Friday 20 February 2015

Dissertation, Dissertation, Dissertation

Yes it's that time of year when final year students give up all of the fun stuff to write their dissertations.  This year I am one of those students and every spare moment is taken up with thoughts about my dissertation, reading for it or actually writing it. Simple pleasures of baking, taking the children to the park, or spending time sewing, leave me feeling guilty because I know I should be working on my dissertation.  Since last summer the subject of my research has become my latest obsession.  Being a bit of a perfectionist I will not start writing anything until I know I have fully explored the topic, delving into textbooks and reading many, many journal articles. 

With only four weeks until hand in day and trying to write the discussion part of my extended proposal I am more than a little distracted.  There are some days I wonder if I should be actually driving, using the commute home from placement to consider various options for the trial I am creating.  How many arms,? What will the control arm involve? Will I use mixed methods? Does case study really fit for the qualitative part? These are some of the many questions spinning around my head right now. 

So alongside normal family life and being on clinical placement I will endeavor to complete my dissertation, especially as it is already helping to shape a future clinical study.  Nobody said retraining would be easy and the next four weeks are going to be the hardest, but thankfully I have a very understanding family, who know they will get me back very soon, no longer distracted by endless thoughts about my dissertation.  

And to all the other final year radiography and nursing students currently stuck down the dissertation rabbit hole, good luck.  We will be allowed out very soon, to see daylight again!


Until next time, take care.
Zoe

xo