Researching and writing a dissertation is the ultimate test of one’s self-organization and mental stamina. Studies show that over one-half of Ph.D. students feel stressed, and roughly one-fourth describe their psychological state as “overwhelmed.”
The only way to avoid joining that one-fourth is by beating procrastination and starting your dissertation as early as possible. Here’s why.
You Need More Time Than You Think
Everyone who thinks they can complete their bibliography in a week is a dreamer. And the truth is, the same goes for almost every step of the dissertation writing process.
If you ask professionals at EssayHub writing essay service, they’ll tell you that the most common reason Ph.D. students seek writing help is that they’ve underestimated how time-consuming it is to write a dissertation.
If you struggle with self-organization, it’s a good idea to consider using productivity apps like the ones below. They’ll keep you accountable and help you stick to your schedule.
Productivity Apps To Keep You Focused
It’s easy to get lost in social media and other internet distractions, but these apps will help you stay focused on your work so you can get it done more efficiently and faster!
Time Timer
Time Timer is an excellent app for everyone who struggles to keep focused.
We’ve all been there. Once you finally sit down to complete your proposal, it turns out that the apartment needs cleaning, it’s time to walk the dog, or you haven’t checked your Instagram feed today. So the proposal once again gets postponed. Time Timer can help you avoid this.
Calendly
Calendly is fantastic for Ph.D. students who have a lot going on on top of actually writing.
If your plan for the week includes two meetings with your dissertation supervisor, three lectures to give, and who-knows-how-many Zoom calls with your research participants, Calendly is just what the doctor ordered.
Evernote
Evernote is not just a helpful self-organization app but also a convenient note-taking tool.
You can use it both to track your time and work on your literature review. The free version is okay, but the personal plan ($8 a month) is much better.
Once you convert the cost into the time you’ll save, you’ll see that Evernote is worth it.
Toggl
Toggl is the perfect choice for people who treat the dissertation writing process as a self-discovery journey.
It’ll help you understand how you spend your time and what you should change to optimize your productivity. Sometimes, the insights Toggle provides are pretty surprising.
The Earlier You Realize Something’s Wrong, The Easier It Is To Fix
Writing a dissertation is never a smooth process. You’ll be disappointed if you expect everything to go according to your plan.
It’s much safer and healthier to expect nothing to turn out the way you initially thought it would. It will save you from too many sleepless nights and needless worry.
For example, you might realize that your dissertation supervisor isn’t doing what you’d like them to do or has a vision of your dissertation polar opposite to yours. If this becomes clear early on, you’ll be able to find a new advisor. But the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll be to get someone willing to work with you before it’s too late to change anything.
Or you might discover that you aren’t as good at writing as you thought. It happens to many Ph.D. students, especially if they majored in something that involved more lab reports than essay writing.
If this happens and you have enough time, you’ll be able to read essaypro reviews and get professional writing help. But the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll be able to find a decent service willing to assist.
The Closer To The Deadline, The More Overwhelmed You’ll Feel
Finally, the most important reason you should start working on your dissertation as early as possible is that it only worsens over time.
If you feel confused, stressed, and overwhelmed now, expect to feel twice as awful in six months. That’s just how writing something as challenging as a dissertation works. Good luck finding a Ph.D. student who has it all together.
You can’t avoid stress when working on your dissertation. But you can minimize it if you start early and try not to deviate too much from your schedule.
It’s okay to take a week off from writing to have a break and recharge. But if a week turns into a month, chances are, you’ll feel worse than you did before taking time off.
Final Thoughts
Starting your dissertation early is not only about getting things done well but also about protecting your mental health.
Your estimates of how long writing will take are probably off. If you want to succeed, you need to allow extra time, which is only possible if you don’t procrastinate.
Ultimately, the two things that help Ph.D. students stay sane are prioritization and meditation.
