Doctoral Support Center & Doctoral Programming Blog

Getting Ready for Summer: Advisement Tips

April is more than half over and the semester is coming to an end.  Know what that means? It means summer is almost here!

As you're making plans and dreaming of days in the sun, you should also talk to your dissertation committee, especially your primary adviser.  

Don't wait for them to contact you.  Send them a polite email, checking in and asking them for an appointment or letting them know you would like to arrange a telephone conference.  This is a busy time for faculty -- you want to make sure you're not forgotten.

When you see or speak to them, make sure you have a plan of action -- what you're going to accomplish over the summer-- to show them.  Ask them for their own thoughts on your progress, what you should be doing and where they'd like you to be by the beginning of the Fall semester.  Get their approval and buy in.  If they're going to be around over the summer, arrange to meet.  Otherwise ask if you can send them progress reports every week.

After your meeting or call, send them an email following up and documenting what you've agreed to.  It may seem like you'd both remember, but there's a lot of time between now and Fall.  This way you'll both have a record of your plans.  

And then you'll be ready for summer!

(Don't forget -- we'll be open here at the DSC all summer long. )

Dissertation Blues? Just Do It & Other Mantras

Do you have the "Dissertation Blues?" Do you ever feel stalled or unable to start your writing? This happens to lots of people, especially when working on a long project like a doctoral study. There are lots of ways to get past these moments. One a number of people have found effective is to have a self-talk phrase or mantra.

"Just do it" (a la Nike) is a classic one which can be a way of encouraging yourself to jump in and get going, where ever, whatever.

 

"It won't be easier next week" is one that Gokce, one of the writing advisors here at the DSC, said she uses to prevent procrastinating and get herself to settle down and work. DSC writing advisor Linda says her mantra is "If I do this now, I can enjoy all sorts of fun stuff later" which reminds her that there will be rewards for getting her work done. Kevin, the DSC's IRB advisor and a doctoral student himself says "Practice developing two minute talking points" which gives him a small task that can be done.

When writing this, I found all I had to do was ask and people could tell me their mantras. A friend from my cohort said hers was "I must proceed as if I know what I am doing" (that one scans well). Another got through his writing by telling himself "No one knows more about this than me."

In my own case, I tend insecure whether or not my writing is good enough. If I let those thoughts go on, I soon find my writing time has passed and I haven't gotten any new ideas down. My mantra is "This is as bad now as it's ever going to be." That probably sounds depressing, but really it reminds me that I can always revise

Do you have a mantra? You should! Please share yours by leaving a comment below.