If you think that preparing the dissertation is all that’s hard about it, think again. Sure the countless hours of research and re-writes are tedious enough. What’s even more important is to ensure that the dissertation is completed and ready for submission within the prescribed deadline. This by any means is no easy task.

Look at this way. Take all the pains of writing a dissertation, i.e. the formats, the language, the citation style, the source material, the arguments etc, and place them within a single bubble. This bubble is your deadline: the amount of time that you have to finish all the above items in the bubble. If you think about it, getting to either one of the items within the deadline bubble is actually easy. The real challenge is finishing all of the items before the submission date.

Here are a few helpful tips that’ll help keep your dissertation on track and not sway away from the deadline too much:

1. Choose a well-defined and realistic topic that you know the audience will be interested in and can relate to.

2. It’s a good idea to apply for as many dissertation write-up fellowships as possible. Do note that this requires a lot of early planning.

3. Create a mock deadline for yourself with any cushions that’ll allow you to have a proper timetable to take care of any other activities while writing a dissertation. Of course, this deadline needs to be reasonable enough for you to have your dissertation finalized.

4. Write down your ‘mock’ deadline on a calendar [but don’t forget the actual deadline either]

5. Set shorter deadlines for each chapter, and mark these on your calendar too.

6. Keep a check on the nearest deadline after each day's work to see how you're progressing. This’ll help you stay on your feet.

7. If you have a tough deadline, prioritize your extra-curricular activities to a reasonable minimum, i.e. cut down on TV time, phone calls, online chats etc. Not that you need ignore your social life, just don’t indulge yourself in it too much.

8. Don't let the size of the project become a reason for your discouragement. The small deadlines for each chapter help you to accomplish the dissertation bit by bit.

9. Remember that this dissertation forms the basis for your academic degree and needs your commitment that you WILL complete it. If you’re not wholly committed to it, then you may as well not bother.