How Write a Doctoral Dissertation without Struggling too Much

Even doctoral students can get the jitters when they have an important assignment to hand in. The dissertation is probably the most important type of assignment any student has ever handled so this piece of writing can easily become the reason for full on panic attacks and nervous breakdowns. Sanity is far more precious than any academic qualification and with that in mind, here are some steps you can take to have a stress free dissertation writing process:

Ask your Professor what he or she wants

People may say that finding out what their significant other wants is difficult but finding out what your professor wants can be just as hard or harder. The truth may be couched in layers of academic jargon, euphemism and mistaken shared understanding. Before you start to write anything, ask him or her what all of it means. This can be a humbling experience but it may spark understanding in other students who had similar misunderstandings but didn’t want to step forward first.

Look for examples of well done dissertations

Whether you’ve gotten any help out of your professor or not, you should look for examples of well written dissertations. These can show you on paper what your own dissertation should end up looking like and can even assist you in understanding vague formatting rules that don’t make sense when explained.

Find a tutor

A tutor is especially helpful when your professor is such an intolerable grouch that any questions you asked about the dissertation were dismissed without answers. Ask away and listen intently. You get what you pay for.

Practice academic writing

If for some strange reason you’ve reached the level of a doctorate without thoroughly exploring the world of academic writing, now is the best time, or perhaps the only time to remedy this. Start to write mini papers in the format you have to use. They may not be perfect but they will help you work out the worst of your issues before the dissertation is due.

Calm down

This probably should have been the first tip because of how important it is. By panicking we make it harder to see the obvious solutions to any situation we face. Calmly assess your dissertation requirements. Breathe deeply and clear your mind.

Combining all of these together you will end up with a dissertation that no academic can look down on.

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