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How to get 250 Insta likes on your diss hand-in pic, by people who’ve done it

Who needs a first when you’ve got a Huji filter?


Your dissertation is a 12,000 word essay that will determine the fate of your academic career. It's the culmination of three years of work and something that you probably ought to have started more than a week before the due date. But hey, does any of that even matter when all you're seeking is the reward of social media validation?

The best bit of doing a diss hand-in picture is the satisfaction of watching hundreds of likes roll in. Nowadays 100 likes isn't enough, the bar is so high that people are aiming for 250 likes and above.

Here is your definitive guide to getting over 250 Instagram likes on your dissertation hand-in pic, from the students who have done just that:

'No-one appreciates a photo that looks like it was taken on a Motorola Razr'

Harrison Casella, Bournemouth University, Marketing

Image may contain: Vacation, Shorts, Text, Human, Person, Apparel, Clothing, Shoe, Footwear

Number of likes: 352

Dissertation title: Sponsored social media vs organic social media: Should marketers incur an additional spend in order to hit their KPI's.

"Don't overthink it, don't copy someone else's idea, and don't overcook it. Simplicity is key when it comes to caption writing.

"Picture quality is obviously important, as no-one appreciates a photo that looks like it was taken on a Motorola Razr. And make sure you upload the photo ASAP if you're an early finisher, or wait until the deadline as otherwise it'll get lost in everyone else's dissertation posts."

'People were kind of rooting for me to get it done'

Image may contain: Convention Center, Girl, Woman, Text, Dome, Pants, Vegetation, Plant, Smile, Architecture, Female, Human, Face, Person, Clothing, Apparel, Nature, Shelter, Rural, Outdoors, Countryside, Building

Yasmin Johal, Leeds Beckett University, Public Relations

Number of likes: 889

Dissertation title: Is Instagram responsible for veganism's PR overhaul? An enquiry into the power of social media influencers.

"For me, I think it was because there was a bit of context to my story. I wasn't just another student handing in her dissertation, I had a baby in my third year and I'm a blogger, so I document bloody everything online. I think people were kind of rooting for me to get it done, because they know how hard the process has been."

'You need a banging caption'

Anna Buckley, Sheffield Hallam, Early Childhood Studies

Image may contain: Revolving Door, Door, Denim, Jeans, Pants, Human, Person, Apparel, Footwear, Clothing, Shoe

Number of likes: 276

Dissertation title: An exploration into training teachers and their preparedness to teach children with Autism.

"I would say you need a banging caption to get the likes – like you could look like a sack of shit but if the caption bangs, you're onto a winner!"

'Why not spend a few extra moments fine-tuning the photo too?'

Mari-Liis Duglas, Durham University, English Literature

Image may contain: Woman, Female, Door, Human, Person, Shoe, Footwear, Apparel, Clothing

Number of likes: 291

Dissertation title: ‘Man thou hast made […] secretary of thy praise’: Expression of Praise in Psalms and Mary Batchelor’s The Lion Book of Christian Poetry

"It’s always worth taking some time to have well-taken photos with nice colours, composition, lighting and editing. You’ve spent all this time writing the diss, so why not spend a few extra moments fine-tuning the photo too?"

'Make sure your account is public!'

Aqilah Oon, Newcastle University, Geography

Image may contain: Denim, Jeans, Footwear, Shoe, Pants, Apparel, Clothing, Advertisement, Poster, Flyer, Paper, Brochure, Person, Human

Number of likes: 315

Dissertation title: Child Labour in the Malaysian Palm Oil Industry: Is It Actually Occurring?

"I think for me by tagging your university as well as using their hashtag would allow more people to ​like it. And make sure your account is public!"

'Give love and you get love back'

Hayley Soen, Bournemouth University, Multimedia Journalism

Image may contain: Denim, Jeans, Pants, Paper, Brochure, Flyer, Poster, Shoe, Advertisement, Footwear, Human, Person, Apparel, Clothing

Number of likes: 306

Dissertation title: The Modern Royal Family in the British Press: The Case of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge

"My top tips are give love and you get love back. Follow all of your uni pals, course pals, friends from halls and societies, and when they post their diss pics, give it a quick like – they'll probs return the favour.

"Also get a good pic on a good place on campus, and make sure it's good quality – plan where you're going to go before."

'They're doing it for the diss'

Charley Blount, Sheffield Hallam, Early Childhood Studies

Image may contain: Revolving Door, Door, Apparel, Clothing, Shoe, Footwear, Person, Human

Number of likes: 327

Dissertation title: How the development of safeguarding promotes child protection.

"Coming up with a gooooood caption, and looking like you're having fun will help make sure your pic is banging. But I think people will like a diss hand-in pic because it's an achievement, so people are liking it to say well done. It's not a personal pic or anything, so they're not just liking it for who's in the photo, but doing it for the diss."

And, if you're feeling ballsy, we all know why this one got over 250 likes…

Image may contain: Text, Underwear, Paper, Brochure, Poster, Flyer, Advertisement, Human, Person, Shorts, Apparel, Clothing

Number of likes: 284

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