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Alice Pearson – Final Reflections
The most difficult aspect of preparing for my dissertation is narrowing my topic down into one that is more plausible. As well as this, I have found it more difficult than expected to understand methodology and how to use it when planning my dissertation. I have also been surprised by the amount of secondary reading to be done in preparation for writing about my dissertation.
I have managed my time well in order to be more realistic about how much my dissertation can cover. By doing so I have been able to narrow down the time period that I am able to cover and the range of events, too. Breaking down tasks into sections made them more manageable – especially when it came to secondary reading around the topic.
I have learnt that approaching my dissertation requires good planning to allow plenty of time for exploring my topic in every way I would like to. I have also learnt not to be too ambitious in what I would like to cover in my dissertation.
Speaking with my supervisor during the course of this module has been the most useful in getting my ideas straight and planning what exactly my dissertation will cover. I also think that the assignments were very helpful in building up knowledge of the previous literature in the field. Understanding methodology was also useful in preparing for my project because I have a better idea of how methodology can improve my research. Finally, I feel much more confident about my dissertation that at the beginning of the module, and have a clearer idea of how my project will be completed over the next year.