To write a dissertation is arguably one of the most complicated tasks done by students yet it is most important as it plays essential roles in their academic life as well as contributing significantly to their final grades. A student is able to learn a lot while preparing a dissertation as well as mastering in a particular subject which, of course is of great benefit to him/her. A dissertation is basically a response to a thesis, which could be a topic or a question and a student uses it in developing a logical argument about his thesis. Dissertation is generally longer than any essay and is usually divided into chapters. It is usually covered in some of the essays a student has done before but a lot of research has to be done. Dissertations helps in giving your supervisor an idea about the knowledge you may have accumulated throughout you learning period and how dedicated you are in doing your research regarding a particular topic. The below points stresses why dissertation should be taken seriously by students;
1. It contributes to the final grade of the student.
Where the course compels you to
write a dissertation before you can graduate, it is only right to do it. Dissertation is among the last research papers done at the end of the study course and the student should handle it with all the importance it deserves. From this paper, the overall performance of the student is marked and therefore, failure to do the paper might lead to being disqualified from graduating. A student should provide the paper before the deadline and it must be completed, for this to go through, the student should be involved in extensive reading. The paper they provide should have good and very strong points that show they have understood what they learnt and this is seen as a way of calculating the students capacity as a researcher.
2. It improves a students research ability.
Dissertation is a long task that will help you to present the research you did in the course of your degree pursuance. It usually involves the student in a lot research work and this enhances his/her research skills which makes them better at researching. The research involves a lot of reading and note compiling and in the process, the student will identify where his field of interest lay and increases his interest to explore the subject of topic further. It shows whether a student is able to manage a research project, if they are able to use the needed research tools and if they can define a suitable question.
3. You gain a lot of skills along the way
Since dissertation is a large scope project, you are bound to gaining several skills along the way which are relevant for job applications after finishing university. Some of these skills are;
Time Management
A lot of time planning is needed to make sure that a student is able to meet his goals. Dissertation is quite involving and takes a considerable amount of a students last year in college. If not careful, he could end up neglecting other areas of learning which are also important. You will need to learn on prioritizing your work and balancing between your work and leisure time. To avoid this, proper planning is needed to ensure that all areas of study are given equal attention and still have break in between for your rest. When working on your dissertation, you will not only learn how to effectively manage your time but you will be developing your critical thinking as well.
Communication
When writing your dissertation you should strive to communicate your message in a simple language that your examiner will easily understand. Try explaining your points in a lay-mans terms what your research project is all about. This can be done by trying to explain complicated concepts as well as making sure to communicate in a manner that is suitable to the audience you are addressing.
Adaptability
Since a dissertation is quite long, you are more often forced to adopt different sections of it so as to help you fit the needs of your project. In some cases, you are forced to change your writing direction in case you realize the areas are not working for you.
4. Pursuing Interests
Some students from various courses are usually given a chance to bring about their own dissertation titles which could be a challenge to them and still fascinating. Here, you will have opportunities to write about a subject or topic you like and need to learn more about it. Picking a research subject is no easy task especially if you dont know what you are intending to write about. But doing some research in the existing literature can help you identify questions, topics, or areas that have not been explored. Once you have chosen the subject, you are good to start on your dissertation. You will be free to approach your research from any angle and tackle the questions you believe are interesting.
5. Helps you to get better at academic writing
Your examiner will be expecting you to submit your dissertation that has been done in the right approach and language. It should also be fully referenced and well-structured with no grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. With all these requirements of the dissertation writing, they push you to make extra effort in order to give better results. At the end you are deemed to be getting better with assignments writing.
No one said dissertation writing is a walk in the park, but with the right approach students are capable of excelling in their tasks. And since this task is important in determining the final grades, it should be accorded enough attention. Throughout the dissertation process, students are able to learn a lot of things which can be of help in the future, like when applying for jobs opportunities. With proper planning and time management, students are able to complete their dissertations within stipulated duration without compromising other areas of study.