The Process of Handing in Your Dissertation

This is it. You've spent almost the entire year working on the biggest project you've ever done in your life, and once this is handed over, you're just weeks away from finishing your degree. So how did you feel the moment that you gave your dissertation over to the hands of the markers? This is pretty much how it went down...

The process of tidying up your dissertation begins, a few grammatical changes there, some sentence structuring here and it's done. But your word count is over. You need to cut it down, but you can't bear to read it over once more. What if you have to take an entire paragraph out?! What if you have to risk the sentence structure?! What if you ruin it all...

My housemate Sara had some issues when she had to cut a whole 800 words out of her disso. Her patience was shot by the time she was still 99 words over her limit. 

Okay, pull yourself together. You're in the word count now. The contents page is accurate, you've got all the information on the front cover you need. Oh lord what about the bibliography? Are you certain that you've got every single one of your references on that list? ARE YOU SURE?

Relax. It's time to head to the library and get it printed. It's a battle for space - you're more than willing to fight someone for a computer. Okay, you've found one, now breath. You've backed it up right? Yeah of course you have. 500 times no doubt. High quality paper, let's be fancy. Now, press that little button without showing that you're terrified...it's just printing a normal piece of work. Think calm thoughts.

Shit. You've printed it double sided. Will this be acceptable? Will they slay you for saving the planet because you used less paper and somehow made it more complex to read. WHAT? Are they serious you HAVE to have it single sided? What are you paying £9,000 for. Great. You now have four copies of you dissertation in hand. Really appreciated. 

Do not I repeat do NOT drop this unbound dissertation. 

Okay, you're almost about to get it bound. One last flick through to ensure everything is present and correct. Should you read it through again? Can you put yourself through the pain of finding a mistake? There can't be any mistakes, surely not. Just hand it over to this stranger and they'll bind it all together, caging your future in the tight grasp of the education system. 

Ooh look how pretty it looks. You need someone to take a photo of you. You can't ask a stranger, where're your friends to support you through this? Shameless selfie time! 'Look at me I did a thing!'. That diffused some of the tension surrounding this process. 

Now to head to the office and hand it over. Sign some forms. One last flick through. Oh the pride. Oh the relief. Oh God are they coming to take it away from me? I'M NOT READY FOR THIS. Okay, thank you, yes you can have it. Well done little old me. *weeps*

It's out of your hands. *sigh of relief* It's done *slightly distressed sign* What if you left a mistake in there? What if the word count was wrong? WHAT IF YOU PLAGIARISED? *reaches for alcoholic beverage*. You didn't. It's cool. You got this. 

....

Bed time. You achieved something great today. It's handed in. What did you do wrong? What did you do right? What will make you stop thinking about it? Breath. Breath. There's nothing more to be done. *reaches for another alcohol beverage*

Congratulations to everyone who has handed their dissertation in already and good luck to those who haven't. Honestly, my heart was thumping during this process and it took me a few days to stop thinking everything over and over, but once it's done it's done! We're almost there!

MissIsGoode

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