After years of hard work, the last few months of a degree program are often the busiest time for Ph.D. students. This is where all of your hard work culminates, and it’s the pinnacle of your doctoral career.
Here are a few useful tips that you can utilize to increase your chances of success.
1. Make a schedule
First of all, set your own deadline. Determine how many pages per day you need to write in order to meet your deadlines for each chapter or section. Then, try to establish a regular writing schedule for yourself. Set your work schedule around the times you are most productive. Write early in the day if you are an early riser. It’s also possible to schedule your shifts so that you can write most of the time when you’re most productive.
2. Proofreading is a must
Take your time when writing. After completing your first draft, put it away for a while and return to it with a fresh perspective. Take a critical look at the writing and examine it for style and meaning. Look out for errors like dangling modifiers, subject-verb disagreement, and inconsistency. If you are too immersed in the text to take a step back and do this, ask a friend or colleague to read it critically, or you can take help from the dissertation help service.
3. Don’t take too much stress
Don’t be afraid of the task of “writing up.” Remember that all writers need editing and use these simple tips to make your life a little easier. Before you begin writing, read what some of the greatest writers have to say about the craft. Editing, editing, and editing are required to produce clear and concise work. Always remember Elmore Leonard’s advice: “If it reads like writing, rewrite it.”
4. The first draft is not the final draft
It is important to work closely with your supervisor on the structure of your thesis. Create rough drafts so you can fine-tune your attention to sharpen the final product. The sentences and the argument do not have to be perfect the first time around. If you’re going to write, expect to rework each chapter multiple times. Even Ernest Hemingway believed that “the first draft of everything is shit.”
5. Write the introduction last
Writing an introduction can be tricky for many writers. Skip the introduction because it’s easy to get bogged down there. Start with the chapter’s main body of content. It will be easier to gather your thoughts once you’ve finished because you’ll be aware of what you’re actually introducing. The advice also applies to the introduction of the dissertation since it’s meant to evolve over the months of work.
6. Don’t write in chronological order
If you get bogged down in one particular section of a chapter, move on and return to it later. You can easily skip a difficult section and utilize your time more efficiently to write an easier section if you have outlined your argument and approach for the chapter. Once you’ve completed an “easy” section, you’ll feel more comfortable tackling the more difficult ones.
7. Stick to your university’s preferred style of references
Most colleges and universities follow a standard format for citing sources. Do not deviate from that. One of the most common mistakes in academic writing is to cite papers in the text that are not included in the bibliography. Before submitting your thesis, you must cross-check all of your references to the bibliography. Maintaining a detailed bibliography from the start of your Ph.D. will save you a great deal of time and frustration in the long run.
8. Beware of Plagiarism
When quoting from other works, make sure you’ve quoted them according to the academic rules. Again, paraphrase accordingly when necessary. Be careful while taking notes, and don’t forget to acknowledge the sources. Remember, references are invaluable and will save you from unintentionally plagiarising others’ work.
