Dissertation Made Easy –28– A Lesson In Humility

What could be more infuriating than spending days and immeasurable energy on a document only to have it returned with barely a comment, something vague or just shut down as not good enough? As far as you know you are pretty smart- After all you a doctoral student- Doing something only 1-2% of the population will even get to do. Don’t they know who you are? You are the ____ (use your own expletives or head pumping descriptions)! How could they do this to you?

Therein lays the real issue. No one is doing this to you. It is not about you. As personal as it may feel because of how much of yourself you are putting in and how much of your life you are trading in for this doctorate, it’s not personal. The comments and responses to your submissions are simply that- the comments and responses to your submission. If they are upsetting at first, put everything away and return when you have calmed yourself and allow cooler heads to prevail. Here are a few things you need to remember

  • While you are the author- the dissertation or any other document you submit is going to be based on your standard. The only standards that matter are those of the people who approve it.
  • Faculty can and generally do respond in their own way. Some may blanket your paper with red ink while others send you a detailed email of their assessment. Still some may just provide a few notes. Get over your preference and get working on understanding how the people you are working with operate.
  • There is room for value in every communication from your committee. When you get a response to a document take time to cool off, and then get started with figuring out what is being asked of you. When you have questions or need clarification don’t hesitate to ask. It’s more annoying and aggravating to both you and your committee for you to keep submitting documents that don’t meet what is being asked than to have you ask for clarification so you can get it done right.

The point is, you have options- you can fight every step of the way to be right and get things to go the way you think they should or you can make the adjustments and do the work necessary to be Dr. This may mean that you have to put your ego and certain preconceptions aside to ensure that you produce your best dissertation and complete your degree.

Dissertation Made Easy –27– Getting Through To Non-Communicating Chair

Many doctoral candidates share the common complaint of committee members not responding to their attempts of contact. That can be tough and cause great setbacks and costly delays. If your goal is to be a Doctoral Candidate, by all means just deal with it. If your goal is to soon be DR. ____ then you need to take action to ensure that you are getting in contact with the people who have the final say. Sometimes you may have to be a best, because as you know, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. These people have a lot to deal with; their own lives and many other students. More importantly, they already have their doctorates- They don’t need you like you need them, so that means it’s on you to go out of your way and do whatever it takes to make sure they know you are out there and need them.

  • If your committee chair does not return emails, add calling to your list of contact methods.
  • If your university has some other contact method such as Blackboard messaging as well- use it.
  • Faculty are tied to a department- If leaving messages on their voicemail isn’t working start leaving messages with the department secretary as well- And while you’re at it, get to know the people in that office- they can be great allies.
  • Schools still require faculty to have office hours- use them. Even distance learning professors still have office hours. Make an appointment even if you have to call in. Find out if you have to sign up for office hours and how. If it’s online then it’s easy enough. If the professor still has an old fashioned signup sheet then use your relationships on that campus to get someone to walk up to that door and sign you up. Once you have a time set be sure to follow up with an email alerting them that you will present via telephone and send a reminder email the day before.

I hate to say this last part because it’s really not an ideal option, but there will be cases where you will have to reach out to administration and get a new faculty member assigned. As dreaded as this move may be- when it is necessary, they sooner you get to it the better off you’ll be.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –26– Getting With The Right Group

Sometimes people get involved in work groups without fully exploring what they are seeking and comparing that to what the group can and will offer. This is another instance where something as great as dissertation camaraderie can be detrimental to your progress.

  • The first thing you need to know about a group you want to form or join is its purpose. Is it a support network? A writing group? Research group? Ideally you would start with a group and progress together, but not everyone is that lucky. So if you are joining a group, try to find one where the other members are at the same stage you are in. If you are at the writing stage and everyone else is still at research, that can limit benefits you stand to gain.
  • Make sure that the group offers what you are seeking. Some students may join a group because they want people who are able to read and give feedback on their work, while others may just need to partnership to motivate them to write and don’t need reviewers. When the needs of members are not in line with the group’s offering, it can affect cohesion and makes it easy to disengage.
  • When you can’t find a great match find a small partnership. When you have just two people involved, it’s easier for both parties to have their needs met. Yes, that means that you may not have the benefits of a few more minds that you are working with, but you can both be accountable to each other and make the partnership work. Even if you are at different stages of the journey, as long as you both express your needs clearly the partnership can work.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://www.LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –25– To Group Or Not To Group.

Anything can be more fun when you turn it into a party… Including your dissertation. Readers of Six Months to Doctor and my clients know that I am a strong advocate for groups. Writing groups, research groups or even overall dissertation groups can be very helpful. Having a group that you have to face every week to share your successes or seek advice from is great pressures you to work. Not to mention to vent after a horrible review from your advisor. As great as these groups can be, they must carefully selected and monitored by each individual to ensure that the group meets their needs and is positively contributing to their progress. When that step is not taken, some students can find themselves in a group that is counterproductive. Having the camaraderie of working alongside someone even if the research projects are completely unrelated. When you have scheduled library sessions or writing sessions scheduled you will show up. On the other hand if your team members are not as serious about it, not showing up on time or doing the work that they were supposed to do, that slacking habit is contagious and you can catch it. To minimize your risk, the assessment of the group’s fit for you should be ongoing. If there comes a moment when you realize that your membership in this group is no longer helping you progress, then make your exit while continuing to seek out supportive resources elsewhere.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –24– Crushing Feedback

Remember how I always say that your committee is your best assets? Greatest supporters? Best thing since sliced bread? Such an important part of your journey that a whole chapter in my book is about committees? Well they are, but they can also be the biggest boulders that come crashing on you and your confidence. Some days you may get feedback from one or maybe more of your committee members that really hit hard- Maybe even the kind of feedback that makes you wonder who your parents bribed to get you out of Kindergarten. The first thing to remember is that it is not personal. Yes there are probably a hundred ways of sharing their concern that would have been less distressing, but obviously they were not in a position to think of those at the time they were providing the feedback. Don’t go flying of the handle or throwing your computer in the trash because you are “too through with this”. Just turn off the computer, walk away from the books and all other dissertation related material. Go do something relaxing. When you come back to your work the following day and you are calmer, it will be easier to see what the feedback was really about and how you can make the adjustments. And don’t forget, if it is not clear, ASK.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –23– A day off

It’s true that when you are on a mission to get your dissertation completed, you often find yourself giving up a social life for the most part. All of that is a temporary sacrifice you make for the sake of your investment. While delayed gratification is important your body still needs some reset time. That’s why it is so critical that you are taking days off. One a week should be good enough. Some may even stretch it but going beyond two weeks is asking for trouble. Your body gives you the opportunity to give it a rest. When you don’t seize the opportunity to give your body what it asks for, then it will simply take it. Take periodic days off that way that way you can avoid falling ill and having to be out of commission even longer.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –22– Get a Buddy

Doing things alone is not always as fun as with others. Working on your dissertation is one of those. When you are working on your dissertation alone you take a few more liberties than you would with other. You know how your group projects were done a couple days early and your individual papers finished 5 minutes before the start of class. That’s what many doctoral candidates do with their dissertation. The freedom that allows you to procrastinate a bit more is often a detriment to progress. The remedy? Get a buddy! When you are working with others and don’t want to be the only one who came in with nothing to show for the last two weeks. That pressure makes you work a bit harder. Even if all the work is done just before the group meets, that’s at least something that is getting done at these intervals. Just be sure to select buddies who are diligent about their work and will actually produce and progress through your partnership. Their progress will inspire you to make greater strides. Also make sure your buddies are people whose opinion you value- that adds to the pressure.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at  http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –21– Getting To Candidacy

When you get started with your coursework it’s tough to know where to go and how to start. Where as in undergrad courses are often offered a few times per year, by the time you get to doctorate level it’s definitely not like that. You will find that many course that you need are offered only once per year. To avoid finding yourself waiting a year to take your last course or two, you need to know these. Your advisor is the best person to help you figure this out, but if they are unable or unwilling to help you do this seek out the program coordinator. Before the end of your first year of classes you should develop a course plan that details not only the courses that you will take but also which semester you will take them in. When you develop your plan, be sure that it is in accordance with when each course is being offered. If a course has prerequisites, be sure to account for that in your plan. The benefits of this plan will include avoiding having to wait for courses, as well as allowing you to register as early as registration is open to prevent being capped out. If you’ve read my book you know that while you are doing all this work on your courses, you also should be doing some things in preparation for your dissertation too. If you haven’t read it yet- What are you waiting for? Get it now.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

Dissertation Made Easy –20– The Revolving Committee Door

The longer you are in the dissertation stage the greater your chances of having to new members join your committee after you have started work. Faculty members have life changes just as students do. People move. They experience crises. They have major life events. All those can be reasons that someone steps down from your committee. This does not mean that you have to be caught off guard. If you keep close enough contact with you committee you are more likely to hear that they will be leaving before try to submit your document for review. If you know that a member is leaving your committee ask them for recommendation for a replacement. Speak to your advisor immediately to begin to see whom you can bring in for a seamless transition. When you get new members, take the same proactive steps that you have taken with the original members. You still need their say so to move forward so you better find out early enough what will be expected of you in order to get the ok. Bring them into the fold. Let them know about your research and pay close attention to their concerns and feedback.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com

Dissertation Made Easy –19– Summer’s Over? :? :?

The academic year is officially getting started again, but if you are at the dissertation or candidacy stage, you know that summer is really a figment of others’ imaginations. If you took the time to indulge, that’s actually a great thing. Whether you took a full summer vacation or just a few breaks here and there, summer still slows you down. Taking time to accommodate, rest, family, friends and especially kids does take some of the speed out of your progress. So now that things are back to “normal”, resume your routines. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that the kids were in school, projects had to be completed and you still had your own school work. Get those schedules back into play and have everyone take on their assigned tasks again. This is the perfect time to make changes because people expect changes in these transitional weeks. Don’t take on new projects to see if you “can handle them this year”. It may be a new year but since my petition for a 27-hour day has not yet been approved we still must work within the 24-hour day. If you had a system that worked last year, get it back into play. If your system did not work, make the changes now and begin implementation immediately.

 

For more dissertation tips order your copy of Six Months to Doctor: How to Complete a Dissertation in Six Months today at http://LakayPublishing.com

Stay tuned to my websites for more tips… www.DrJudiC.com.  Feel free to ask questions.

1 2 3 4
  • Dr. Judi Cinéas

  • Dr. Judi Cinéas

  • I am Dr. Judi Cinéas (DrJudiC) the founder of Living The Dream, an organization providing Life Empowerment and Motivational Coaching to South Florida’s elite. With many years of experience as a psychotherapist, I use my counseling skills to help clients maximize their progress. Author of the book Six Months To Dr.: How To Complete A Dissertation In Six Months. I have also been working with doctoral candidates as to help them progress toward completing their theses and dissertations. I hold a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Social Work degree more than 12 years of experience working with individuals, families and organizations providing Counseling and Behavior Modification services in South Florida. After a rough start, I PHinisheD my dissertation in 6 months, and I wrote a book to show others how I did it. I even talk about the mistakes that caused my rough start so others won’t make it too. On this blog, I share some of the things I learned as well.