One thing that genuinely stressed me during my dissertation was figuring out how long should a literature review be. I kept comparing mine with examples online and somehow every source seemed to say something different. Some looked really short while others felt like mini-dissertations on their own.

Eventually I learned that there isn’t one perfect answer. The literature review just needs enough space to discuss important research, identify gaps, and show understanding of the topic without adding unnecessary filler. Once I stopped chasing a specific number and focused more on quality, writing became much easier.