welcome to dissertation hell: 10 survival tips for doctoral students

WELCOME TO DISSERTATION HELL:

from The Hellish Handbasket Blog

10 Survival Tips for Doctoral Students

2

Some facts Pursuing a Ph.D. is not a trivial task.

It’s expensive. It’s time-consuming. It’s difficult.

If it weren't an almost impossible goal, everyone would have a Ph.D.

Welcome To Dissertation Hell: A (hilarious) Handbook for Doctoral Students from The Hellish Handbasket Blog

3

Surviving a terminal degree

There are reasons why so few people pursue a doctorate.

The terminal degree is the one that kills you... If you let it.

Pursuing a doctorate is not about learning a subject; it is about developing survival skills.


4

You can do itThis is a short collection of tips and

insights for doctoral students who are struggling in dogged pursuit of their Ph.D.

These tips are compiled from two years of posts from The Hellish Handbasket Blog.


10 SURVIVAL TIPS FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS

6

You are on your ownHaving a good Committee Chair is

essential. A good Chair… Responds in a timely fashion Actually reads your work Doesn’t call you “sweetie”

You may have no control over the selection of your Committee Chair.

Cultivate connections among your colleagues.


1

7

Get used to waitingTry not to get resentful when your

Chair takes the full turnaround time to respond.

Use your free time to do some things around your house, like taking out the trash or cleaning the cat box.

Keep current. Update your sources often.


2

8

Read everything If you don’t know which method to

use, qualitative or quantitative, don’t be surprised if your Chair says, “Use the method that answers the research question.”

Go back and read everything you can find on methodologies related to your topic. After a while, you will know what to do.


3

9

Organize your sourcesSeriously! Start organizing your

sources early.Use whatever system works.Annotate your sources.

Mark key concepts with highlightingYou’ll be referring back to sources

throughout your writing process, so it’s important to be able to find them.


4

10

Study the APA bookOr MLA or whatever you use…

study that darn book!Mark the pages, so when your

Chair says “??”, you can say confidently, “Page 81!”

Memorize how to handle in-text citations and references.

Refer to the APA blog when the APA book is unclear (often).


5

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/

http://blog.apastyle.org/

11

Own your workYou are in the messy process

of transitioning from student to scholar.

You are becoming the expert on your topic.

You are becoming a peer to your Committee members.

You are responsible for your work.


6

12

Obey your CommitteeYou are stuck with your Committee

and Chair until the end, so be nice.Address every issue they point out,

even if it is to politely say, “I decided not to implement your suggestion, and here is why.”

Respect the process. If you aren’t getting the support you need, find an editor and/or coach.


7

13

Just get it doneDoctoral students sometimes have

a hard time identifying a topic.Your topic does not define your

career.You don’t have to love your topic. In

fact, it might be better if you are just mildly interested.

Just get the thing done.


8

14

Make friends with WordLearn how to use Styles.

Create only the styles you need and use them consistently.

Learn how to use Section Breaks.Practice creating, formatting, and

updating your Table of Contents. If you are given Word templates,

follow the spirit of the templates while remaining alert to style errors.


9

15

Zoom in, zoom outDon’t lose sight of the overall

picture by focusing only on details.Constantly check that everything

you write aligns with your purpose statement.

Be consistent with terminology.Tie your findings closely to your

theoretical framework.


10

16

Recap: The 10 survival tipsYou are on your own

Get used to waiting

Read everything

Organize your sources

Study the APA book

Own your work

Obey your Committee

Just get it done

Make friends with Word

Zoom in, zoom out


6

7

8

9

105

4

3

2

1

17

About this ebook projectTo document my doctoral journey (and to keep from going insane), I started a blog in early 2012. I called it The Hellish Handbasket. Part diatribe, part memoir, The Hellish Handbasket blog has something for everyone, but is especially relevant for doctoral students.

What is this book about?

Welcome to Dissertation Hell is an ebook collection of blog posts from my blog, The Hellish Handbasket, documenting the final two years in my quest to complete the doctorate. The chronicle begins in January of 2012, after I had earned the title of A.B.D. (which means All But Dissertation, or alternatively, All But Dead). The chronicle concludes in early 2014 with my victorious wresting of the doctoral degree from the cold dry claws of the university.

The posts are (I hope) humorous. My humor can be a bit dry. Probably it's an acquired taste. However, scattered throughout the ebook are hints, tips, and bits of advice for the aspiring doctoral learner. As an added bonus, many of the posts are illustrated with uniquely ridiculous pen-and-ink drawings culled from my years of journals and sketchbooks: Yes, I confess, the drawings are mine.

Whom is this book for?

The intended audience for this ebook (besides my long-suffering family and friends) consists of:

Graduate students working toward a doctorate

People who are considering enrolling in a graduate program to work toward a doctorate

Friends and family of someone who is working toward a doctorate

Recently matriculated Ph.D.s who want to relive their trauma and celebrate their well-earned accomplishments


If the link doesn’t work, visit https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435082

http://the-hellish-hand-basket.blogspot.com/

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435082

18Welcome To Dissertation Hell: A (hilarious) Handbook for Doctoral Students from The Hellish Handbasket Blog

What readers have to say about Welcome to Dissertation Hell

★★★★★ “Extreme introversion and malcontentedness never looked better.” (CJ)

★★★★★ “Someone please make this into a sitcom starring Kristin Schall or Kristen Wigg.” (CJ)

What non-readers have to say aboutWelcome to Dissertation Hell

★ “I worry about my daughter.” (MB)

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435082

welcome to dissertation hell: 10 survival tips for doctoral students

Education