...to not do a dissertation?

[FantasticRik]

I'm in my final year of a nursing degree with 8 months until I qualify and have had a major wobble over the past few weeks.

Training to be a nurse has been my dream for years and i know I'm v fortunate to be in this position however the combination of placements, academic work, 2 lovely DCs, running a home etc has got to me. I have a supportive DH who does his fair share of housework and yet I feel like I'm drowning - over the past year or so I have felt increasingly low and a few weeks ago, during my last placement I had a bit of a meltdown (thankfully I was at home when it happened) and truly felt as though I couldn't carry on with the course (not life).

I am about to start researching my dissertation topic and I just feel so anxious about it - I can't concentrate at all and feel panicky about the whole thing. On top of this we also have 2 other assignments, a presentation and another 12 week placement before we qualify and it just feels too much.

An option would be to not do the dissertation meaning, as I understand it) I would still get a degree and be able to qualify as a nurse however I wouldn't get the 'honours'.

WIBU to not even attempt the dissertation? Or will I regret it in the long run?

So as not to drip I have sought support from the university's support service, and my GP (around my low mood) and am awaiting a reply from my tutor for advice. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I dont know how much it matters in nursing but otherwise i would have said dont even think about getting a degree without honours. It isnt that long in the grand scheme of things.

How many words is every piece when broken down?

You need to find out the full consequences before you make the decision. I felt similarly to you when I was training (different profession, but still stressful). The consequences of not handing in a dissertation was a fail, the option they gave me was to hand 'something' in so that I could be failed but be given the opportunity to submit in the following year. I got the other assignments done, handed in a weak excuse for a dissertation and failed.

I then spent the next year researching in a much more relaxed way, there were no other deadlines to meet and I could just focus on working and getting my dissertation finished. It could only be marked at 50% maximum because I had 'failed' but I felt so much better about being able to finish it. I did and I passed, it hasn't made any difference to my degree at all.

It's worth seeing if you can do something similar. I think you'll regret it in the long run of you simply don't do it, but don't put your health at risk in the process. There are definitely things you can do with the deadlines to alleviate the pressure a bit.

I think you need some advice for your tutor on this one. Would skipping the dissertation harm your career development at a later stage? E.g., if you wanted to specialize in, say, cardiac patients, would a lack of dissertation on the subject hinder you?

Dissertation is 8000 words.
Other assignments are 3000 words plus the presentation.

Would it help if you broke things down into small, manageable sections, and tackled one at a time, being strict with yourself about only thinking about the bit you are working on?

I am an old fashioned nurse - I trained back in the pre-degree days - so I tend to think that it is your knowledge and skill that matters, not having Honours or not. However it may impact on whether you get considered for some jobs.

Thanks for your replies. Yes I definitely need advice from my tutor on whether a lack of dissertation could hinder my future career.

I know it seems intimidating but 8,000 words really isn't that huge.

Intro of 1000 words, 3 chapters of 2000 words each plus a conclusion of 1000 words = job done.

Do you have a study advice centre at uni? Their job is to help you plan and write your assignments.

any chance of finding out if door is open to return & do the dissertation & so gain honours at a later date? I would try to complete it at the mo if possible though. If you did it & only just passed it, would it have a detrimental effect on average mark, how is it weighted? May be a small risk doing it badly now if the mark for a rushed dissertation will bring your average down?

blink's suggestion sounds like a really good one OP. I am writing all weekend (not nursing, post grad and only 6000 words - only!) and then revising for a different exam for next weekend.

I am home alone with DD (8) looking after our various animals large and small and have almost lost the will to complete my report. I will carry on for a couple more hours tonight and then have another bash tomorrow.

It is really hard having to leave DD to fend for herself while I work, I hate it.

I take my hat off to you OP, nursing is a tough profession.

Hi OP,

I work in a university sometimes (Not Nursing) but I will ask you some questions I ask my students when they are feeling wobbly, which is very normal btw.

1. What date would any dissertation have to be submitted?

2. Can your supervisor read a draft?

3. If yes, what date would that be?

4. What is it that you are finding daunting or overwhelming?

5. What can we do next?

If you can answer these questions, I should be able to help.

Yes we have support at uni which I can access. I usually cope well with assignments but feel overwhelmed.

I'm not sure how the dissertation will affect my overall mark if done badly. Lots of questions to ask my tutor.

Sam I wish I'd done the old style training am old enough

Thanks everyone.

I do very much sympathise, as academic work can be very stressful. If you're feeling overwhelmed, I'd recommend a short break if you can possibly manage it. Even a week away from the books can be helpful.

About the dissertation, honestly, I'd try to think about whether it's possible to rearrange other things in your life to make the dissertation more manageable before making the decision not to attempt it. Is it possible to eliminate/reduce other sources of stress?

How is your university for academic support? If you could go and talk with a tutor about a proposed dissertation topic you might be able to work out a plan of action. Most topics seem completely huge and overwhelming at the start, but if you can go in with a plan of attack they don't need to be at all.

I don't know about nursing jobs, but I would have thought that you'll open more doors for yourself by having a degree with honours. I guess you have to consider whether you might end up making things more stressful down the road by having a harder time finding jobs or ending up in lower paid roles at the start. In addition to the advice and help you are seeking, would it be possible to talk to a careers officer in your university? Or someone in your department with knowledge of the careers market? They might be able to give you some more specific advice about how this might affect you.

Either way, it seems that you have achieved a lot already -- getting most of the way through a tough course while having a difficult time is a great achievement and you should feel proud and try not to doubt yourself. I am sure that whatever you decide you will achieve your career goals.

Thank you Marmite

1. Mid September
2. yes she can read drafts of chapters and meet face to face - she is very supportive.
3. Ongoing
4. Both!!
5. Write it for me??!! joke. In reality I need to do my literature search and find 4-10 research articles.

Wow - good luck Lavender, I understand those guilt feelings

Maybe you've not picked the right topic for you? Is it too late to change it?

You should pick something you either feel passionately about and/or that really interests you. Then you'll probably find that 8000 words isn't enough, it's quite low as dissertations go.

Don't qualify without honours though, OP. You'll really regret it. It's just a slightly longer essay but on a topic you choose yourself.

I think you've done brilliantly to achieve so much. Sorry you are feeling overwhelmed right now

I don't know about the specific consequences for a nursing career but you do have to think about your health. I would like to think that the NHS would be very glad to have you, honours or not, and that an interviewing panel would cut you some slack about it and understand that completing a degree as a mature student with a family to care for is not as easy as studying when you are 20 and carefree. That would certainly be my attitude anyway but it is not my field.

It might just be possible that as you are feeling unwell at the mo, you can complete the course but postpone doing the honours dissertation for a period of time and tackle it when you are feeling better and still add it to your qualification. IME there is usually some flexibility for genuine illness. Hopefully your tutor/uni will be able to advise you of the rules regarding this.

Perhaps it might even be an option to take a complete break and pick up the course again next year if you felt you really needed to. Though the downside might be that you would find it had to start again if you felt you had lost momentum. However, you might also feel rejuvenated after a break. Only you know how you are likely to respond.

I had to stop studying as a mature student due to illness and family reasons and although it was a hard decision to make and I agonised about it, I am 100% confident I will be able to pick it up again when the time is right. In fact the more time goes by, the more confident I fell about being able to manage it again, and better this time, on top of other commitmetns. You must put your health first.

Also IME, just giving yourself permission to look at the choices available to you and permission to take whichever one you need to, can be enough to relieve some of the urgency that comes with intense anxiety. Try not to not to focus on the bigger picture or the big decision, but take it one step, one week or one assignment at a time.

Try to take some time to relax and do some nice gentle (and easy!) activities with your family for a few days and reassure yourself that you will tackle the uni decisions in a few days time when you have received further advice. I'm sure whatever you choose, you will be able to make a success of it

Right, so by my reckoning you have around 6mnths:

Which divided into weeks is 24. Which is 168 days. Which if we add up all of your words (assignments + Dissertation =12,00) means you only have to write 71.5 (rounded up) each day.

So, here's what I would suggest if you were my student:

1. Today, have a and just allow yourself to think about the assignment which is due first.

2. Tomorrow, if you can, try and write an outline for your assignment. After you have got your points clear on paper, fit any reading you have done, or any literature searches under these headings, this will help you to structure any reading you still have left to do.

3. Try and do all of your reading by the end of the week.

4. Make notes as you read and write your paragraphs in separate word documents initially, but be sure to label the files well. Be sure to reference each section fully.

5. When all sections are complete, cut and paste into one document and keep moving and linking sections together until you are happy.

6. Do this for all assignments.

This system also works for your dissertation, which based on my own experience is far less stressful, if you can make yourself write at least 150 words every day. Even if it is just notes from things you have read and and your thoughts about it. I used to send texts to myself, write on napkins in coffee shops (paper, obs), post its, anything to stop me 'losing' ideas. Then try to set aside 3hrs a week to refine all the words you've written for that week.

Hope this helps, OP. I won't be around tomorrow, but feel free to pm and I'll get back to you, if there's anything else I can do.

Oh and send your plans and weeks' words to your supervisor and arrange to meet once a month if you can.

It's tricky isn't it but your health needs to come first. I don't know anything about whether there is a massive difference between having a nursing degree with honours or not. 8000 words isn't too bad but I understand it needs to be something you really want to do.

I'm currently doing a post grad diploma which has 6x 4000 word assignments and a teaching placement and am seriously stressed out about getting it done on top of working. I can do a 3rd year with a 20,000 word dissertation to convert it to a Masters. At the mo I have absolutely no intention of doing this. A post grad diploma is enough for what I need to do.

Talk to your tutor about how much difference doing the dissertation is realistically going to make in a nursing career.

My understanding is no dissertation= no degree. You need to talk to your tutor before making a rash decision that could render all your hard work until now a waste of time.

You've got aaaaaaaaaages. Don't panic now. This is the worst bit; once you get going you'll fly I promise.

Spend a day with a desk diary/planner and write down everything you have to do in the next 6 months-academic and private life/work life.
Pencil in everything- even supermarket shop-

Break it all down into small manageable chunks and stick to it - factor in some days off and longer study sessions.I used to have a no study rule on a Saturday- so I caught up on housework then-used to do an hour sometimes between 6-30-7-30am before DCs got up.

As other people have said get writing even if you don't think it's great have something down on paper and then you can tweak it often other better thoughts would come to me as I was writing.

As other have said dissertations are much easier if you find a topic which you are intrigued by or passionate about or already know a fair bit about it .

Link into your dissertation supervisor and any help they offer even if it feels like more stress and work at the time.My supervisor on my first degree made me totally rewrite the first chapters of my dissertation- I spent a whole weekend on it-missing a family event and feeling crap-but she was right- I got a first-they want you to do well-but explain about the other things going on in your life .

Carry a note book at all times to jot down thoughts and ideas - ask people at work about their thoughts- if you have qualitative interviews to do -can you use colleagues/other students?

8000 is a relatively short study once you section it up- think of it as a slightly bigger essay- you sometimes think it's got to have this special quality -but it's just a clear concise readable interesting essay- if slightly longer than necessary.

Everyday you are working pop an article and highlighter pen into your bag- tea break reading material-I used to read and highlight stuff when my DCs were swimming/dancing lessons/football

It's hard and stressful but it's only six months of yours life- I cried my way through my first dissertation- but was on the second one within two years- a bit like childbirth -the pain fades with time-

Good luck !

I know it's really tough, but I would agree you really need to get the honours if you can. A friend of mine just got a degree first time around - due to arsing about

She ended starting from scratch and getting a proper honours degree later, such a waste of work.

It might be that you can defer your dissertation for a year, which would take the pressure off, but I would make a plan to get it done. Marmite gives good advice- I could have done with that when I was finishing my degree.

Well done for coming so far.

Ask your tutor about the possibility of getting an extension for the dissertation and see if this would affect future employment plans.

would it help you feel more in control if you had a good idea of what needs to happen when? Look at the deadlines for the essays and the dates of the placement and see how you can fit them around each other. Time left over is for the dissertation - does that seem doable?

For the dissertation:

• start with an area that interests you.
• do a little bit of reading and see if anything jumps out at you. Is there a research question that is yet to be asked, or a comparison between two theories, or an abstract idea that could be tried in practice, or an area where you can explain what new directions research can take?
• formulate your main question(s) and run it past your supervisor
• write a brief chapter outline and run it past your supervisor
• write each chapter as if it were an essay in its own right, with its own readings and essay plan. Run the drafts past your supervisor.
• revise the drafts and write intro and conclusion and you're done!

I completely sympathise with you. Being a nursing student is true graft. I qualified 9 years ago and I can still remember the feeling of over whelming pressure- especially as you begin to think about qualifying and the responsibility and pressures that brings in itself. Starting new placements regularly is so unsettling. Working full time on the wards is exhausting and the thought of going home and picking up the text books after a forty hour week truly nauseating. However, you are so so close, if you can just try and keep your head for this last bit. In reality you really do have plenty of time and the support is there. Utilise fellow students and the ward staff/sisters for ideas and support, we've all been where you are and want to help. You've done all the hard work- don't let this last bit beat you. You'll be doning your blues (and actually getting paid for it!!!) before you know it... take a deep breath, hold your head high and nail this tiny last bit. Good luck xxx