This fear of writing affects a large number of students. Some people believe that it’s just the nature of writing that it’s stressful and challenging. Some individuals believe the same thing about a PhD that it is something that must be endured. However, this is not the case every time. Academic writing is difficult, but complex things aren’t problematic if you know you have the tools to overcome them and own the skills.
What can start as low motivation or not wanting to write anytime ultimately grows into something more significant. The pressure to write is usually modest at the start of a PhD. Still, it increases as you have to create articles for the dissertation, which makes you consider buy MBA dissertation or whatever the course is. When you add in the looming deadline of the hand-in date, you’ve created the ideal environment for becoming stuck in the writing process.
Fear can make the dissertation writing process difficult and uncomfortable; even for the dissertation proposals, students are afraid because a dissertation is the backbone of a dissertation (dissertationwritinghelp, 2021), and thus, the option that they think of is to hire any research proposal writing service UK instead of giving a chance to their abilities.
FEAR OF WHAT OTHERS WILL THINK OF YOU AND YOUR WORK
Supervisors, peer reviewers, and examiners will judge you and your work, and they must. Fear of feedback and criticism is widespread among PhD applicants, even though it is a necessary component of the training process. Fear of this nature usually leads to avoidance behavior. The more fearful one is, the more they want to avoid receiving feedback. However, the less you display your work, the more secluded you will get, and the greater your dread will become. You’re stuck.
ANXIETY OF A FIXED OUTCOME
When you write up sections of your study and results for your dissertation, you’re fixing the result of months or years of effort. Between your gathered data on the one hand and the material you write in a paper or dissertation on the other, there’s a difference in that. You must pick how to portray your findings and which narrative to use when writing them up. There’s no going back once that’s fixed. That shift can be frightening, and you may be concerned that it exposes your flaws or inadequacies.
UNDERDEVELOPED WRITING SKILLS
You’ve spent the last few years concentrating on your study and improving your skills where they’re needed: from data generation to computing, analyzing, testing, and watching. You’ve mastered it, but your writing skills haven’t progressed to the same level.
What may have sufficed for essay writing or Bachelor’s work during your studies will not suffice when producing a PhD thesis. Writing peer-reviewed journal articles is a highly specialized genre requiring specific expertise to pass the peer-review process.
DISAPPOINTED BY INITIAL WRITING ATTEMPTS
students got off to a good start, writing a few lines here and there, starting one paper or composing your literature review. students initially approached it with an open mind, but are quickly dissatisfied by the results: it took too long, they were gazing at a blank page, they struggled to organize their thoughts, or what they wrote didn’t make sense to peers. They become dissatisfied after several failed efforts. they get embarrassed that a seemingly simple task such as writing is difficult for them.
SOME TIPS TO OVERCOME THESE FEARS
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Students frequently compare themselves to others, such as classmates, but this can lead to tension, anxiety, and pressure. Of course, there will always be classmates who have previously finished something and appear always to fulfil their deadlines, but comparing yourself to them will only add to your stress.
Rather than comparing yourself to others, ask your classmates or friends to support you and provide criticism on your essays or thesis. This is quite beneficial to many students.
- Permit yourself to fail. Because today’s society is so focused on success, it can feel as though there isn’t much place for failure. It is far more difficult to succeed when you establish high goals for yourself and leave little tolerance for failure. Accept that you were unsuccessful this time, missed your deadline, and try again.
- Start writing a draft. Many students afraid of failing want to create a perfect essay (or thesis), yet simply starting writing a draught can be pretty beneficial. You jot down whatever comes to you in this draught. After that, you can begin rewriting.
- Continue to try! Those that keep trying never give up! Did you know that Michael Jordan was thrown from his high school basketball team because his coach thought he lacked talent? Imagine if he’d given up his dream as a result of this. But thankfully, he didn’t. He accepted his defeat, kept his faith in himself, and became a successful basketball player. “I have not failed,” Thomas Edison declared. I’ve only discovered 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
- Relax. Many students who are afraid of failing are perfectionists who forget to unwind. Block off several hours of your day for nothing so that you may begin to relax. Take a bath, listen to soothing music, take a power nap, start breathing exercises, play with your pet, walk, sketch, read a good book, or run. Try to relax and not think or worry about anything at this time. It is critical to exercise and relax daily; learning to relax and retrain your brain takes time.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
However, the fear of writing a dissertation is common and nothing to worry about if you are willing to fill the gap. Most students, even proficient ones, could not create, analyze, or explain the literature in their writing (Shahsavar Kourepaz, 2020). Assignments and writing projects pose a significant part of academics and are not avoidable. What could be better than that? To keep watering your fear or develop skills and beat their fear with practice?
REFERENCE
DWH, (2021). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal for Undergraduate. Online Available at <https://dissertationwritinghelp.uk/how-to-write-a-dissertation-proposal-for-undergraduate/> [Accessed on 5th April 2022]
Shahsavar, Z., & Kourepaz, H. (2020). Postgraduate students’ difficulties in writing their theses literature review. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1784620.
