time management

Writing Development CentreUniversity Library

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Dr Helen WebsterOn behalf of the Writing Development CentreRobinson Library

Keeping going: Managing your time, tasks and motivation

For enquiries about workshops, please email [email protected]



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The process of writing a dissertation

Decide stuff Find/Read stuff Write stuff

Check and Hand stuff

in

April 15, 2023

Writing

Thinking

Research



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Why isn’t it that easy? What are the challenges?

It’s unpredictable, complicated and difficult by nature.

Lack of clarity about aims, content, process or standard

Writer’s block – lack of effective writing strategies

Perfectionism or anxiety about what supervisor / examiner thinks

Procrastination or ineffective time management

Not knowing when to stop or when is enough Binge-writing and exhaustion



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Macro-management

What are the broad stages of putting together a dissertation?

Decide stuff Find/Read stuff Write stuff

Check and Hand stuff

in

• Which of these must be sequential, and which can run in parallel?

• How much time have you got?

• How much time to allocate to each phase?



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Why do we get stuck?

Three things which might be lacking: Skills “I know what I need to do, but not how to do it” Knowledge “I don’t know what to do/ what things mean” Motivation “I don’t really want to do it / I’m not sure I can”

Four motivators for procrastination: The Rebel The Hedonist The Perfectionist The Worrier



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The Action Spiral: where are you stuck?

4. Saying ‘enough’ and completing

1. Becoming aware

2. Exploring and experimenting

3. Choosing and getting involved

5. Pausing and Reflecting

© Andrea Perry



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Unconstructive beliefs

I can’t write unless I know what I’m going to say.

That’s not the way I work. I can’t work like that.

What’s the point of producing bad writing? Why bother if it’s no good?

I can’t start writing unless I’m in the mood/inspired.

I can’t write until I’ve done.....

It’s not good enough! I haven’t done enough to move on!

Well, that didn’t go well so I may as well give up and write the rest of the day off.



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Working with, not against, your writing preferences and ‘moods’

Do you prefer to write in large blocks (time or words) or a little at a time?

Where do you prefer to write? What are the conditions which help you write?

When do you prefer to write? What time of day? What motivates you to write – routines, rewards and rituals? Are these strategies reliably working for you?

The trick is not to get attached to a single idea of what kind of writer you are, but experiment, reflect on what tends to work, and develop a repertoire of strategies for what might work for you right now.



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“But I can’t write unless I am feeling in an inspired mood!” Summoning the Muse

Inspiration is more likely to strike if you make conditions receptive to it

Warm-up writing

Paul Cezanne, The Kiss of the Muse (Musee D’Orsay)



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Be clear about what you’re doing: SMART Goals

Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timebound



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Knowing how to get started: Breaking it down and layering

What is ‘writing’?

Thinking and clarifying your ideas Structuring your argument Producing a first draft to give you something to work with Giving someone (your supervisor?) an indication of your work

for feedback Editing and refining your writing for content and style Formatting your writing Reviewing your work for overall consistency, cohesion and

direction

Don’t try to do all of these at once –

‘layer’ the process of writing



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Micro-management

Break the day up into small session (30 mins – 1 hour: whatever suits your concentration span and feels manageable)

Make each session a fresh start Write a ‘to-do’ or ‘next action list’ for the day (SMART

goals) Pick an action for each session (in advance or on the spur

of the moment). Make it palatable (30 mins, or 300 words) Keep going if you’re in a flow, but reflect to ensure you’re

not going in circles or on a tangent Celebrate achievements (a job done, not just well done) If you miss targets, don’t dwell on them. Reflect and

review, start the next session afresh.



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Writing to organise your thoughts

“But how can I write if I don’t know where to start?”

Write the headings for the overall chapter or section

State the ‘point’ or argument you’re making in that section.

Interrogate it - what questions does that raise? (use a format you can re-order easily - post-its?)

Organise these questions as if in a dialogue between you and your reader.

Which are major and minor questions? (sections/paragraphs, or sentences as part of paragraphs)

Write ‘prompt’ sentence openings for these questions

Write your answers (full sentences or bullet points)



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An example

My research question is… (50 words) It is important because… (25 words) Researchers who have looked at this have already…

(50 words) They argue that… (25 words) Debate centres on the issue of… (25 words) There is still work to be done on… (25 words) I draw particularly on the work of…. (25 words) My contribution is… (50 words)



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Enough is enough: knowing when to stop

Convergent

Divergent



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Displacement Activity: How do you distinguish between:

Things you DO need to do

Things you DO need to do, just not now, or not that much

Things you really don’t need to do / need to NOT do

Sleep. Eat. Self-care. Relax

Sleep. Eat. Self-care. Relax

Facebook links / Window shopping in Eldon Square / watching bad telly / eating appalling quantities of chocolate



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Displacement Activity: How do you distinguish between:

Things you DO need to do

Things you DO need to do, just not now, or not that much

Things you really don’t need to do / need to NOT do

• Organise notes. Think. Plan. Write. Edit.

• Read another article, run another experiment, fiddle with formatting references

• Explore a new avenue of research / consult a new opinion / radically change topic



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Urgent, but not importantDoes it really need to be done?

Both urgent and importantShould you have started earlier?

Neither urgent nor importantIsn’t there something more important or urgent to do?

Important, but not urgentThese tasks should be your priority!

URGENT

IMPORTANTLow High

High

The Urgent/Important MatrixWhere would you place this task?



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Letting Go and Stopping

What exactly is your benchmark, or definition of ‘enough’? Is it realistic or concrete?

A [dissertation] is never finished, only abandoned. The dissertation is judged on its own merits and how it

meets requirements. It does not have to be better than, or be the best

‘Good enough’ is achievable, perfection is not. You can always do more research, writing, revision…

reading one more journal article is unlikely to be the one thing that makes the difference.

The dissertation is your highest piece of work as a student. No one expects the same standard as an established academic.



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Keeping the flow

At the end of a working session, make a note of what you need to do next

You don’t ‘deserve’ breaks. You need breaks. Don’t skip them if you feel you’ve been unproductive, but do then start another 20-30 min work session afresh

Switch task if you’ve hit a brick wall. “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it.” (W. C. Fields)

Establish what is the bare minimum you have to do before you move on to the next task (you can come back!)

Build structure into your day with other commitments and give yourself permission to relax. “work expands to fill the time available” (Parkinson’s Law)

Give yourself permission to write a bad draft (which no one will see but you). It gives you something to work with later.



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The Writing Development Centre

Understanding assignment types, questions, instructions and marking criteria

Critical thinking, critiquing and reviewing literature Note-taking from lectures and reading Planning and structuring writing (incl. paragraphing) Academic writing style (incl. fundamentals of grammar) Understanding and using feedback to improve your work Referencing, citing and avoiding plagiarism Managing time, work and writing (incl. writers block and

procrastination) Exams and Revision Managing research projects, dissertations and theses Presentations and posters Learning effectively in lectures, seminars, classes, labs etc



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The Writing Development CentreLevel 2, Robinson Library

Our team offers:

- One-to-one tutorials on study skills and all stages and types of academic writing

- A programme of workshops on aspects of study and academic writing

- Online resources

You can book appointments and workshops with us online: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/

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