Kick-start Your Dissertation

Kick-Start Your Dissertation information poster

What is Kick-Start Your Dissertation?

Kick-Start Your Dissertation is a week of online and in person activities to help you get started with your final project and help equip you with the skills you will need for final project success. Aiming to facilitate the transition into Semester 3, this course is particularly suitable for students who have never written a dissertation before, international students and students returning to education after a break. During Kick-Start Your Dissertation, you will find out more about academic writing skills, what constitutes a good dissertation, how to look after your wellbeing during this challenging period, as well as support services and activities available to you.

This programme is free and open to all students based in UK campuses. International students are especially welcome. 

Information on events for Dubai and Malaysia Kick Start Your Dissertation will be emailed to PGT students directly. Please keep an eye on your emails.

Kick-Start Your Dissertation will run mostly online, from Monday 23 to Friday 27 of May 2022.

Where will Kick Start Your Dissertation take place?

The skills workshops will take place on Collaborate and MS Teams. If you would like to attend from campus, there will be a room available in the GRID building (Edinburgh Campus) for Kick-Start Your Success participants. Spaces are available to book at the Scottish Borders library for SBC students. 

You will also be able to attend in person social events to hang out with your friends, meet new people and (hopefully) make the most of the Scottish sun! 

Who can sign up?

This programme is open to all students who have successfully completed the first 2 semesters of their Postgraduate Taught degree, i.e.. most likely began their studies in September 2021. Students who have never studied in the UK, students returning to education after a break, students with caring and/or parental responsibilities and students who are non-native speakers of English are particularly welcome. 

Registering for a Place at Kick Start Your Dissertation

To register for Kick Start Your Success you will need to register for each workshop you are interested in, by following the links below. You can sign up to as few or as many workshops as you would like. Please make sure to only sign up to workshops relevant to your area of study and only one session where a workshop is being offered multiple times, as places are limited. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to sign up fast! 

You will be sent joining links as well as any relevant information closer to the time, so keep an eye on your Heriot-Watt email. You can follow the Heriot-Watt Student Wellbeing Services (@hwusuccess) and the Heriot-Watt Information Services (@hwu_is) on social media for updates. 

Monday 23 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start time Sign up link
Harvard Citing and Referencing 10am  Sign up here
IEEE Citing and Referencing 10am Sign up here
Literature Searching for SoSS Subjects (SoSS Students only) 10am Sign up here
Academic Writing: Cracking the Code 11am Sign up here
Word: Heading Styles, Number and TOCs 11am Sign up here
Literature Searching for SoTD Subjects (SoTD students only) 11.30am Sign up here
Looking After Your Mental Health 2pm Sign up here
BBQ @ The Student Union 3pm Sign up here
Tuesday 24 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start time Sign up link
Literature Searching for EGIS (EGIS students only) 10am Sign up here
Literature Searching for EPS students (EPS students only) 10am Sign up here
Literature Searching for MACS (MACS students only) 10am Sign up here
Harvard Citing and Referencing 11am Sign up here
Writing a Literature Review  11am Sign up here
Making the Most of Your Money 2pm Sign up here
Coffee and Cake (In person, SBC campus) 3pm Sign up here
Wednesday 25 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start time Sign up link
APA Citing and Referencing  10am Sign up here
Harvard Citing and Referencing 10am Sign up here
Writing a Winning Dissertation Question 10am Sign up here
Word: Page Layouts & Numbering  11am Sign up here
Alpacas (Edinburgh Campus, In Person) 12pm-2pm Sign up here
How to Manage Your Dissertation 2pm Sign up here
Wellbeing Crafts (Edinburgh Campus, In Person) 3pm  Sign up here
Thursday 26 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start time Sign up link
How to Use Endnote 20 to Manage Your References (Demonstrated on Windows) 10am Sign up here
Writing a Literature Review 10am Sign up here
Finding Quality Sources for Your Dissertation 10am Sign up here
Thinking Critically About Data and Evidence 11am Sign up here
Outdoor Games and Picnic with the Alpacas (SBC Campus, In Person) 12pm-2pm Sign up here
Mitigating Circumstances & Academic Appeals 101 2pm Sign up here
Coffee & Cake (in person, Edinburgh campus) 3pm Sign up here
Friday 27 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start time Sign up link
Thinking Critically About Data and Evidence 10am Sign up here
How to use EndNote 20 to Manage Your References (Demonstrated on Windows) 10.30am Sign up here
Academic Writing: Cracking the Code 11am Sign up here
Word: Links, Footnotes & Captions 11am Sign up here
EndNote Online: citation and referencing 3pm Sign up here
Pizza and Bingo (in person, Edinburgh Campus) 4pm Sign up here
Saturday 28 May 2022 workshops
Workshop Start Time Sign up link
Introduction and Literature Review 6am Sign up here
Methodology, Results, Discussion and Abstract 7.30am Sign up here
Harvard Citing and Referencing 9am  Sign up here

Key information

Student Success

Job title
Student Success Advisors
Email
studentsuccess@hw.ac.uk