UCL School of Management Associate Professor Neil Sutherland has recently featured in a blog published by UCL to share his advice on supporting students through the opening stages of a dissertation. Having supervised undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations for more than a decade, Neil shares his expert tips aimed at guiding supervisors through the typical interactions they may encounter with students within these first few weeks.

To begin his blog, Neil first reminds readers that starting dissertations is often an overwhelming time for students, and suggests overcoming this apprehension by encouraging them to see the dissertation as an exciting and rewarding opportunity. He then explores an array of challenges that students may face during those early stages, such as fears and anxieties around high word counts, overcoming procrastination and actually beginning to write the draft.

Dedicated to supporting higher education students, Neil also launched a YouTube channel during lockdown in 2021 called Neil’s Common Room, which last year achieved a significant milestone in its journey by reaching 10,000 views online. The channel hopes to make academic advice more freely available by providing information and support on a range of academic topics, such as tips on beginning dissertations or writing case study analyses.

Read the full blog or visit Neil’s Common Room for more resources on supporting student learning.