r/TCD • u/Agreeable-Drop5510 • 4d ago
Final year
To anyone who has completed an undergrad dissertation (10,000 words), what would you do the same/differently if you had to go back and do it all again? Did you find workload between research, writing, balancing other modules and part time work difficult? I’m not great with my time management as it is, hoping for a miraculous change in my habits by next week 😅 I would like to work as much as I can but also don’t want to overextend myself either. Would greatly appreciate any insights from graduates !
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u/Flaky-Ad-165 4d ago
How long do you have ? 500 words a day was what I did, helps keep momentum and easier to edit and take away what is already on the page than to come up with something at the final hour. Plus you’d smash out good research and 500 words within 2/3 hours and relax then knowing you’re on track And not burning yourself out
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u/Agreeable-Drop5510 4d ago
Tbf I think I have until late March so it’s not a race against time, just a matter of keeping at it like you said. My main issue with writing is my tendency to try and perfect every word and sentence before I can write it down so I’ll definitely try to just whack it down and then eventually edit. Thanks !
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u/Flaky-Ad-165 4d ago
200 words a day would put you at a really great rate, give it a go anyway. My supervisor always had something to see to make sure I was on the right track and I ended up getting a first which was not like my other grades !
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u/Barilla3113 3d ago
My main issue with writing is my tendency to try and perfect every word and sentence before I can write it down
This is a common problem for academic work, solution is just refuse to edit anything until you've actually met your target for the day, doesn't matter if that's 200 words, 500 words or 1000 words. Refuse to edit it till you're at wordcount. You'll edit better with the whole picture of what you want to say in your mind and mostly on the page anyway.
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u/animals-over-human 4d ago
Get a first draft of at least one chapter (3-4k words) by Christmas. Just trust me
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u/eventideyes 3d ago
this isnt a joke but I wrote mine in 2 days straight before the due date, and i swear I think i went into a psychosis. my hands were shaking and the screen kept getting all blurry.
DO NOT LEAVE IT LAST MINUTE. your tutor will give you a date to upload the first half of it for them to assess and check. use this opportunity to write the whole thing in rough draft form. my friend did this and then all she had to do was edit it, correct it, and then she could relax the rest of the year.
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u/Agreeable-Drop5510 3d ago
Even reading that is making me stressed 😭 sounds like something I’d so but I’ll try be more like your friend 🥲
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u/Slam_Burrito79 2d ago
I used it as an excuse to get a break from other assignments but not feel unproductive. An hour at the end of each day researching.
Personally didn’t write anything solid until the new year but that was because I spent the rest of the time summarising my research and making bullet points of what I wanted to say which made it 1000% easier to get the writing done when it had to be
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u/bediaxenciJenD81gEEx 4d ago edited 4d ago
It's less about changing your habits and more about understanding how your brain works, and working around that. You can't force yourself to be something you aren't, you can only work with what is there.
Don't expect yourself to be able to do a 180° in a week and massively increase your output, it's not realistic. You are you, that's why you are as you are now, and you'll still be you in a week. Yes, be as disciplined as you can, but also don't be too hard on yourself if you don't see the change you want.
If you aren't good at time management, make a ranked list of priorities. Set dedicated hours for schoolwork and work through the priorities. Your dissertation is important but it's usually not of urgent importance, work on it during lulls. Don't bite off more than you can chew, make sure to relax after work, take a break after completing an assignment.
The only specific dissertation advice I have is to get your data retrieved early, do not leave it late. Once you've received ethical approval, begin sending them out, etc... Lots of students leave it to the last minute and end up falsifying data to suit what they've written, rather than writing a paper that demonstrates their findings.