I need some support, my thesis is due in this weds and i still have so much to write- 11,000 words to be exact. I keep panicking and am basically a mess. I have been already given an extension and I know I should have gotten my act together, its not as if I havent been trying though, i just seem to have this mental block, also the fact that I was called in for plagiarism before as I did not reference things correctly-this is constantly in the back of my mind. I know what I have to write about,I've done most of my research still need to read one of two articles I have broken it down into sections but still nothing. Im just looking for some advice and wondering if I dont meet the required amount of words, will i fail my masters?

Its quality not quantity. My Masters thesis was about 10,000 words I think, although may have been less. Where do you think you need to add writing?

Has anyone actually told you you need to add anything?

If you are worried about plagerism there is a student version of the program the uni uses to detect it, so you can self-check before handing it in,can't remember what its called though

I think the plagiarism checker is called Viper and it's free: http://www.scanmyessay.com/ There's a link to download it and everything.

the requirement for submission is approx 12,000-15,000. I still have to write 11,000 words, is that even possible to do in the next 3 days? Or say if i only get to 10,000 words would that mean Id fail my masters?

Also I've heard things about plagiarism checkers in that they hold onto your submitted content and use it for other peoples essays, is this correct or is it just hearsay? Is WriteCheck better than viper?

I wouldn't think you'd fail. From my undergrad days I recall that you could get marked down a bit if you were under the word limit. Having said that, if the content and quality of it is really good, you I wouldn't think you'd get criticised for being under the limit.

12,000 words is a lot to write in 3 days but I think you can do it. You'll have notes, you'll know what you need to write - you just have to get it typed up. Try using mytomatoes to work in solid 25 minute blocks with 5 minute breaks in between. YOu'll getto see how quickly you are progressing that way.

that is true about plagarism checkers - just check the small print.

I would say that no marker would know if your dissertation is 1,000 words short, especially if you have tables and figures. But what is your subject area? Have you needed to do method, results etc. and have you done necessary statistics?

Write checker, as far as the comparison goes, is not a thorough as Viper.

Good luck!!

My university uses turnitin but I'm not sure whether you can only use if your uni is registered.
Yes they do keep copies of everything put through it (I had an embarassing moment when demonstrating it to students in a workshop - I had forgotten that I had previously uploaded my MSc dissertation when I was on a training course and reloaded it - sure enough it came up as 100% plagiarised!)

As far as word count is concerned - the uni I work at (and also those where I did my MA and MSc - can't remember BA as it was 22 years ago) use a +/- 10% reckoning for any work so so long as it is roughly within those you will be fine. My experience is that you would have to be really short to fail (and you fail on not having sufficient content not on not meeting the wordcount) so I would think if it was 8,500 or 15,000 you might be penalised (but not necessarily fail).

It is possible to write that amount in the time you have (but it will be difficult, you will have no time for sleep etc but you can do it). Try to break it down into sections - don't think of it as 10,000 words, think of the first 1,000 (or however long that section is) and then when you have done that the next section.

Have you got someone who could proof it (for grammar, spelling, typos etc) - if so can they do it as you go along so that you havne't got the whole thing to proof at the end; how is the reference list, could somone else type that up for you if it isn't done? Marks can be easily lost for poor reference list (things in that aren't in text and vice versa) and it is not cheating to get someone to help you with that. Can someone keep you fed and watered so you aren't wasting time on that? My husband made sure I ate and had cups of tea when I was finishing my MSc and it was really helpful.

Also don't underestimate the time it takes to print out - try to use a high speed printer (at uni or in a copy shop) rather than printing it at home - My MSc (23,000 words - way over) took me 4 hours to print the two copies (and the spare print cartridge was a dud so I had to go out to get a replacement).

Good Luck - keep at it - don't give up

Don’t panic Dee, you can do it! 11000 words into three days, assuming you work a 12 hr day is only 300 words an hour, which sounds like a less daunting target.

My way of dealing with large pieces of work is to write notes for each section, (so at least there is something written for everything) then go back and flesh out and reference what I’ve said. When you word count the notes it makes you feel better as you realise you have x% of thesis written, and all the ideas you’re going to cover. But, as others have mentioned, don’t get too obsessed by the number of words you’ve written, its not the most important thing. I’m sure your examiners would prefer a well thought out concise thesis to one that rambles on just to meet the word count. If you get stuck at any part, just move on to another section and go back to it later.

It’s not going to be a fun few days for you (but it’s only a few days), and after its submitted you can celebrate, relax and enjoy yourself. Good luck!

In the universities here (Aust) there is a standard 10% rule either way which cannot incur any academic penalty whatsoever. So you could be 1500+ or 1200- words over or under I would figure for the length of your Master's thesis and this would be fine-quite normal and not subject to any penalties at all.

I would think that this rule is probably similar to the UK-most of our Uni customs come from the UK rather than elsewhere. That would mean if you wrote around 10 000- 10500 words to be exact-you would be well within the scope of your thesis, and not able to incur any penalties for length whatsoever.

Promise yourself mentally that you will allow yourself to have a major panic or venting fest with friends, immediately after you have finished and handed it in and then just knuckle down for the next 3 days and nights, knowing that it will all be over in less than a week. (it's called compartmentalising and it really helps, especially on the work front when a major deadline looms and you are really feeling stressed). Good luck Dee.

How did it go yesterday Dee?

My uni has the 10% rule, but only on essays that have a fixed word count e.g. 1500. Words counts with a range e.g. 15-1700 are not allowed to use the 10% rule. But realistically, if you faff about with the line spacing and margins, no one will know you are 1000 off - not that I'm condoning that or anything :$

Didn't get on great to be honest, turns out im a reeaallyy slow writer. Am hoping to start afresh today and just get on with it, even if I get to 10,000 I would be a happy camper.Thanks for your support

What subject are you in Dee?

I'm in psychology, so I would probably do intro today, method and results tonight and then discussion tomorrow.