Dissertation Writing Series

What I think I did right:

Quality breaks – Writing a dissertation can be really tedious, such that you probably started experiencing the rigor from picking a topic. And so, there might be the temptation to keep working without really taking a quality break. And I don’t mean the few hours of sleep where your brain is still working and you’re dreaming about your supervisor lol.

I mean the kind of rest that leaves you refreshed and excited to get back to writing – this is so important!

Looking back at my journey, taking breaks was such a game-changer for me. Whilst I tried to incorporate short breaks in my day-to-day, I also had a 3-daybreak where I had a change of scenery. Although, I would admit that it wasn’t spontaneous, I was obliged to taking this break as I had promised a friend that I would accompany her on a London tour.

We booked an Airbnb in London, went sightseeing, dress shopping, food tasting and we had a reunion dinner with high school friends.  That dinner alone did a LOT for me because I have found that being around people and having great conversations is one of my de-stressors. I left London feeling refreshed and excited to get back to writing.

Are you aware of your de-stressors? If you’re not, I’d encourage you to identify them so you can have quality breaks whilst you’re writing your dissertation.

Asides feeling refreshed, another amazing thing about taking quality breaks (which I personally experienced whilst writing my literature review) is that it can enable you gain a fresh perspective on what you are working on. Barbara Oakely explains this in her concept of the diffuse mode & focused modes of the brain. Check it out here

I gave my 100% – Giving a 100% into writing a dissertation can translate into different things for different people. For me it meant a couple of things:  

1. That I believed I was capable of achieving an A+ regardless of what people around me had said
2. That I put in the work I needed to
3. As a person of faith, that I committed every day and process of writing to God.

But CAN I JUST BE REAL at this point – It’s much easier to type all these now as I look back and reflect. At the time, I wouldn’t say I knew that I was giving my 100%. There were days when my efforts felt insignificant and I felt like I was on auto-drive. Writing a dissertation isn’t easy at all, especially when it’s your first time. So, I’d like to take out this time to just celebrate you who’s reading this and writing your dissertation, especially in these difficult times – WELL DONE OUTLIER!!! Please keep giving your 100%

I asked for help when I needed it – For a whole month, I was stuck on my research data analysis. I tried all I knew to do and researched other methods but to no avail.

About 3 weeks to submission, I remember running into a toilet to cry my eyes out, I was DRAINED. I called a friend and when I couldn’t think of what next to do, she could think for me lol. She said “ Call Ibukun, she might be able to help you”.

I texted Ibukun and then she connected me with Shola who pretty much made the process a smooth sail afterwards. This is what being part of a community such as Outliers Circle offers.

The outliers Peers dissertation review is also a great initiative to consider if you would like someone to proof read your dissertation.

What would I have done differently?

I would have asked for help sooner than I did – Now this doesn’t rule out putting in efforts to find a solution to a problem encountered whilst writing. This experience taught me that once you have tried all you know to do and there’s no change, do not hesitate to reach out to someone in your community for help. Outliers Circle has a wealth of contributors who are research students and some others with exceptional data & statistical analysis skills.

Kept my supervisor informed every step of the way – I was blessed to have a supervisor who was very much interested in my work. I discussed key findings in my research and informed her whenever I was about to make a major change. However, when I experienced a hitch along the way, I failed to mention that to her. Please let in your supervisor on everything – the highs and low of your research journey. It is expected that there would be hitches along the way.

Well these are the few things I learnt and I really I hope you have been enlightened and encouraged by them. Please give your best to writing your dissertation and you future self will definitely thank you for it.

Love,

Your fellow Outlier