I know that a lot of people going into their final year at university are starting to think about their dissertations now. And as someone who has just finished uni, and got a first in her dissertation I felt like I could give some advice on this topic! So here are my tips for getting a good grade on your dissertation at least in English lit (though I'm sure some of this stuff is transferable), and how to deal with the work load that envelops it!

1. Picking a topic!

Never, ever pick a topic on something that you love, it will ruin that topic for you. I picked Dracula for my dissertation as I was obsessed with vampires at the time of choosing my topic. Now I have never read, watched or seen Dracula - so I was safe! I still haven't fully read the text, nor have I seen any adaptations. I focused on excerpts that were relevant to my dissertation (which was on female sexuality and psychoanalysis in case anyone cares) and that is something that worked incredibly well for me.

2. Time management!

As you may know from my bullet journal post I am a sucker for writing down my plans and lists and this was no different when it came to writing my diss. I didn't start writing my diss until October, but up until then from July through to September my lecturer and I were bouncing back emails coming up with personal deadlines and word counts - of course I never stuck to this as my diss changed as I was writing it. Don't beat yourself up if you don't meet your personal deadlines! I ignored mine and managed to have my whole diss written and submitted two weeks before the deadline!

3. Your supervisor!

Your supervisor is your best friend. Trust me, you will spend more time emailing them than writing the damn thing. Make use of their office hours, make sure they know what grade it is you want to end up with and they will do their best to help you! Keep showing them that you are keen and are constantly working on your diss and they will be able to offer you guidance and help when it all seems too much!

Finally, just enjoy it. I loved writing my dissertation so much it made me realise that I would no longer love to be a teacher, but a lecturer at university. Combining three things I love doing, learning, researching and teaching. As a career! It's perfect for me. I loved writing my dissertation, I HATE Dracula, now though. I guess we'll just have to see what I write my MA Dissertation on now, won't we?