Nobody Can Want It For You

Dr. Rachna D. Jain — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:50:10 +0000

The idea for this post came to me late last week, just after I’d spoken with a new potential dissertation coaching client. As part of this conversation, the client, “Sue”, asked me what traits or characteristics might define someone who wouldn’t do well in dissertation coaching. I thought this was an interesting question, and it got me thinking.

As I formulated my reply, there were several characteristics which occurred to me. Certainly, someone who never did the work we agreed upon wasn’t going to do well in dissertation coaching. Someone who consistently missed calls or agreed upon deadlines also wasn’t going to do well.

As I thought through my responses, what I realized, though, is that all of these behaviors boiled down to one main concept: That nobody can want your dissertation for you. Let me explain.

Other people can want you to finish, and can assist, poke, prod, and nag you to death- all that’s true. But the truth is, you will not move if you don’t want the degree for yourself. Nobody can want the degree more than you do.

Sometimes people come to dissertation coaching and want me to convince them why they should finish the project. While I have a bias towards finishing, and will only work with people who I believe I can help to finish, there are, sometimes, certain clients who challenge and provoke me to “prove” to them that they should finish their dissertation.

And here’s what I say, “Yes, I’d like you to finish, and yes, I’d like to help you finish. But here’s the thing- if you don’t finish, it’s not really going to impact my life at all. It’s only going to impact yours. So I want to help you, but I can’t want it more than you do.”

Do you see what I mean?

Doing a dissertation takes focused effort, directed planning, and perseverance. Of course, it’s natural and normal that these feelings will wax and wane through the course of the project, and the waxing and waning is something we can work with.

What is much harder to overcome is when someone wants convincing that they should finish. That shifts the focus from the process of finishing to the merits of doing so.

So as you examine your dissertation process, note if you have the desire to finish- for yourself. Whatever your reasons may be, be sure you want to finish *for yourself*.

Then find the most direct and efficient route to help you do so.

When your level of commitment is there, you can’t help but make meaningful and substantive progress.

Dissertating as a Foreign Student

Dr. Rachna D. Jain — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:36:53 +0000

I spoke last week to graduate students at the University of Maryland on the topic of “How to Reach Your Dissertation Goals This Semester.” At the end of my presentation, I was asked for some tips on completing the dissertation as a foreign student; that is, someone who had come from another country to complete a U.S. University Ph.D. program.

I had a few strategies to share which would make the process easier, and I thought that if they were helpful to the students in the talk, they would probably also be useful to those of you reading this blog.

So here are a few tips for dissertating as a foreign student:

1) Connect with other students who are in the same circumstance. Even if the other students don’t come from your country or your part of the world, seek out connections with other students in similar circumstances. There is value in sharing experiences and knowledge with others in similar circumstances.

2) Read a lot of dissertations in your department, especially those advised by your Chairperson. I recommend reading a lot of dissertations to everyone, but especially for students who are coming from other countries. The more dissertations you read, the better feel you will have for the size and scope of the project.

3) Connect with an English tutor or editor if English is not your primary language. The number one complaint I have heard from students is that they are judged very harshly on their writing. Some have trouble writing or thinking in English, and, as a result, their papers come back full of red ink and harsh commentary. You can reduce the shock of feedback in this way by using an editor to review your complete drafts before sending them in. I would suggest having your complete three chapter proposal edited, as well as your final complete copy. A good editor can help refine your writing in such a way that your meaning comes through, free of any unusual word phrasings or usage. If you need to turn in a prospectus, you might consider getting that edited as well, perhaps even by a sympathetic fellow graduate student.

In the most extreme case, you might try writing your project in your native language and translating it over to English afterward. This is not a 100% solution, but can help you overcome writing blocks if you find yourself unable to think easily in English.

4) Focus on replicating a study or extending a study that has already been done. I recommend this for all dissertation writers, as this is one of the fastest ways to get your dissertation done. But it can be especially valuable for a student coming from another country to have an accepted and approved model for a suitable dissertation. You can extend the project, or change it slightly, and still offer an original contribution to the literature.

5) Stay in touch with family and close friends. You might need some extra support to navigate the dissertation process, and keep in touch with family and close friends to provide this. With technology such as Skype and social networks like Facebook, you can stay in touch more easily, and more cost-effectively.

Finally, my last tip is to try and complete the dissertation as quickly as you can. I recommend this to everyone, but, as a foreign student, you may be anxious to return home, and so will want to keep your dissertation process as efficient as possible.

I hope these tips are helpful, and happy dissertating!

Complete Your Dissertation

Nobody Can Want It For You

Dissertating as a Foreign Student