Perceptions of BA without hons?

[Deleted User]

You wouldn't be considered a good applicant for further study if you couldn't finish an honours project

My handy tip is find a PhD thesis that is very similar and have a good read of it

Piggles12345

ringo_24601 wrote: »

You wouldn't be considered a good applicant for further study if you couldn't finish an honours project

My handy tip is find a PhD thesis that is very similar and have a good read of it

Surely you can not be suggesting plagiarism? :eek: What a thoroughly immoral character you are.

elona

This is going to sound crazy but could you tell yourself you are just going to do a draft as badly as you possibly can.

It might take the pressure off and get you started and it is always easier to correct something than to start from cold.

Errata

Oh dear - extended burnout _pale_ My heart goes out to you. Ringo's tip is good and isn't plagiarism. My tip is that as the blessed thing is half done - sit down at your keyboard and start writing. Doesn't matter how many mistakes you make, doesn't matter if you can't think of the right word or phrase, just fill in with blah blah blah and carry on. Before you know it you'll have reached The End. This is your first draft :j

Then you can polish it up and it's done :j

I doubt there's an undergraduate breathing who hasn't hit the wall once or several times so what you're feeling right now is normal.

Good luck, HTH and....................you can do it :T

dmg24

You can do it bestpud, we have every faith in you x

I did my dissertation in two days flat. Now I'm definitely not recommending you do that (I went to Slug and Lettuce after handing it in ... and promptly fell to sleep!), but more to say, you've still got plenty of time. I changed my title several times along the way, and whilst it was not up to my usual standard of work, I still got a 2.1 so it can't have been that bad!

Good luck x

bitsandpieces

Graduating without honours - and without completing a dissertation - would be an issue when applying for postgrad study (especially anything involving research). You may be able to find a way round this - e.g. with lots of relevant work experience - but why put yourself in that situation, especially as it sounds like you've already don't most of the work.

If you have till May, would you be able to have - say - a fortnight without even thinking about the dissertation, and then go back to it? An break might help...

Have you spoken to your dissertation supervisor? They may be able to suggest some strategies..

olly300

ringo_24601 wrote: »

You wouldn't be considered a good applicant for further study if you couldn't finish an honours project

My handy tip is find a PhD thesis that is very similar and have a good read of it

Actually that's what I did both times I had to do a dissertation/project.

It's not plagiarism as on my postgraduate degree they actually gave us copies of other students dissertation projects to look at and 2 of them where in the same topic as mine.

What you are looking in for is the marking scheme i.e. why someone got 50% and someone else got 80%.

Mrs_Boo_Boo

I agree with errata and can identify with the utter desperation. At times I was so stressed writing my dissertation that I questioned my sanity and once when driving contemplated driving the car off the road to end it all.
So can you break it down into chapters like a book with the headings then to quote a very good frend 'just bang it out'. Set a goal of so many words a day and it didn't matter what I'd written but easier to go back and alter after a break. Set up a support system with other students and we'd text each other when we'd done so manty words and all took a lunch break at the same time to give us all moral support even when we were far away from each other.
You can do this you are so close to finishing.
Another good quote I used to remove the perfectionism was 'Don't get it right get it written'
good luck you are a star

Voyager2002

Lots of good advice here.

I think the most important is to give yourself at least a week without looking at it, or even thinking about it. Make sure that you are in good physical shape, eating food that is both healthy and enjoyable, getting the sleep you need, and even enjoying the odd glass of wine and DVD or whatever.

Then, when you come back to it, everything will seem that much more manageable.

To take the pressure off, yes, there are ways you could have a good future even if you don't do the dissertation, but why give yourself extra problems later?

talkhard

My advice after doing my own dissertation, thesis and most recently, a research proposal is to get a plan done.

This may sound really simple but I found them invaluable as I could tick off what I had covered and could always see the end in sight as I could count how many more things I needed to cover until the end.

They're an absolute pain in the behind but the feeling you get when its all over- its completely worth it.

Don't worry about not having enough time. You'll be surprised what you're capable of under pressure. Writing out a good plan may also re-inspire you about why you chose the title in the first place