Michael - Writing a dissertation while social distancing
Michael explains how he has adapted to writing his dissertation in his last year of study at university during this time of social distancing.
Hearing the word 'dissertation' as a first or second year is cushioned by the comfort of time, but as a third year it hits you smack in the face.
In my case, I need to have a written dissertation that consists of 10,000 words to be done before the end of this academic year. The large word count can put people in a state of dread as to how they would tackle it. For first or second years, or even aspiring students, I’m here to tell you that once you get going on your final written project of your course, it starts to write itself. A useful tip is to break up the separate chapters of the overall piece and treat each one as an essay to make it a more familiar process. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to English students, as there are many courses at Solent that have written dissertations of varying word counts. The lecturers and staff at Solent do a great job of preparing you for your dissertation so that when it comes to writing it, you can do it mostly solo.
Amid the current outbreak that is disrupting everything, it’s a solid assumption that university work would also be affected. Once again, Solent do fantastic work for students by providing resources that can be accessed online, such as lecture/seminar slides and information, as well as a multitude of online journals and resources through the library.
One cannot completely alleviate the damage which the virus has had on studies, but perseverance is a trait Solent is familiar with. I have had all my lectures and seminars cancelled for the foreseeable future, as well as valuable meetings with my supervisor, but these have been substituted with online resources and communications. I still have the collection of library books I had already checked out so I can safely continue with my dissertation in isolation. In these trying times the internet is your best friend for finding secondary sources when you can’t go into the library. I personally have stayed at my shared university accommodation to focus on my work, but make sure to stay safe and stay indoors regardless of where you are.
