Lincoln’s class of 2021 won’t let COVID stop them from getting their dissertation pics

Can we get a round of applause for diss?


For the class of 2021, nothing about the past year and a half of their studies has been ‘normal’.

With lectures, seminars and workshops taking place through a laptop screen, a 2 meter distance between each student in classrooms and nights out in Quack, Bull or Home off the cards, it seems third years have had very little to celebrate.

However, this hasn’t completely dampened their spirits, as there is one thing no amount of unprecedented circumstances can put a stop to – the iconic dissertation photo.

Last year’s 2020 grads got creative with their diss photo ops, but with many rules having been relaxed; if you have been walking over the university bridge or outside the Issac Newton Building, you will have seen beaming faces proudly holding a precious wad of papers they have been working on for the best part of a year.

Drama and English student, Jordan Dutt, jumping for joy with his finished diss.

And rightfully so. Dissertation season is one of the most time-consuming parts of any university students’ degree and this year’s cohort of final years are not letting the pandemic get in the way of the perfect photoshoot.

2 meters apart always

And rightfully so. The dissertation is one of the hardest and most time-consuming parts of any degree and this year’s students aren’t letting the pandemic get in the way of the perfect photoshoot.

A true sign of the times, socially distanced photos with friends and course-mates seem to be a running theme amongst some students this year.

Others are spicing up their diss photos with unusual and extreme poses, with many, like Psychology with Forensic Psychology student Lucy Dunkerley, introducing props to the shoot. Lucy is the co-founder of the UoL pole fitness society, so it was only right to bring her hobby into her very impressive photoshoot.

Can we get a round of applause for diss?

You may think after months sat at a desk writing ten THOUSAND words, you wouldn’t opt to make the dreaded climb up Steep Hill. But if you want one of the most iconic Lincoln backdrops in your dissertation photos, take some water with you and off you go! Nothing screams “I’m graduating from the University of Lincoln” more than cathedral bricks behind a relieved looking student, and this year’s undergrads haven’t disappointed.

Some students got their pics with their besties

The dissertation spot many of us are familiar with is the unviersity bridge. Because although being right outside the cathedral may be nice, not everyone wants to put themselves through Steep Hill.

Naomi Makwana proudly shows off her diss with the cathedral in the distance

The pandemic has taken over everybody’s lives, in more ways than one. And there is no better way to remember handing in your dissertation in a global pandemic without incorporating it into your diss pic.

Journalism student, Chelsea Abbott, next to the Siren Radio sign

While the coronavirus pandemic has threatened to ruin almost every other tradition, celebration and experience for this year’s third years, it is clear the dissertation photo is still an important part of university culture, and Lincoln’s students are willing to get creative for the most iconic shot.

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No pandemic will stop the class of 2021 from getting their dissertation hand-in pic