When the time comes to finish your dissertation, ensure you have left time to get the finishing touches right. This means:

• Adding the ‘bookends’ (the abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, reference list, appendices and so on).
   
• Proofing and polishing your work to ensure it is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
   
• Getting the presentation right so it looks appealing to eye, and ensuring figures and images are clear.
   
• Leaving adequate time for printing and binding.

When the time comes to receive the marks for your dissertation, be sure to know how you can gain feedback. Whether you are pleased with your mark, or whether you hoped to do better, feedback is vital to understanding what went well and what you could improve on. This is still relevant even as we finish our degree because so many of the skills of a dissertation are transferrable to employment (i.e. time management, report writing, analysing data and so on).