It’s always the same – you know for years that you will be expected to write a dissertation around your chosen subject, but you keep procrastinating and before you know it, your proposal is due in and you’ve still no clue about what to do.
You absolutely have to relax! If you allow yourself to go into panic mode then we can guarantee that you will not be able to get this done in time. You need to be as calm and relaxed as possible, in order to be as logical and methodical as possible. If you are already relaxed, then great, but in this case, we would urge you to find the sense of urgency in the situation as it is probably your too-relaxed nature which has led to this situation.
Follow this step by step guide to getting a dissertation proposal written in three days and we guarantee the whole process will be practically stress-free. It assumes a nine-hour working day but can be tweaked to fit your own schedule.
Day 1, Step 1, 60 Minutes
Select your topic. This sounds deceptively easy but narrowing down your field to a single topic that you can confidently and competently discuss in an essay is a huge challenge! For example, your course is International Relations and your dissertation can cover any topic within that field, from issues affecting the Amazon rainforest to the failure of the international community to respond to Zimbabwe’s pleas for aid. Go with something you already know something about rather than choosing a topic you think is easy, when the reality is you just know very little about it (and certainly not enough to base a dissertation on!) You literally only need an hour for this, so just go for it.
Day 1, Step 2, 8 Hours
Read, read, read and then read some more. Speed read, skim read, re-read if necessary. Read in the library, the coffee shop, on the bus, in the corridor, but make sure you are reading! You need to be reading literature on your chosen topic which will support your research. Look for gaps in the research or questions which have not yet been answered. Make notes in whichever way you prefer. Don’t restrict yourself to just reading texts, but watch videos, listen to podcasts, and search out physical objects if they are relevant. Just make sure that you engage fully with the relevant material.
Hint: Now is not the time to try to figure out how to use the library catalogue. Ask a member of staff to help you find relevant material…
