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3 Dissertation Writing Secrets Every Student Should Know

So you have been in graduate school for several years now and all of your hard work and determination comes down to just one project – the dissertation. You have chosen a specific advisor and have taken the time to learn all you can about each committee member. You might also have a pretty good idea of what your research should be about but have not come around to start it. The deadline is closing in but you still need to get down to the nitty gritty. So here are the top three dissertation writing secrets everyone should know:

Secret #1) Always Make a Plan and Revise As Necessary

Working on a project of this magnitude should take you several months to complete and along the way you are bound to run into a number of unexpected surprises – some more serious than others. It’s important to maintain focus and never panic when these surprises arise. And the most effective way of doing this is to create both a long-term and a short-term plan to help you stay on track.

Start immediately after getting approval on your proposal. Set a deadline for yourself and break up the project into a number of manageable tasks you need to complete in order to get the whole thing done with room to spare. You’ll want to add a number of “extra days” each week you can use to tackle other responsibilities, take personal time off, or to catch up with the project itself. Always be sure to revise your plans accordingly.

Secret #2) Conduct Research and Take Accurate Notes

It goes without saying that you will fill up several notebooks with source material found in the process of your study. Without a proper system all of this can get real messy. So make sure you incorporate a way to manage your notes in a manner so that you aren’t struggling to find a piece of information you need at any point.

It’s also really important that you take thorough and accurate notes right from the start. Expect to gather more material than you actually need, so that you don’t have to go back and track down a resource or have to double check that something you have written is written correctly. The amount saved in heeding this advice can be anywhere between a couple of weeks to a whole month.

Secret #3) Write Multiple Drafts through the Process

Finally, the last secret you must know in order to successfully complete your graduate project is in having to write multiple drafts. Never expect to earn a top mark for work that has not gone through several reviews. A final document that isn’t well-written will cost you some credibility with the committee and could mean you have to spend another year redoing your project altogether.

Your first draft should be written fairly quickly as you find and gather your research material. A second revised draft and a final edited and proofread draft should take you longer because of the amount of detail you will need to put in to ensure you make all the necessary corrections. None of this should pose a problem as long as you’ve stuck to a plan and stayed on schedule.

Sidebar

Of course, there is a lot more you will need to accomplish in order to write a perfect paper, but you can make the process a whole lot easier by heeding the three secrets listed above. Get started as early as possible and always be aware of the resources you have available to you. If you need expert advice don’t hesitate to contact a professional service. A trustworthy service can offer all you with all types of assistance at an affordable price.

 
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