Getting that dissertation done… on time
Merlin Mann at 43folders has an interesting post about The Planning Fallacy. I hear you asking, what is the planning fallacy?
You know what it is. It is that internal bias that causes you to, say, think that it will take you three years to write your dissertation. Reality…we’re talking 6+, right? Seriously, in one study on planning bias students were asked to identify how long it would take them to complete an undergraduate thesis. The average response was about 33 days. In reality, only 30% of participants completed their thesis on time.
What to do? Start by adding at least 20% more time to your estimate, uh, 40% is probably more like it. According to Mann
In my days as a project manager (and in another life as a freelance designer), I got into a habit that has served me well to this day: get the best estimate of both job requirements and time-to-completion that you can find. Then add 20%. Then, when nobody is looking, add another 20%. Then pray.