Working on Your Dissertation: What Lies Ahead?
Writing a
dissertation is an important part of earning an advanced degree in most fields.
It shows that you’ve mastered the skills of research and that you have gained a
large amount of knowledge in your field, especially the particular aspect of
your field that your dissertation is focused on. It also shows that you’re
familiar with academic conventions; you know how to do structure your thoughts,
how to reference and incorporate information from other scholars, and how to extract
and analyze data from a focused study. All of these skills are very important in
many careers, and having an advanced degree like a master’s can be a great
stepping-stone towards career progression. But getting there is not always
easy.
For a full master’s
degree, you’ll be expected to write between 40 – 100 pages, or up to 50,000
words on your topic in some disciplines. (You can find a full guide on exactly
what’s expected of you for a master’s degree, including an outline of your
chapters, at the Academic
Coaching resources page). For a doctoral degree, these numbers are usually
doubled, and unlike with your master’s where you merely demonstrate the skills
and perform a limited study, you’ll be expected to expand on your field in a
significant and new way.
These are very high
expectations, and it can put a lot of pressure on a budding researcher. You
might have had moments of feeling overwhelmed or wondering if you’re up to the
task. You might still be unsure of exactly what is expected of you, or how you
will get through the months or even years that it will take you to do the
research and writing for your dissertation.
The truth is that
even an undergraduate dissertation or “half-thesis” can still be very
challenging. You’re being required to demonstrate all of the academic skills
which are tested in advanced degrees, even if the size of your dissertation and
study aren’t as large. That’s why it’s important to recognize the requirements
as early as possible.
For some
researchers or students, they struggle immensely with the work on their
dissertations, and they might not know why. It can be a real challenge getting
words on paper, and lots of factors can hold you back from working efficiently
and effectively.
The Academic Coaching
team has identified 10 core components which are vital in dissertation success.
Struggling with any of these 10 core components can mean that you begin to
develop bad working habits and might even be unable to complete the work on
your dissertation. Alarmingly, a high number of students who enroll for a
graduate program don’t complete the program. For PhD students, the number of
students who discontinue their studies is as
high as 50%. Many students suffer in silence, thinking that there must be
something wrong with them if they can’t get their dissertation to work, or that
they’re just not cut out for earning their degree.
For a large number
of these students, it might mean changing their perspective, identifying areas
for growth, and being focused on these areas in order to form good working
habits.
All of the help you
need to make a success of your dissertation is out there. You can find a lot of
help at the Academic Coaching website in the form of free ebooks, guides,
outlines, examples and even your free dissertation readiness
report which will highlight your strategies for success. Additionally,
there are student advisors at your college or university who are prepared to
give you as much help as you need.
Let’s look closely
at the 10 core components so that you can begin to unpack your own barriers to
thesis success, and correct any problem areas as soon as possible.
Review Your Learning:
•
Your dissertation is your entryway into
sustained academic research, and shows that you are knowledgeable about your
field and can perform a substantial study
•
Writing a dissertation can be incredibly
stressful and taxing, and you need to be ready to take on these challenges.
•
There are many free resources available to help
you correct any problem areas before they begin to impact your research and
writing.