One useful strategy is constantly to locate oneself within the intellectual terrain.Particularly in the Northern hemisphere, when the weather might be good, this can be the greatest challenge.It is an "essay" in the original sense: a "try.
And since the essays will have likely been on widely varying topics, the actual content of the dissertation will be significantly less than the student has already tackled.The thrust of this article has been that though the writing process is psychologically gruelling, a close look at what is difficult about the writing process may reveal that the dissertation itself is not the real problem – the emotional strain comes from the wider context.The next problem is actually physically getting oneself to do the work.At 20,000 words or so, it is only as long as four or five of the essays the master's student will have written during the year.It is common to laugh dismissively at the student who falls asleep in the library, at the student who cannot stay in his seat long enough to read an entire article; at the student whose eyes start sliding down the page in boredom and sleepiness.Physically removing oneself from computers and distractions helps; maintaining a structure to the day helps too; physical exercise helps to fight off the sense of depression that can arise as summer days are squandered in an airless library.Conclusion: The Psychology of Dissertation-Writing The dissertation is not, all things considered, such a long document.This gives momentum to one's reading, which can overcome tendencies to drift off.Rather than laugh, one should recognize that this experience is virtually universal (including among professors), and adopt strategies to cope accordingly.The dissertation is a step on the way to the much greater things one will do or write later in life.One can draw spider-diagrams and flow charts of the relations of ideas, and locate whatever one is currently reading within that structure.Students should put their master's degree in the perspective of their entire life.The real difference is that the student is on their own, and that reading lists are not provided.Effective writing psychology is to enjoy the process, to enjoy the opportunity to explore the literature, and not to rush through the research period so as to get on to the writing.
Post je objavljen 16.11.2010. u 10:17 sati.