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Did anyone do better than they thought on their diss?

Hey,

Just submitted my 12,000 word undergrad diss (thankfully)!

Right up until the last minute I really didn't know if I would manage to submit it. I have been dealing with severe anxiety in my final year which I have had to seek support for. I'm very proud that I managed to complete a (mostly cohesive), well-researched dissertation under the circumstances. However, all along I have had a really bad feeling about it and an intense fear it will fail.

I feel like there are a lot of things wrong with it or that could have been done differently/ made stronger (if it wasn't for my shocking mental state while writing it). I will say that I really did put a lot of effort into it though!

When I told my supervisor I thought it was going to fail, he laughed and said that for it to fail, it would have to be incomplete/ limited to no research/ no effort put into it etc. (I hope he meant that 🤣)

I'm just wondering if anyone here passed a diss that they thought they hadn't done well in or done better than they expected to? (Need some stories of hope to get me through the next couple of months waiting for my results!)
Original post by Mar1g0ld
Hey,
Just submitted my 12,000 word undergrad diss (thankfully)!
Right up until the last minute I really didn't know if I would manage to submit it. I have been dealing with severe anxiety in my final year which I have had to seek support for. I'm very proud that I managed to complete a (mostly cohesive), well-researched dissertation under the circumstances. However, all along I have had a really bad feeling about it and an intense fear it will fail.
I feel like there are a lot of things wrong with it or that could have been done differently/ made stronger (if it wasn't for my shocking mental state while writing it). I will say that I really did put a lot of effort into it though!
When I told my supervisor I thought it was going to fail, he laughed and said that for it to fail, it would have to be incomplete/ limited to no research/ no effort put into it etc. (I hope he meant that 🤣)
I'm just wondering if anyone here passed a diss that they thought they hadn't done well in or done better than they expected to? (Need some stories of hope to get me through the next couple of months waiting for my results!)

Hi there,

Congrats on submitting your dissertation!

I can definitely sympathise with the ongoing stress of a dissertation, as can a lot of students I will imagine!

Your supervisor does have a point. You would have to produce a minimal amount of work or nothing at all in order to fail the dissertation component. By the sounds of it, you have put in the effort and now all you can do is wait for the outcome.

Remember, you can always chat to your supervisor for further guidance or support for the rest of the academic year as they can talk you through things rationally if you feel if you need advice. I'm not sure if you have other ongoing exams or assignments, but I would imagine they would also count towards a final grade so you've always got those work towards as well.

I hope this helps!

Estelle 🙂
Course Enquiries Assistant
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Mar1g0ld
Hey,
Just submitted my 12,000 word undergrad diss (thankfully)!
Right up until the last minute I really didn't know if I would manage to submit it. I have been dealing with severe anxiety in my final year which I have had to seek support for. I'm very proud that I managed to complete a (mostly cohesive), well-researched dissertation under the circumstances. However, all along I have had a really bad feeling about it and an intense fear it will fail.
I feel like there are a lot of things wrong with it or that could have been done differently/ made stronger (if it wasn't for my shocking mental state while writing it). I will say that I really did put a lot of effort into it though!
When I told my supervisor I thought it was going to fail, he laughed and said that for it to fail, it would have to be incomplete/ limited to no research/ no effort put into it etc. (I hope he meant that 🤣)
I'm just wondering if anyone here passed a diss that they thought they hadn't done well in or done better than they expected to? (Need some stories of hope to get me through the next couple of months waiting for my results!)

Congratulations on submitting your dissertation @Mar1g0ld 🤗

What was your dissertation on? :smile:

I remember always worrying about the dissertation throughout my three years of study haha, I said to myself on the first day I'd only be happy with a First overall, so I did feel the pressure, and always doubted myself and my abilities, always worrying after submitting each piece of work, so I relate to the feeling of failure!! I came out with a First, so I did better than I thought! I'm always thinking the worst haha, it's a bad habit.

I hope when you get your results that you're over the moon with it and super proud of yourself! 🙂

Have a lovely rest of the week

Becky
Original post by Mar1g0ld
Hey,
Just submitted my 12,000 word undergrad diss (thankfully)!
Right up until the last minute I really didn't know if I would manage to submit it. I have been dealing with severe anxiety in my final year which I have had to seek support for. I'm very proud that I managed to complete a (mostly cohesive), well-researched dissertation under the circumstances. However, all along I have had a really bad feeling about it and an intense fear it will fail.
I feel like there are a lot of things wrong with it or that could have been done differently/ made stronger (if it wasn't for my shocking mental state while writing it). I will say that I really did put a lot of effort into it though!
When I told my supervisor I thought it was going to fail, he laughed and said that for it to fail, it would have to be incomplete/ limited to no research/ no effort put into it etc. (I hope he meant that 🤣)
I'm just wondering if anyone here passed a diss that they thought they hadn't done well in or done better than they expected to? (Need some stories of hope to get me through the next couple of months waiting for my results!)

Hey Marigold,

Firstly, huge congrats on submitting! Hopefully that will be a huge weight off your shoulders. Considering that you were facing some really difficult issues whilst writing this is incredible 🙂

When I was writing my dissertation I was also struggling with my mental health, and when it came to the research I didn't quite get the X shaped ANOVA graph I wanted, more of a wonky /- shape. I was very worried that this slightly odd result would lose me marks and didn't think my explanation of it was very strong. I also knew that my second marker wasn't a huge fan of the topic and so was quite worried by what they'd make of it. But when it came back and I'd broken into the First bracket I was very happy 🙂

I also had a friend who had a severe sports injury in our final year meaning she struggled with her movements, and suffered terribly with stress and anxiety. She talked to me about how she felt like her dissertation - although she'd put a lot of effort into it - was rushed and not to the standard she wanted it to be. She was also very worried about it. Well she too got a First 🙂

I know its much easier said than done to say 'try not to worry', but it sounds to me like you've probably done a better job than you think, and it sounds like your supervisor thinks so too. My supervisor also told me that you would have to make a lot of mistakes on a lot of elements of a dissertation to fail, and so if you have submitted something complete, with good research and well-explained results etc - then I'm sure you will be fine 🙂

I hope this helps, best of luck with it!

Holly
University of Bath
Hi @Mar1g0ld,

Congratulations on submitting your dissertation, you should be really proud of yourself! I think the uncertainty you're feeling around your dissertation submission is completely normal, so know you're not alone in this 😊

As a recent graduate myself, I can definitely sympathise with your situation - I struggled with the overthinking once I had submitted, and regularly thought of additional things I could've added which really didn't help my anxieties. Despite feeling like I could've done much more I came out with a First - so it just shows not to expect the worst.

For your situation, I'd say trust your supervisor - they will have seen many dissertations throughout their career and will know what warrants a fail and what doesn't. If you have submitted a complete dissertation with lots of research you will definitely be okay!

As others have said, try not to worry! This is easier said than done, but worrying will not change your result, so it's best to relax and celebrate your submission. You should be proud of yourself regardless.

I hope this helps and good luck with your results 😊

Best wishes,
^ Hannah.

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