The first thing is not to panic. Calm down, take a seat and think about what needs to be done. That’s the advice of postgraduate Anna Owen who’s just handed in the first draft of her Masters thesis.
'There’s still time to get your work finished. Make a list of everything you need to do and tackle it step by step. Focus on each individual task until it’s out of the way. By breaking the work down into daily chunks, your dissertation becomes less of a sprawling monster,' Anna says.
Most importantly, don’t let anxiety monopolise the remaining time you have.
'Your main enemy at the moment is panic, especially if you think you’ve left it too late. But the longer you leave it, the harder it’ll be to start.’
Help is at hand
If meeting the deadline looks like a lost cause, it’s worth arranging a chat with your dissertation tutor. Turning up as a hysterical mess on the final day isn’t the best idea. But an explanation for your lack a progress, along with a plan of action and an idea of when you’ll finish might be enough to swing an extension. Don’t count on this as a last resort though, things may not go your way.
Your dissertation tutor isn’t the only person you can turn to. Archaeology student Chris Illingworth found it more productive to look for help elsewhere.
'It worked out that the only person who could supervise my dissertation was on research leave, so I was landed with someone that doesn’t specialise in the subject I’m studying. I’ve been seeing my personal tutor quite a lot and they’ve been a great help, with regard to how to go about researching and writing it.'
The annoying finishing touches
A piece of work which contains excellent information can be let down badly by poor grammar, spelling and presentation. While this probably won’t make the difference between pass and a fail, it may well make help distinguish between a merit and a distinction.
If possible, try to finish the main body of work at least a week before the due date. It's amazing how long it can take to complete all the finishing touches. When you’re crashing toward the final deadline it’s easy to forget the little extras that you need to get done.
'I haven’t even thought of getting it bound yet, I’m still concentrating on doing the actual work. It feels like another one of those things that rears its head when you think everything’s going to plan,' says Chris.
And breathe...
You may be sat in a corner quaking at the thought of picking up a pen. You could be half finished and praying for the nightmare to end. Either way, making the deadline isn't the horror task you think it might be. Take all of this as free advice, now go and get some work done.
Dissertation questions - Two lecturers from City University London answer your questions