If it’s not time to start writing your dissertation then it’s definitely time to start researching.
If, like me, you’re currently trying to deal with the many emotions that come with writing a ‘disso’, such as shame, self-loathing, and the daily bout of What will happen if I just don’t do it? then rest assured that you’re not alone.
What about that nauseousness you get when someone says, ‘How many words have you done?’ and you’re just like ‘Errr yeah, I’m more at the research stages’ or ‘I’m just a very last minute kind of worker, man…’ Or that sometimes overriding urge you get to punch whoever in the face when they tell you that they’re 2,000 words in and their tutor loves their idea. Just me?
It’s that inevitable stage in everyone’s uni career that we all have to face before we can while away our summer having drunk DMCs with our uni mates about how much we’ll miss living with them. But it is nearly over and that’s a happy thought.
Below I’ve compiled some helpful tips on writing your dissertation that I hope you can actually use IRL. So less ask for feedback often and have a catchy title (although you should do all of those things too) and more stay the fuck away from the guy who’s taking speed and spending 12 hours a day in the library for his final art project. Cause he’ll be distracting.
Don’t work in bed
I often sit down upright on my bed to do work and find myself slowly sinking into the comfiness of a place I mainly associate with sleep. Next thing I know, I’m waking up a couple of hours later, it’s dark outside, my Word doc is still blank and I hate myself.
Make sure to separate your work place and your leisure place or else they’ll start to blur into one big space of neither. Drag yourself to the library, set yourself up in a fixed position (a desktop comp is usually best because then you’re stuck) and plan to work the whole day. This way when you finally go home to your bed you can actually do all the things you want to do there.
Treat yo’ self
My friend does this weird thing where she puts a new Skittle on each page of the book she’s reading and when she reads to the bottom she gets to eat the Skittle. Kind of like rewarding a dog. You can use this tip to make long research days a little sweeter. Skittles can be interchanged with Malteasers/M&Ms/Revels/kebabs.
Or if it’s not food that’ll convince you, be creative. Our staff writer Stevie’s friend built a snowman because it was snowing and wouldn’t let her put the hat on until she’d finished her research. Whatever works for you.
Take lunch to the library
‘Oh, I arrived at the library an hour ago but it’s 12 o’clock now so basically lunch time and I didn’t bring food so I need to go to the shop and get some’. Hey, hold it.
By all means take a lunch break, and go and eat it in the canteen, but don’t use lunch as an excuse to disappear off for two hours and walk around the entire perimeter of your campus three times.
Prepare a packed lunch the night before. And make it something you can look forward to.
**Turn your fucking phone off **
I often find that the most distracting thing when trying to work is my phone. It can be on silent and yet I’ll still want to check what my mates are up to on our group Whatsapp. People in the pre-phone era my have been so much more productive.
Eradicate this whole problem by turning the bloody thing off. Or just don’t bring it with you to the library. That way you won’t be thinking about it. Also, you’ll probably find that if you use your phone loads before bed you’ll have a worse night’s sleep because your brain isn’t switching off. This study agrees.
Separate your work time/sleep time and technology time.
Trick yourself into thinking you have less time
This one is not for everyone but I sometimes pretend that my deadline is two weeks earlier than it actually is. I really try to convince myself. That way when it’s approaching fast I’ve got the kick I need to start actually doing something and I can use those extra two weeks for going over my work or other stuff I wouldn’t have had time to do.
Maybe I get it from my mum who sets all of the clocks in our house 10 minutes early. Weird.
Still do stuff
Working solidly seven days a week is great, so don’t feel bad about rewarding yourself with a little bit of time off here and there. It is your last term at uni after all and you don’t want to remember it for just your dissertation.
Oh yeah, and when you’re out doing something, DON’T talk about the work stuff. I get it, it’s sometimes hard when it’s the only thing happening in your life but it’s boring and you’re meant to be trying to forget about it for the night.
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Picture: Lukasz-Wierzbowski
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.