By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: Should I join a dissertation support group?
— On-the-Fence Joiner
A: “I couldn’t write. I’d be in the library, staring at the portrait of the bearded benefactor, and the time would just tick by. That’s when I decided to join the group.”
Maybe you’ve had similar “work” sessions. If so, consider joining a dissertation group. They can help you with many dissertation-related issues, especially if you’re feeling stuck or really afraid. A group may be the remedy.
By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD
The other day, a friend shared she was frustrated with her dissertation progress, feeling stuck in her writing. I responded with empathy, saying, “I completely understand how you feel. What do you think you need to get unstuck?” I could relate to her emotions because I had experienced the same situation while working on my dissertation. However, I realized that I wasn’t as supportive of myself as I was of her. Instead of acknowledging my negative emotions, I forced myself to keep working. Looking back, I wish I had treated myself with the same compassion I offered my friend. Here’s how.
By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: How can I be sure I’m formatting my dissertation the right way?
— Befuddled by Formatting
A: First, if you’re looking for guidance on the contents of your dissertation, that is, the requisite chapter titles and what they must contain, this is not the right place. The answers here pertain to what your school requires for your completed manuscript. However, some of the resources below do contain content information.
So, to Befuddled’s question: Formatting your dissertation can be almost as important as the content (not that I think it should be). You’re graded on the proper format as well as what you’ve written. How can you be sure you’re doing it correctly?
By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: How do I tell my chair I don’t want her to coauthor an article from my dissertation?
— Ungrateful?
A: This is another sensitive topic, first cousin to last month’s on your chair suggesting (dictating) you dissertation topic.
As your defense winds down, you’re flushed with relief and pride that you got through the PowerPoint without a storm of committee interruptions or zoom technical tantrums. After the approving nods and smiles, your chair may say, “Your dissertation is so important! It deserves publication as an article!” You blush, and they can see your red cheeks on the screen. Then you hear the chair’s words, both flattering and ominous: “Let’s coauthor it.”
By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: How do I tell my chair I don’t want his suggested topic for my dissertation?
— Scared of Retaliation
A: As an advanced graduate student, you face many hard situations: finally writing the dissertation, explaining to your family why you can’t spend any time with them, and breaking up fistfights between your chair and committee members. More students than you’d imagine encounter another high-anxiety-making scenario: when your chair suggests your dissertation topic.
Early in the dance, your professor’s “suggestion” could be a replication of the study he just had rejected, the study she’s just started, his secondary research interest, or her department head’s major obsession.
By Dr. Noelle Sterne
A: The benchmark is boundaries. For your poor suffering student, you want to be approachable, supportive, encouraging, and all the other wonderful adjectives of a sterling advisor. BUT—you don’t want to be over-open or fall into a sinkhole of too much sharing.
What’s appropriate for you to share:
How you struggled in graduate school, the nightmare of your defense.
What’s not appropriate for you to share:
Your latest root canal agony, your septic system failure.
!–more–>
