I haven't blogged in two years. I've been finishing my dissertation in communication, and am now officially Dr. Wollslager. So what are the top ten things I've learned in the process of becoming a Ph.D.?
1. It is really hard to get a Ph.D. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either a complete genius or a liar.
2. You cannot complete a doctorate without lots of help and support. If my family, friends and colleagues had not stood by me the entire way, I would have given up long ago.
3. Ph.D.'s are not that much smarter than anyone else; they are just the ones who were persistent.
4. You are never too old to go back to school.
5. They make the application process complicated to weed out those people who aren't serious, and about 50 percent who start a doctorate never finish it.
6. Get a buddy or two to help you study. Dividing readings, preparing for qualifying exams and doing research are all collegial activities. Working with others really makes the journey easier. Too often the Ph.D. process is competitive, but it really works better if you put competition aside and cooperate.
7. The coursework is 10 times harder than it was for your master's degree. Learn how to speed read before you start.
8. Don't be afraid to ask for help. We all think we should be smart enough to figure it all out on our own. I struggled needlessly because I was too prideful to ask for assistance.
9. It is easier to go straight through and get your Ph.D. right after your master's. Being a non-traditional student makes the experience richer, but it takes a toll on your family life. (This is not a contradiction to #4, it is just a reality.)
10. The best dissertation is a done dissertation. It will never be perfect. You will never have every source. You could have always done something better or different. You just have to finish it. I had to lock myself up in a friend's RV for about 5 days to get over my inertia and get the thing completed. You just have to do whatever it takes for your work style to get it finished.
Oh... and did I mention, getting a doctorate is really hard?
1. It is really hard to get a Ph.D. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either a complete genius or a liar.
2. You cannot complete a doctorate without lots of help and support. If my family, friends and colleagues had not stood by me the entire way, I would have given up long ago.
3. Ph.D.'s are not that much smarter than anyone else; they are just the ones who were persistent.
4. You are never too old to go back to school.
5. They make the application process complicated to weed out those people who aren't serious, and about 50 percent who start a doctorate never finish it.
6. Get a buddy or two to help you study. Dividing readings, preparing for qualifying exams and doing research are all collegial activities. Working with others really makes the journey easier. Too often the Ph.D. process is competitive, but it really works better if you put competition aside and cooperate.
7. The coursework is 10 times harder than it was for your master's degree. Learn how to speed read before you start.
8. Don't be afraid to ask for help. We all think we should be smart enough to figure it all out on our own. I struggled needlessly because I was too prideful to ask for assistance.
9. It is easier to go straight through and get your Ph.D. right after your master's. Being a non-traditional student makes the experience richer, but it takes a toll on your family life. (This is not a contradiction to #4, it is just a reality.)
10. The best dissertation is a done dissertation. It will never be perfect. You will never have every source. You could have always done something better or different. You just have to finish it. I had to lock myself up in a friend's RV for about 5 days to get over my inertia and get the thing completed. You just have to do whatever it takes for your work style to get it finished.
Oh... and did I mention, getting a doctorate is really hard?
2 comments:
Wow I love your blog!
I am surprised that you stopped at 10 things to know.....but all the ones that you mention are all so true!!
I am soooooooooo glad that we are done!!
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