How's your dissertation going?

MA/MSc students - just wondering, how are your dissertations coming along?

I've spent the last few weeks reading & creating an outline - but I haven't written a single paragraph yet! It's due Sept 15.

If you've already written one, how far ahead of the due date did you actually start writing?

If you've already written one, how far ahead of the due date did you actually start writing?

6 weeks.  Actually, now that I think about it, probably closer to 4 weeks. Not recommended, as it was a mad rush!

I tend to plan out everything in minute detail, though, so by the time I got around to writing complete sentences, I knew exactly what I wanted to say and which references I was going to use in each section.  But most people take a more balanced approach and don't leave all the writing until the last moments like me!

I started writing my MSc thesis 8 months before I submitted it - but then I was doing a research degree and the research project/dissertation was worth 100% of the degree!

It was crazy though - 6 chapters, 100 pages (inc. 5 pages of references) and 15,500 words. I was aiming to submit it by the end of September last year, but it got to September and I still wasn't done. My supervisor thought I could probably get it finished in a couple of weeks of the end of Sept... I finally submitted on December 19th 2007, had my thesis defence on January 7th and moved to the US on January 15th!!

I'm at 7500 words - halfway there! I'm finding it OK...I just chip away at it, working on one subsection at a time, and that way it feels like a much shorter and under-control project. I wake up at night sometimes, though, wondering if it's any good and if it will come together and make sense/flow well in the end.

Aiming for a full draft for editing by Aug 15 - arrgh!

I never, ever thought this would happen, but I've gone over the maximum allowable word count by 2000 words! Now I am editing it down.

...and it's due in 8 days!! 

what is everyone topic? I'm kinda nervous about my dissertation seems like such a daunting task.

My Master's dissertation is due TOMORROW!  Including references it is 64 pages, >16,000 words.

I am taking a break from the final edit now. I think it's in good shape for taking to the printer tomorrow afternoon....and husband is making me a nice dinner right now to "help"....so things are good 

Gadgetchik - don't worry too much. It is a bit stressful but you will get through it! My dissertation is on a museum studies topic. You?

Good luck, Anglokitty .

My masters thesis was about 15,000 words but ended up being over 100 pages because of diagrams and tables! I handed mine in back in January, but didn't get to graduate until July .

My thesis was on Seismology (analysing seismic waves from earthquakes to analyse how material moves in the Earth's mantle) and it had a lovely long title: The Study of Mantle Flow in Subduction Zones Using Observations of Seismic Anisotropy

Well I'm not so nervous now. I graduated from undergrad in 2002 and haven't even thought of school till 2006.

 Now its 2008 and I just had induction last week. I am getting a MSc Intl Fashion Retailing. I'm toying with "The Buying Trends of Plus Sized Women" I'm not sure what age and demographics i will focus on. The good news is when I was meeting with the course directer she was excited about my subject and there was already research done by a Phd student that I can use. Wooo hoo!! makes it a little easier for me!

I was notified of my MA dissertation mark today - it is good news  Yay!