By Dr. Nolle Sterne
Q: Maybe it’s the new year, but I can’t seem to get going on my dissertation.
—Word Dawdler
A: Sounds like you’re dragging your dissertation manuscript in sorry tow behind you like an annoying younger brother. You’re probably doing the impossible already—on campus or online, like many other graduate students—juggling family, work, and school. Your academic struggles are intensified by the stresses of such multiple responsibilities and too often you’re slowed down to stop.
By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD
Do you see yourself as a procrastinator? If so, you’re not alone; many people feel the same, myself included.
Recently, I found myself putting off writing an article I needed to complete. Although I enjoy writing, I tend to procrastinate when the topic is unfamiliar and requires effort and energy. I decided it was time to learn more about how to overcome this habit, and I want to share some insights I gained from Tal Ben-Shahar (2023) in one of his lectures on the subject.
By John Bond
Integrity underlies so many aspects of academia, but it is rarely front and center in discussion. Perhaps it is a given and therefore need not be brought to center stage. But with the changes to the world in the past year, five years, or twenty years, a closer look might be worthwhile.
Integrity is the very foundation of academia. The word itself can be quixotic. In my mind it means, acting honestly and ethically in all aspects of academic endeavors and, more specifically, in scholarly work. This includes everything from conducting research and presenting results to collaborating with others and critiquing their ideas. The fundamentals of academic integrity are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility.
By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD
As a new semester begins, it’s essential to implement effective writing practices that can help you advance your projects. In this article, I share some key practices you should consider:
Achieving progress is one of the most satisfying feelings. To experience this, establish habits that lead you toward your goals and track your progress to provide visual evidence of your hard work.
By Dr. Noelle Sterne
Q: I know what I want to write about, but I can’t seem to get anything down on the page.
— Wordless
A: Writing—whatever the type—is hard. Whether we must write a proposal, dissertation, article, book, or thank you letter, most of us have trouble starting, continuing, and finishing. Like you, I’ve had many tortured writing—or not writing—experiences, as do the clients I coach and whose work I edit. Observing all of our ridiculous roadblocks, I’ve developed eleven tricks to help us ease into or continue our writing. If you need convincing, credible rationales are here too for how each method can help you.
By Michele D. Kegley, PhD
I had the opportunity to attend the Writing In Depth Retreat July 24-27, co-sponsored by TAA and hosted at Hope Springs Institute in Peebles, Ohio. As I was preparing to leave, I was talking to myself, “You packed your clothes, shoes, computer, writing journal, pens, phone, water bottle, what am I forgetting? Oh, my files are all in the cloud! I need to download my files onto my hard drive on my PC. I am going to a writing retreat, and they have warned us that there is limited internet access.”
I do not know about you, but I didn’t know how digitally dependent I was until my watch, mobile tablet, laptop, and phone couldn’t access the internet, and that limited access for four days was glorious.
