Completing a dissertation

Those of you starting in your third or final year at university will very likely need to start thinking about your dissertation.

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a substantial piece of individual research on a specific topic, usually of your own choosing. It is likely the biggest piece of academic work you will undertake, and most of this is on your own. A dissertation is usually worth two modules (about 40 credits). This is not the time to panic, or to be scared. just follow the guidelines set down by your university and get on with it. You'll do just fine.

What should I choose to research?

You will need to discuss the topic with your supervisor. Selecting your topic early is a good idea as stopping and starting something later on will set you back weeks, even months. Choose wisely. Choose to study something feasible. You will need to study something that is within geographic reach, and is possible within the time-scale. You will also be doing it around your other modules. You do not need to choose a research topic that leads to a game-changing revelation - that is best left to the PhD and masters students - but you do need to choose something you can research competently.

That being said, take the time to think about doing something out of the whole student-sphere. Studying your fellow students, or something going on at uni will look lazy to employers. Do something no-one else dares to do - study marginal groups, like homeless people, or a contentious subject. See our job hunting tips to find out how your choices can affect your employability.

Choose to study something that is within the boundary of what you have studied over the last two years or so. This is not the time to start on completely new theory. Apply the theory you have been taught well to a good subject and you'll do fine.

How do I carry out the research?

For a dissertation, you will be expected to carry out your own research to back up your arguments. This is where your key skills and research methods modules come in handy. Look at what you need to find out. You may feel that a questionnaire is a good idea, or maybe use secondary sources and apply the data in a new way. Sometimes primary research involves a review of media or literature instead. Speak to your supervisor about your chosen research method. Explain your methods well. How you carried out your research is as important as what you found.

Choose a method that fits into your life. It's no good trying to conduct a telephone survey if you haven't got time to pound the phones.

How long will it take?

This depends on your university, department and course. Usually, they will take the full academic year though some start in the second year and have an earlier deadline date. See our tips for meeting deadlines. One thing we will say is that time goes faster than it should, and the write-up time will take longer than you expect. Allow plenty of time for getting it printed and bound too. There are often queues for this, and it doesn't help if everyone else is trying to get theirs done at the same time.

What format should it take?

A dissertation is a substantial piece of work of around 10,000 to 20,000 words. It will usually consist of the same chapters, though these will differ from course to course. For example, a biology dissertation will have different chapters to a sociology one. Most dissertations comprise an index page, an abstract, an introduction, a literature review, methods, and a bibliography as well as the body chapters which are pertinent to your topic. Any appendices usually go at the back.

Read the department guidelines in your module handbook carefully. They will usually set requirements in terms of document size, layout, acceptable font type and size, binding type and line-spacing. Do not deviate from this as you will likely lose marks. And check your referencing is done properly. Double check as you go along so you don't miss any.

Departments often keep a back catalogue of undergraduate dissertations you can look at for reference. Ask if your department does this as it can be a real boon.

Where do I get it printed and bound?

Universities often have a list of recommended print and copy shops you can use. The university might have it's own on campus, but usually you have to go to a local, independent one. Choose one near the university as these have more experience of them and can offer advice on how to get the best job and most for your money. They are also a bit more sympathetic to student deadlines, but can get very busy, so don't leave it til the last minute.

You can print them off yourself if you have a good printer, but you will probably still need to take it elsewhere to get it bound. You could also go online. There are lots of online print and copy shops where you can send your dissertation off as a pdf or a word file, and they will print it and send it back to you. I have used Scribes in the past. They are in Hull, but also do mail order. Highly recommended.

What next?

Your dissertation may set the path for the rest of your life. My dissertation topic and the methods used helped me to gain a position in research at the local council. While others shied away from doing questionnaires on the general public which inevitably need some sort of mathematical interpretation and analysis, my successful use of these methods in my dissertation meant I had invaluable experience that others did not have.

If you are considering staying in academia, then a good dissertation can make the difference between getting a paid position or not. It is a good idea to get extra copies printed so you can take them to any type of interview you have.

Because a dissertation is worth more than a standard module it's very important  to make sure its a good one, and it is worth spending the time to make it as good as it can be. But do not miss the deadline. It's got too much riding on it for it to be scored zero. Try to take regular breaks from it to spend a bit of time sleeping on it. The key to a good dissertation is to choose the right topic and methods for you, start it early, and review it regularly.

Good luck!

Be a book broker

TheBookPond are currently looking for businesses to act as brokers for used textbooks.

The seller would bring their books in, leave their details, and set a sale price. The broker would list their books with theBookPond.com and handle the sale. The broker would send the money onto the seller, minus a pre-agreed commission and/or an admin fee.

Textbooks can have a high value and many students are reluctant to part with them at the low price that traditional book-dealers have offered for them. The result is that too many textbooks are left un-loved and gathering dust, long after they should be. Which is a shame because there are other students desperate to save money on their own textbook purchases. There is a temporal and spatial mis-match between the lives of final-year students who are moving out of the area, and those of new students moving in. Local book brokers would plug that gap.

A theBookPond broker would get a free listing on our site, as well as being promoted to our members through the use of our blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed and our e-newsletter. We will provide leaflets and posters for your premises, and are here to answer any questions by email. In return, the book broker would set their own terms and commission levels, and are free to cease being a theBookPond broker at any time.

The benefits of being a broker are obviously the extra income accrued by the commission, as well as extra foot-fall to your premises, and a listing (and backlink to your site) on our main site.

Ideally, the business would already be trading in a publicly-accessible premises in or close to the university area, and operating in a related business, such as second-hand goods, stationery, print-and-copy, or maybe in coffee and buns.

So if you fancy being a small but vital part of a growing student service, please get in touch with Joanne on joanne@thebookpond.com, or through our Facebook page.

October 2011 round-up

The last few months have been our busiest yet here at theBookPond HQ. After our appearance on the BBC's Click! programme (did you hear about that, did we tell you?) we have had loads more books put on the site in all areas of the UK, and lots of new registered users from all parts of the world. This came after a feature on pocket-lint.com back in February so we were very pleased when the BBC gave us some airtime too. We have had interest both from inside and outside the UK, and are looking forward to some exciting developments in the next few weeks. We would like to say a big hello to all our new users, especially those who have joined us since our unexpected and most welcome TV appearance in July.

Since July, we have had several media requests and made appearances on Manchester's PureRadio, and The University of Lincoln's Siren FM. Thank you to the production crews for letting us pollute the airways in their name.

Joanne has been very busy with her new additions to her family, as well as finishing off her masters degree and attending the odd conference or two. She is keeping abreast of all the latest student news for you, and trying very hard not to break the website while Graeme is away.

Graeme has been working in India for a voluntary organisation who aid development by deploying skilled engineers. We welcome him back to the sunny UK very soon. Preferably before Joanne breaks the site good and proper.

Coming this term are some site improvements. We will be breaking theBookPond down so that each university town has it's own online area, complete with interactivity and content written especially. This will take some time to get all the areas finished, but users should be able to see the first of the new pages this term. Otherwise, we will be plugging on with getting more users on board to get those textbooks sold quicker.

Don't forget you can keep abreast of all the news and goings on by subscribing by email to this blog. In the meantime, stay with us, recommend us to your friends, spread the word and help get everyone's textbooks turned into cash. Laters.

The difference between university and school

Today, the BBC reported that a recent survey had found that most university students today, whether from the state sector or from a private school, thought that the quality of the teaching at their university was worse than that of their school.

This is especially a concern now that fees are due to rise and students will be looking more closely at value for money. This is only common sense. After all, if you are painfully aware of the amount of money that something is costing you (even if you don't technically pay for it for a few years or so), then you will scrutinise the details more closely.

But complaints against teaching in universities are not always linked to cost. When I went to university, when the fees were nearer £1000 and all usually covered by the LEA anyway, there were still concerns among the students about the attitude of teaching staff and many students questioned their tutors' commitment to the course. I remember several complaints being made to the department when a lecturer failed to show for a lecture, or when they turned up late because they couldn't find the teaching lab. These things happen. Academics, particularly the really clever ones are not all known for their customer service or commercial nous. This has to change. Over the coming years, students will demand more. They will have sacrificed more to go to university, and have higher expectations for their £9,000 than universities are in a position to meet. However, while resources and teaching facilities cost money to bring up to the standard expected by more discerning students, customer service does not cost anything. Apologies from lecturers go a long way. Teaching staff learning where they are supposed to be and when does not cost anything.

Compromises also need to be made on the part of the student, or at least a compromise in attitude. A university is not school. That is the point. University is about grown-up, independent learning. University is not about being spoon-fed information for you to regurgitate in an exam. Academic staff are there to guide your learning, to give you the overview, to provide you with a list of recommended reading, and to suggest things to gen up on for the assessments. A more flexible approach to learning is needed, and this has to come from the student. The three years at university are a learning curve, and the first few months are about adapting to a new style of learning - hence why the first year of most university courses do not count towards your final grade. At university there is no register for lectures. It's up to you to turn up. At university you are given an essay title and a deadline. It's up to you to meet it.

Yes, we expect that if a lecture is billed as being at a certain place at a certain time then it will happen, and we should get an apology if it doesn't. Yes, we understand that sometimes things happen and the staff member has to bail at the last minute. In university there are no substitute teachers. We get that. Yet, staff need to understand the students' concern over value for money and make every effort to do things that don't cost money yet enhance the value-added.

However, teaching at university is fundamentally different to school with good reason. The teaching attitude is different because the staff are different, and the staff are different because its a different environment. I for one would not want university to be like school. School was stifling and full of people I didn't like much. University was liberating and full of people I wanted to be with. I am more than happy that university life and teaching, for all its faults, are different.

Working while studying

As much as we'd all like to be able to concentrate solely on our studies, often it is necessary to get a part-time job to help finance our time at university. Part-time jobs also provide vital work experience that could help to clinch that desirable graduate position. So what type of part-time work is suitable for students?

Convenient hours

The first priority should be a job that fits in around your studies. As much as you need the money, jobs which clash with lectures and take up time you need to spend on revision are counter-productive. This usually means jobs in an evening, such as bar work, or a weekend position, such as in a shop.

Good money

The other priority is money. It goes without saying that the more money you get per hour, the less hours you have to work. Simple. However, bar and shop work isn't the best paid work, and students sometimes have to make the sacrifice of low pay over convenient hours. Some employers can take advantage of this, so be careful. Try and get a job that pays as much as possible without having to work lots of hours. Use your skills you already have. If you have industry experience, then you should look to get work which uses this. It is likely to be better paid and give you more flexibility that traditional student jobs.

Use your existing skills

Look in less traditional places for work. Yes the university union job shop may have lots of tempting positions but they may not pay so well. Try the job section of the local town's newspaper, or keep track of what jobs are coming up at the local council. Interesting jobs which use your skills such as sports coaching, or leading drama workshops will pay more per hour and provide much more relevant work experience.

Paying tax (or not)

If you work in a job that has irregular hours, for example you work a lot more hours during the holidays than during term-time, make sure you do not pay too much tax. Income tax is paid over a year, but worked out by your employer on your weekly wage. Some weeks you will pay too much tax. You can claim it back at the end of the year by filling in a P50, but this is not good if you need the money right now. Instead, you can also apply for an exemption, but to do this your total earnings for the year must be lower than your personal allowance, which is around £6,500.

Building experience

If you plan on using a part-time job to boost your CV and help your future career then it is better to look for a job in the area in which you are interested in working. If you want to be a marine biologist then don't work in a factory. Ask if there are any jobs at the local aquarium, even if it's working in their gift shop. If you like history, then look for weekend work at the local museum. Don't be afraid to stray from the student areas to find more interesting, better-paid work.

Other ways of making money

There are also money-making opportunites available which tap into your student status. Some companies who want to sell to students have commission-based schemes where you can earn money from liaising with social groups like societies or sports teams. For example, your sports team needs new kit, you take the order and place it with the company and you get a share of the sale value.You'll never get rich this way, but for some it can be easy money if you already have the contacts and a flair for sales. Watch out for opportunites like this on websites such as http://www.gumtree.com/.

Above all, try not to let any part-time work interfere too much with your studies. Sacrificing good marks for a bit of extra cash may not be the best long-term strategy. Better financial management might be a better option than working too many hours.

Good luck, and happy job-hunting.