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Worried about my dissertation???

(Sorry Long!) I’m a final year university Student and I’ve essentially completed my 10,000 word diss due for end of March, I felt pretty confident on it, I got good feedback on the chapter I sent over to my supervisor and my parents (though biased) really liked it too.

Stupidly I read my course mates (she asked me to check it over and I probably should have pretended like I was busy) because now I’ve read hers I’m paranoid mines actually NOT good at all, hers is way more verbose and topical compared to mine - although we have done completely different topics, hers is old mines a fairly recent topic.

I just feel like the confidence I felt before had been completely destroyed, I was relying on my dissertation to bring up my grade by a lot too as it’s double weighted.

It’s finished now but I’m just doubting it altogether which has really put me off it all, I’ve still got other essays due and I’ve lost all motivation 😞 helpppp

Reply 1

Notoriety

Verbosity and topicality make for excellent essays, do they?

Reply 2

Lily048

Original post by Notoriety

Verbosity and topicality make for excellent essays, do they?

They typically attract the higher grades when given first class examples of dissertations (which we were), hence my worry?

Reply 3

gjd800

Directness and honed argumentation make for good dissertations, not verbosity. Don't fret. Your feedback would not have been good if you had turned out a steaming pile of shite - seriously.

Reply 4

Lily048

Original post by gjd800

Directness and honed argumentation make for good dissertations, not verbosity. Don't fret. Your feedback would not have been good if you had turned out a steaming pile of shite - seriously.

Original post by gjd800

Directness and honed argumentation make for good dissertations, not verbosity. Don't fret. Your feedback would not have been good if you had turned out a steaming pile of shite - seriously.

Well that’s another problem with mine - mine doesn’t have a direct outcome, it was to do with a very recent topic in the media (still being currently inquired about) and therefore no exact or direct conclusion could be made, other than the deductions I personally found based on my extended reading. Hers on the other hand, had a direct outcome (it has existed for a long time and therefore has common arguments and ideas that go with it) making me worry somewhat that mine loses out there...I don’t think it’s a pile of shite I just don’t want it to be mediocre/average either

Reply 5

Notoriety

Original post by Lily048

Originality, rather than restatement of other people's work, is what makes for a first.

Reply 6

Lily048

Original post by Notoriety

Originality, rather than restatement of other people's work, is what makes for a first.

So even originality of the topic is considered when graded?

Reply 7

gjd800

Original post by Lily048

So even originality of the topic is considered when graded?

Yes - it is the specified criterion in most mark schemes for firsts and high firsts.

Reply 8

Lily048

Original post by gjd800

Yes - it is the specified criterion in most mark schemes for firsts and high firsts.

Interesting! So what are your opinions on a verbose submission compared to one that is less so? (Topic quality aside)

Reply 9

gjd800

Original post by Lily048

Interesting! So what are your opinions on a verbose submission compared to one that is less so? (Topic quality aside)

Verbosity should only be employed where necessary. How I write for work and how I write otherwise are two different things - in my discipline (philosophy), getting to the point is the entire point (despite the common misconceptions!).

The most common complaint I make to students in marking feedback is 'get to the point' or 'cut the waffle'.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 10

Lily048

Original post by gjd800

I do sociology so I imagine they’re very similar in nature, I do try and accentuate my language throughout my work to add an edge but I find it hard to measure up against people who natural have verbose language or can utilise it properly within an essay/report, like with my dissertation, I do not know whether her topic just requires such language and mine needs me to get straight to the point and not beat around the bush

Reply 11

gjd800

Original post by Lily048

Some discussions need a lot of talking around the issue for contextualisation, but generally speaking, if a student can't tell me in a sentence what their research is trying to do, then they aren't sufficiently acquainted with it. A lot of the time verbosity in dissertations or papers attempts to shroud a lack of substance (not always, but a lot of the time).

I wouldn't worry, though. If y7our supervisor has said good things to say then you are doing something right. It is their job to pick holes.