Choose your subject wisely

Selecting a dissertation topic is a significant step in your academic journey. A good place to start is to think about your degree and career goals and choose a subject that aligns with those. If you can identify a topic that you are interested in and will help you meet your goals then it will be easier to maintain momentum through the process. It can help to sketch out some ideas to talk through with friends or your tutor to help you evaluate the most fruitful area of research to pursue.

Block out time early

At the start of the term, it may be useful to look at your calendar for the year ahead and block out weeks or days you can dedicate to dissertation work. Knowing you have time blocked out can help you organise time off work or help structure your other assignments around your dissertation blocks. If you miss a dissertation block, be sure to reschedule it.

Use your supervisor

Dissertations usually require you to have a dissertation supervisor who is there to guide your research. Ensuring you attend meetings with them is important as they will be able to help direct you towards valuable reading material, set deadlines and help you manage the project, and towards the end, they may be able to read a plan or draft. If you find yourself a bit lost at any point, reaching out to your supervisor will enable them to help you move forward.

Talk to your peers

Although your subject may be an individual specialism, the process of researching and writing a dissertation alongside juggling other demands is not unique to you. Talking to your peers can help validate what you’re feeling and help share the load. Your peers may also have good tips that you can use.

Be strategic with your other assessments

Doing a dissertation on top of other assessments and coursework, as well as part-time jobs, caring responsibilities, and other events, can make time management tricky and feel overwhelming. Being more strategic about where to put your time between the dissertation and assessments can be helpful.

Here are some tips:

• If possible, consider choosing modules with assessments spread out over the year. This will make it easier to manage your time than having all assessments due at once.

• Make a list of how many credits your dissertation and modules are worth. Then split your module credits down into assignments so that you know how much each essay, exam, lab, or presentation is worth. If you find yourself struggling to manage time later in the year, prioritise the higher-value work.

• Look at the assessments early and find out as much information as you can. Some assessments may have dependencies, like being based on certain lecture topics, but others may be more research-based, and you could get started earlier.

• Get some credits in the bank. Writing your dissertation will take time and will need some focus later in the year, so the beginning of the year is a good chance to start your dissertation research. Submitting other pieces of work will help take some pressure off your dissertation.