. 

Christmas Work

From my own experience, the Christmas period was a challenge to manage. I would emphasise at this point that getting good sleep and having a (realistic) daily work target for your assignments, is essential. For my subject, I had to submit a dissertation synopsis and writing sample which was worth 20% of my final grade, meaning I had to give my dissertation its due time over the holidays. Many of you may not have such a deadline, or, if you do, it might be formative. Regardless, it is good to keep an eye on your dissertation alongside your other work. If you keep your focus sustained and consistent, you’ll thank yourself later. 

Starting Semester Two Right  

In semester two your dissertation supervisions will become more focused, and you should begin thinking about wrapping up your research and reading. It is important to set your own schedule and deadlines for this. Personally, I introduced a cut off point for my reading and research, which was essential for my progression onwards. Although making decisions about your argument and structure can be daunting, it’s good to consider these before your supervisions end so you can discuss ideas with your supervisor. Keep up your ‘dissertation day’ in this semester and maybe, if your FYP is 40 credits, increase it to twice a week. 

Starting Unceremoniously- Just Write!

Writing up your dissertation is the most daunting part, but perhaps the most rewarding. If you started thinking about your project in May or June, you’ve been researching this project for around 9 months, give or take. This should empower you for the final few steps – it’s time to get all that thinking into writing! It’s helpful to demystify the writing process: start writing unceremoniously. If you start early enough, you’ll have more than enough time to re-draft, edit and proofread. Your first draft will not (and should not) be your final draft.  

Depending on when your project is due – students’ submission dates range from the end of March to the beginning of May – you should have the Easter break to write your dissertation. You can focus on writing uninterrupted by your weekly commitments, academic or otherwise. Create a healthy, realistic and productive work schedule that suits you and stick to it.  

Final Words of Advice
  • Make sure you use your dissertation supervisions productively.  
  • Implement a weekly ‘dissertation day’ – keep your focus consistent. 
  • Make sure you generate your references (in-text citations and bibliography) early. This isn’t something you want to chase up towards the end of your project. 
  • Make sure to take regular breaks to rest your brain and take in some fresh air. As Spring is finally on the way, you can make the most of the amazing green spaces around campus shared in my last blog post.

If you need more specific, step-by-step guidance on your dissertation, Leeds Library have created a fantastic ‘Final Chapter’ resource, all about approaching your dissertation. I can attest to the usefulness of this resource, it’s something I’ve referred back to many times throughout my dissertation.

If you need help with you academic writing, or approaching aspects of your dissertation, feel free to come along to the Writing Space. We’re there Monday-Friday 1-4pm during term time, on the ground floor of Laidlaw Library. There are always Academic Writing Mentors on hand to help you out. Good luck!

-Nina Mul (Academic Writing Mentor. BA English Literature (Int.), Level 4)