...to ask for reassurance that I can do this?

[LemonsLemonsLemonsLemons]

My Masters dissertation. Due in 5 weeks. 18, 000 words. I have such crippling anxiety about it and I feel sick. I’ve done the research project but need to write up, including the literature review etc. word count is 0 so far. Has anyone done a super fast dissertation before? Please tell me I’ll be ok/ give me your tips...

Did mine in five days (kept awake by drugs - not recommended!), got a Distinction. Set yourself a four week plan in case of any unforeseen delays. Good luck!

It's no big deal to leave the dissertation for a later date, if need be. Start off by writing a good dissertation, if you make it on time, you hand it in. If you're short for time, you negotiate for a later date to turn it in. As a matter of fact you might want to do it now since five weeks is a bit on the short side if you haven't started. You have to plan a schedule, what you should do each day, your tasks. Leave some slack in the schedule so you have time to make up if you miss a deadline. If you're sitting at home, don't. Go to the library - as if going to work - and tackle the task as if it were a professional job you were hired to do for someone else.

You will be fine. I did one in 3days once. All nighters and it wasn't very good, but it passed. Pressure really focuses me.
Sit down and get started. Once you're going split your word count up so you have to hit a certain word count before you let yourself get up and get a drink. You'll be fine.

My best advice is to get started.... Do it, you don't want to be sitting here with a week to go and loads to write. 5 weeks is enough. You can do it

You can do it OP. You just have to treat it like work. Get up early, do a couple of hours, take set breaks for drinks/food. 18,000 words over 5 weeks isn't that many words a day. Once you ge started it will flow better (this from someone who had to stay up all night finishing a 10,000'word dissertation as it had to be in the next day-don't do that!!) Treat yourself at the end of everyday with something relaxing like a film or swim etc. Good luck!!

I'm sure you can! If you are not working and have childcare then you can do it very very easily. Get up every morning, and sit down and write, giving yourself targets and set breaks. If you are fitting it around work/ childcare/ other duties then you will need to do a bit more planning, but it's still totally do-able.

You absolutely can do this.

Have you written a plan for the content and structure?
Do that.
4 week writing plan

You can do this. The hardest part will be getting started.

You've already done the research project and that's half the battle! You can DEFINITELY do this. Just dive in and go crazy with it.

Yes you can. I have a 10000 word court report to write in 4 days (and the rest of today). 5 weeks you'll be fine - think of it as practice for when you don't get so much notice!

Start, just write something. Even if you then edit so much they there is nothing left of what you write now, getting 200 words down will get you over the highest hurdle.
There will be easy parts - methodology perhaps, start there.
The act of writing will help you to order your thoughts.

I wrote a 70,000 word book in 5 weeks - you can do this easy. Split the word count into weekly and daily chunks then reward yourself as you hit each 1k.

You'll be absolutely fine, I wrote a 12,000 word dissertation in 4 days once I had all the research done.

I always found it hardest getting started, I hate introductions, so I wrote out a rough plan of the sections I needed to cover, and then started with a random one, halfway through, that I felt most confident with. It helps knowing you've got something down, and it's decent. Then work backwards from easiest to hardest, slotting the bits in as you write them. Introduction last once everything else is done, doesn't matter if it's not the best, everything else will be good because you haven't stressed yourself getting the intro right. Then read from start to finish and tidy up the joins so they flow nicely. Cite as you go, once set yourself small regular goals, and update us with your wordcount!

You can do it but you have to start. Set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing. You can stop when the timer goes but you have to work for 20 minutes. Then have a little pause then start again for another 20 minutes. Keep going! The quality might not be great to start with but starting is the real challenge. Good luck!!

Thank you so much! I am going to read this back for inspiration throughout. Thanks for the tip re starting with the methodology - that’s what I’m going to do now. It’s good to hear you think it’s possible!

And yes - I’ll update with word count...I need some accountability.

DSis did it in 3 days in a panic. I was in a different country and she didn't know how to start. She did it by sitting down for 15 mins and writing and it didn't matter if it was rubbish.

She did that twice and then upped it to 30 mins. She started with a plan and then expanded and then expanded again and then developed it. I honestly think she spent the first day making the plan bigger and bigger and then just filled in the gaps.

I have never spent so much time on the phone but she did it. All she needed was to start.

I fully researched and wrote my 10,000 word dissertation in 10 days

It could have been better but I got a 2:1 so I was pretty happy

You can definitely do 18,000 in 5 weeks!

The timer thing is excellent advice. That’s what I do for overwhelming piles of marking. I start with 20 minutes “on” and 5 “off” not allowed to do anything but mark for the on time, make coffee, read email etc on the off time. Usually once I get going I find I often don’t want to stop when the time is up. It’s all about getting started.

I supervise MSc dissertations and they can totally be written up in 5 weeks if you've already done the actual work.
Start with headings and subheadings.
Then put your notes into each subheading.
Then piece by piece turn each bit of notes into prose.
Then read and edit and read and edit again (until you run out of time).
That way, it will not end up missing a section and will make best use of the time.

Have a look at the Pomodoro technique for time management - I find it very helpful when I am scared to start something.

The advice on structure is a good one - the. You can put a chart up on the wall and tick off when you’ve completed the first draft or revised draft.

I found it best to start with the literature review section because that’s quite concrete - you’ve probably done loads of reading and you will get confidence from seeing the word count grow.

I wrote 17k words in 5-6 weeks for my masters dissertation and got a distinction. You can do it OP!

Now stop faffing on mumsnet and get cracking!!

Yes, you will in all likelihood find the Pomodoro technique very helpful! Pomodoro means egg timer, the technique is to set a certain amount of time when you dedicate yourself to your work. When the alarm sounds, you're free and can take a well-earned short break. Then the next 45 minutes will begin...

@LemonsLemonsLemonsLemons how are you getting on?

I just wanted to let you kind people know that I did get it in on time. It was a bit of a struggle as I kept on panicking and burying my head in the sand, but the pomodoro technique/ expanding the sections and other tips really helped, so thank you!

Well done - let us know how you get on with your result !