The Dissertation Diary (entry one) 

Don't worry about your undergrad dissertation being 'new scholarship'! Putting too much pressure on yourself there! You're not being assessed for that at undergrad, just make it an interesting or unique take on your topic - save the original contribution to scholarship for PhD!

if i can give any of you youngsters some advice. don't stress too much about your undergrad thesis. yes, it's important to do the work properly, but you have to set it in relation with reality. it will be a short piece of work (in the end it's a longer version of an essay), so you have to focus on your research question and not overdo it or get into too many details. if you have three months planned for it than it should also be finished in three months. as a perfectionist, i know this can be hard, but when you go further in your academic career, you will later laugh at yourself and the ridiculousness of your BA or MA thesis. the point of an undergrad thesis is to show that you can do proper research (finding, understanding & referencing literature or data, doing some kind of analysis and expressing your findings in words with a word limit). you don't have to re-invent the wheel or contribute to the field. it would be waste of time, because nobody will read it. save your great ideas and your passion projects for later. then you can spend 3-10 years on it while doing a PhD and/or PostDoc.

You're so sweet, Ruby. I'm in the middle of writing my thesis. I'm an aspiring Historian and my focus is Italy in the 16th century. Love your channel so much! :)

As a PhD history student, I can confirm that the thrill of tracking down archives never wears off! I would suggest that you don’t worry about whether your subject has been well-researched or not, just focus on finding an interesting angle. And don’t listen to those people saying that you will laugh at your BA thesis in the future - my undergrad dissertation informed my MA, which then went on to secure me a funded PhD!

I still wake up with a start in the night from nightmares about getting my dissertation in on time, and I graduated in 1998! I'm clearly traumatised. 😂😂😂😂😂

It's inspiring how she's so excited for her dissertation. I think now I've got enough motivation to write my own :)

This is a huge step in your education! This is very exciting I can’t wait to see how this new series unfolds ☺️💜

You can always do Emily Dickinson as a published piece later in life! You’ll be a university graduate with enough credentials to publish other works after you do your dissertation. It’s not necessarily one or the other, it’s one now, one later :)

Ruby I'm so excited for you to finally be able to fully start working on this! You have been preparing so much over the last year so I'm sure you will rock this! I remember feeling anxious as heck sometimes while writing but let me assure you, YOU'VE GOT THIS! you have been basically trained for this task for the last three years and with your 80% on that summative essay for life and death (was that it?), you have nothing to worry about. I wish you all the best for this task, much fun and no anxiety! And also thank you for sharing this episode of your life with us :)

Even though my major is IT yet literature is like a mother to me, the script and the words just penetrate my soul .the truth is that when I am writing it's as if I am projecting my soul through the ink and onto the paper. :)

My dissertation was influenced by Evelina, Frances Burney, I love her. I wrote about literary representations of Vauxhall Please Gardens (in Evelina and Keats) and compared them to Paradise Lost by John Milton. Essentially both gardens were akin in the sense it was a garden of paradise and beauty until sexual temptation was experienced / forced upon protagonists where the illusion of paradise then shattered. This only came together right at the 11th hour though! Keep going Ruby, I find that this initial research stage is the most beneficial x

I’m currently working on my thesis, ”Power and Control in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca” and I’ve really enjoyed the process so far even if it’s stressful. Good luck on your writing, I know you will smash it! 💓

Looking forward to this series! Thanks for taking us along!

I am also starting my dissertation at the moment, so these videos will be so helpful ☺️ Ruby, you have helped me so much over the years. I did my final school exams at the same time as you, I went to university at the same time, and now I’m writing my thesis at the same time. Your videos are always so helpful for motivating me! It’s comforting to have someone who’s going through the same academic struggles, if that makes sense 😊 My thesis is about the way history is depicted in contemporary fiction films about Anne Frank, by the way. Very excited to start working on it 😊

I’m wishing you the best of luck with this! I did a research project instead as I studied psychology but I found the hardest part was writing all of your research and ideas into one whole dissertation. I think I rewrote the whole thing around 10 times. I also get the whole what project you want to choose is so difficult because you know you’d be working for such a long time on something, and that’s not something you want to find boring! It took me around 4 months of researching to finally decide what I wanted to research😊

I also started drafting my Master's Thesis in Physics a few days back. Thanks Ruby, for your motivational videos. And all the Best for your dissertation as well :)

The pumpkin mug has returned! I always feel so much more motivated after watching your videos. ❤️

Today I was so stressed out with my studies. Then after that I watched your videos while I was relaxing. Very relaxing it was. Thnx for sharing your videos.. 🥰

Your uniqueness, including your voice and your eyes set you apart and will forever calm me and mesmerize me!!! 🌞

Wishing you the best with your dissertation! I'm doing mine right now too and I'm excited to watch the rest of this series ❤️

i just love your video's Ruby. I never get bored and have to watch the full thing always

Thank you Ruby, this video is reminding me why I should keep on going with my studies. I am in my second year of Criminology at the University of Stirling. I love your content and whenever you upload it makes my day a little better. All the best with your dissertation!

Ruby you're such an energy. I always feel like studying after watching your videos. Thanks ^^

This has really helped me to know what to expect in final year of English. I do English Lit at Uni too and am in my 2nd year:) I am looking forward to more dissertation diaries! xx

I loved doing my dissertation, all the research etc. I hope you have just as much fun with yours.

Such a joy to follow you on your dissertation journey! Best of luck to you Ruby!!!

Thank you Ruby your videos make my day better!!!!😊😊😊😊

Such a lovely video. I’m in my third year and currently feeling very stressed about writing my medieval history dissertation on Queenship. It’s so comforting to know I’m not alone you have given me a much needed push to keep going thank you x

I am so excited for you! Focusing on manuscripts sounds really interesting!

Ruby this was such a wholesome video i-i just can't stop complementing u ....I will never regret choosing u as my role model!!xoxo

Just finished mine in January (it was about Franz Kafka) and this is the exact right mindset to keep you focused and motivated for it! You've got this, wishing you all the best writing and research sessions in the world!

You know it's a good day when Ruby posts :-)

my mother wrote her PhD dissertation on Emily Dickinson and the bypasses of publication - so cool to see you are contemplating choosing ED as your topic as well! also, I didn't know anything about Lewis Carroll until now but inspired by this video I read up on his life and it's really interesting and mysterious indeed! and I'm also writing my masters thesis on ADHD this spring so we will be in the same boat although you're much more productive than me:)

that mindmap thing is such a good idea to stay on track with goals and intentions with such an open ended project love it!

Ruby, your university years have gone so quick! I remember finding your channel when you had started your first year and you were experiencing freshers. Best of luck for your dissertation.

Ruby you're such an inspiration thank you so much, your videos really help a lot 💚

Thank you Ruby 😊 for everything ❤ . I am thankful 🙏 of that day when I discovered your channel ....

Hope this new series will bring me some motivation to keep on writing my master's thesis, this is my very last semester and I'm very unmotivated atm... Thanks Ruby, perfect timing

I love the way you’re talking ruby ♥️

Another lovely inspirational video! Thank you Ruby x

ruby! i'm so happy to watch this because i am also currently in search of my grad school thesis topic. even though our background differs a lot but it helps to see your approach and i might try if your method fits me!

So excited to join you on this journey, looking forward to lots more videos detailing the process! ✨🙌

Hi Ruby, I’m writing a dissertation at Sorbonne University this term. Your excitement about your research makes me super excited about mine! Thank you!! ☺🦉

Sending love from the US! I find your videos so interesting, they are also motivating for me to do my studies:)

Can't wait to see the dissertation evolution, it's such a good idea!

You are brilliant, kind and free. I love watching your content and i hope you are okay with everything that is happening in the world, keep on being motivated Ruby!

Really excited for these videos. I’m not even a student but I just love your channel!

Happy to embark on this journey with you ! Good luck Ruby.

I haven't finished watching yet, but one of my lecturers changed their undergrad dissertation topic a month before deadline and ended up getting a first. I have faith in you! I'm just about to start my masters dissertation, waiting on supervisor allocation and I have also changed my topic slightly if my supervisor is ok with it.

I am writing my bachelor's thesis as well! 😀🤘🏻 I decided since second year that I wanted to focus on how women are represented in The Handmaid's Tale and honestly I love it so much! If my laptop weren't dead I would be writing rn😊 Good luck! May your thesis go smoothly

Deciding what to do for your dissertation and what direction you want to go in is nearly the hardest part! You'll be flying soon :) The Lewis Carroll letters sounds like a great idea :)

I’m a British graduate student living and studying in the US. I have several friends and connections to universities on the east coast (including Yale) whose archives might have some of the materials you are looking for. If you need some archival boots on the ground (particularly for any universities in Boston) do feel free to reach out! Writing my dissertation was by far the most valuable part of my undergraduate experience. So exciting that you are starting your own dissertation journey!

I always love seeing the clock! :D great video!

I am so so glad that you uploaded this as I'm currently working on my bachelor's thesis as well and felt really anxious these past few weeks. I was uncertain whether changing topics would be a good idea or if it's already too late but after watching this video I feel a lot more at ease that I'm not alone in this. So I emailed my professor and will hope for the best! But honestly, this video couldn't have come at a better time 💜 so excited to see how it's all going to unfold for us! Fingers crossed :-)

I find this ssooo exciting!!!!!!! What a nice subject you chose for your dissertation Ruby! 😍😁

Wow seeing everyone here talking about their really interesting dissertation topics and I'm here doing my dissertation on grass.

You're so fortunate being in the UK for your studies. When I was doing my honours thesis (history, medical astrology) all of the primary source materials are in the UK esp british library, oxford and cambridge (I'm in AUS). Many have been digitalised but so many haven't been either! needless to say EEBO was my favourite source for info :')

The Lewis Caroll topic sounds cool since there’s not much scholarship on it. I ended up finding original conclusions in my undergrad thesis and actually got to present at a conference for academics. Sometimes it’s more fun to study well known topics, but forging something of your own is really fun as well, and it looks great on graduate applications.

New video from RUBY Granger?? YAAAYYYY!!! 🥳🥳❤️❤️

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗 -Lovely. Which ever topic you ultimately choose, you will do it beautifully. Keep blooming and blossoming. Much Love, 🌹

I have not watched this video yet (I am saving it for a study break); however, I just wanted to wish you luck on this project of yours! I have been watching your videos for ages now, so I know just how long you have been preparing yourself for this! I am sure that you will do wonderfully!!!! Best wishes to you

Your so inspirational! I love ur videos❤️🥰

so excited for it too

I'm just starting on my extended essay research for school! (I'm in year 12 out of 13 in the IB system) I'm doing it on the significance of parental figures for orphans in Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, but I may change it to adult figures, because there would then be so much more to talk about. I'm terrified but I'm really pleased that I get to study these two books, because I love them!

God luck on your dissertation! Your topic sounds so interesting 😊 I'm currently working on my masters thesis on the use of social media by museums from all around the world. I wish I'd be as motivated as you are right now 😂

I’m not doing a dissertation but I am doing an EPQ (I’m in year 12) and this is really nice to see someone else trying to work on a self monitored project too 😁

I love whatch your videos. They're helping me charging my energies to my next semester in college. S2

Omg this is so much of a trigger for me. I'm writing my dissertation in law school right now, my proposal was just accepted by my professor. I am freaking out because I chose something really challenging. It's gonna be fun watching someone suffer with me.

I don’t know who need to hear this but changing the subject of your thesis in the last minute, or even in the middle of the term is quite ok. You don’t have to be oddly fit in your research topic at first and the most important thing is who you are working with if you have to make it in group.

Every video is new breath of fresh air)

Loved this video!

Love you ruby keep posting

I did my dissertation on the Greek translations of Emily Dickinson’s poems and letters, and in general the difficulties that arise, when translating Dickinson. And let me tell ya…the best and toughest 3 months of my life! But I would definitely do it all over again! 🤩

Ooo! I think you would like to purchase this tea mug very much. I came across these non-spillable tea mugs online the other day and a couple of days later I did spill something on my laptop( I hadn't bought it) and it seems like such a good idea because you like tea so very much! :) Also, absolutely lovely video! Good luck with your dissertation! 😇

I just put my proposal in myself hoping to look at class experiences of Christmas during the Victorian era, yours sounds really interesting already! hope you have fun with it!

Awesome job and everything

Loved the video! Makes me miss writing my Master’s dissertation!! Where is your sage/green jumper from btw!?

When I brainstormed for mine, I had come up with multiple ideas that felt doable until I spoke with my supervisor and they reminded me of the fact that : a. what is the relevance of the paper to current time/trend; b. who is reading the paper & will they understand it and; c. is there enough/more than enough/too little existing studies of the similar topic. It was so stressful when I had to present & defend my dissertation to the profs in my department. Then, I had to hear them say certain parts of it doesn't work at all. My takeaway? Write whatever you feel should be included before going through and refining each section again & again. A lot of times my thoughts formed this way rather than staring at an empty page. Don't worry too much about reading in detail as long as you get the main point across.

Best of luck to those who entered their dissertation phase-be it graduation, master's, or doctoral. May your writing be informative, attention-grabbing, and crystal-clear.

Lovely!

Hey Ruby I'm a huge Harry potter fan aswell I like to study ever since I started watching your videos you have inspired me By the way I subscribed 💜

Happy Lunar new year

I would love to see you make a video on Indian British History, the colonialism part and the scars that it left on Indians. Just being frank and honest about your opinion. I have so much to say about it as an Indian since it's an extremely touchy subject to me at least. I would recommend you watching the Oxford speech of Dr. Shashi Tharoor about the 'British Raj'. Just a suggestion if you like

Postive vibe☮️☮️😍😍

There's a ceilidh dance called 'Boston Tea Party', too! Yeah, I think people love cafe sequences on RU-vid!

Good luck with your dissertation! I'm really excited to see how you go on! Also, your elephant candle is absolutely adorbale, where did you get it from?

Hi all of you! I really love this amazing way in which Ruby is showing how interesting it is to chose something, but can someone maybe explain what a dissertation is? Here in The Netherlands I think we have a similair thing, but I am not sure… :) Have a good day ✨

Congrats on starting your dissertation! I'm excited to see the outcome. :) Also, is chocolate tea supposed to taste similar to chocolate?

It's 1st February now Can you please make a video on what productivity you did in previous month

Hi Ruby! I love your videos. I hope your dissertation goes well. I just wanted to let you know that this particular video only has audio in the right channel, so it makes it difficult to listen to when you have headphones on. Thank you for all you do! :) Your channel keeps me calm on the most stressful days.

I love that you blurred people in your background at the cafe because it shows that you have respect for their privacy

OMG this helped so much. I have to pick my GCSE options in 2 days and I still do not know what I want to do LOL ❤❤💜💜💙💙😂😂

I'm wishing you a lot of fun with this! What is the length requirement for a thesis in the UK?

Where did you get your watch? It’s beautiful!

I live opposite the archives in surrey, its right outside my window! would be amazing to meet you!

Looks like Ruby added something to the top of her desk to turn it white! I know you've said before you work better on white desks. Also, where did you get the book of plain paper you used to write your mindmap in?

Positive vibe☮️☮️☮️

Amazing Video

it feels like a crime to be this early

hey, I am from Germany and not really familiar with the British education system. can you give a short overview of where you are in your studies? in Germany, a dissertation is synonymous with your PhD so I am not sure what to expect :D are you writing like your bachelor thesis?