{"id":304,"date":"2020-07-22T10:11:02","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/?p=304"},"modified":"2021-02-04T15:47:45","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T15:47:45","slug":"9-awesome-wdc-resources-masters-students-can-check-out-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/2020\/07\/22\/9-awesome-wdc-resources-masters-students-can-check-out-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Awesome WDC Resources Master’s Students Can Check Out Right Now!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by Nick Morrison<\/a> on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a Master\u2019s student, then this time of year is less about walking on sunshine and more about working to deadlines. But, if you\u2019re busy wrangling that dissertation, worry not, for the WDC is on hand with these super helpful resources!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Read All About It<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Doing a dissertation involves so. Much. Reading!! Often, you\u2019ll need to read things more than once to develop your ideas and understanding. Here at the WDC, our modest assessment of our Three Domains of Critical Reading<\/a> is that it is completely and utterly brilliant, and can really help you get the most out of your reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Making Sense of It All<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve done the reading, you then need to pull it all together. What are the common themes and patterns? Where are the gaps? What does it all mean?! Our \u2013 again, we\u2019re being modest and objective here \u2013 absolutely splendid Mapping the Literature<\/a> resource can be a great way of making sense of all your reading. Perfect if you\u2019re working on that literature review!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Let\u2019s Talk it Over<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Speaking of literature reviews \u2026 here we are, quite literally, speaking of literature reviews! Now, this Q&A discussion,<\/a> led by WDC tutors Helen and Caroline, was filmed for a lovely group of PhD students in the SAgE faculty. However, it does contain lots of top tips that can be applied to literature reviews at Master\u2019s level, too, such as advice on structuring and writing critically. The video is handily timestamped, too, so you don\u2019t have to watch the whole thing. Unless you really want to \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. It\u2019s All Under Control <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Odds-on, the dissertation is the longest piece of writing you\u2019ve ever produced. The longer a piece of writing is, the harder it gets to stay in control of your material. Hence, trying to structure your dissertation and ensure everything makes sense might not be the most fun you\u2019ve ever had. Luckily, the WDC is on hand with some top tips<\/a> on getting everything to hang together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Never Out of Style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve got all those ideas down on paper, it\u2019s all about polishing up your writing for your reader and presenting that academic persona that they\u2019re looking to see. Once again, the WDC has you covered with our handy tips<\/a> on academic writing style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. Proof it!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The last thing anybody wants to do when they\u2019ve just finished writing a long, complex piece of work is go through it with a fine toothcomb looking for all the things they might have got wrong, Unfortunately, this really *is* the last thing we have to do, But, yes, you\u2019ve guessed it! The WDC has a brilliant Study Guide<\/a> positively brimming with handy proofreading hints! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. Words, words, words<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Student at the very start of their dissertation: I will\nnever be able to write that many words EVER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Student towards the end of their dissertation: How have\nI managed to write 2000 words more than I was supposed to?! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is this you?! Then read this<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    8. When the going gets tough<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve all be there: we really need to write but we can think of 2,908 things we\u2019d rather do instead. Sounds familiar? Check out<\/a> the WDC\u2019s top tips on staying motivated and productive this summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    9. When the going gets tougher \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Working on a Master\u2019s dissertation isn\u2019t easy at the best of times and, let\u2019s face it, the summer of 2020 is *not* the best of times. We put together some time management tips for troubled times back in spring. If, quite understandably, you\u2019re finding it difficult to focus on your work this summer, check out our advice<\/a> on how to be kind to yourself and boost your productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And remember, if you\u2019d like to discuss an aspect of your work with one of our WDC tutors, they\u2019re still here for you over the summer and are offering appointments via Zoom<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019re a Master\u2019s student, then this time of year is less about walking on sunshine and more about working to deadlines. But, if you\u2019re busy wrangling that dissertation, worry not, for the WDC is on hand with these super … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5886,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-critical-thinking","category-dissertations","category-transition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5886"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":310,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304\/revisions\/310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/academicskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}