The Roadmap to Your Thesis
Those of you readers who are going or went through a PhD program know what a maize the process can be. At the beginning, while we are taking classes, the path is clear. We need to choose a supervisor, a project, and pass our exams. Once all that is done, however, the "hard" part begins. For most students, the journey to the PhD degree is not a paved road. It is not clear what we need to do to get there simply because research, by nature, is unpredictable.
For many years in graduate school, I wondered whether it was possible for me to get a doctorate. I had done many experiments, but somehow the story was not coming together. The results were irreproducible, and the pieces of the puzzle I gathered did not fit together. Around my fourth year, I remember walking down the hallway and suddenly I had a vision of the most important part of my doctoral thesis: the table of contents (TOC). It had 4 chapters with clear titles, and I even imagined a few of the subtitles. I really believe this was the turning point for me in graduate school, where I moved from "I don't know what I need to do to graduate" to "I know where I am going, and I am really motivated to get there."
While the table of contents is only a few pages out of hundreds, it is the roadmap to your dissertation. By visualizing the final product of research, I had a blueprint to work with, and I was quite excited about it. I wrote down the TOC soon after my epiphany and kept it in a safe place. Clearly, the plan changed along the way and the final TOC was only vaguely similar to the original. Every time I revised the course of my research I rewrote the document (eventually in Word format, easy to edit), and visualized how I would feel holding my final thesis in my hand. One of the notable advantages of having a written table of contents was that I saw where the gaps of my research were. I had done some earlier work where I still needed to confirm hypotheses with further experiments, and also look in the literature for supporting data.
One of the frequent complaints of graduate students is that they don't know what steps they need to take to finish their theses. Or, even if they know what to do, they don't know in what order to take the steps and how to structure a doctoral thesis. Once you have a TOC, you will have a defined plan, and you can even include some timelines to get you motivated. (A rule of thumb is that in research everything takes about 3 times as long as you would predict). While you are working and updating your TOC, keep checking in with your supervisor to make sure the two of you are in agreement about what you need to do to earn your degree.
Wishing you the best,
Dora Farkas, PhD, Founder, PhDNet
Author: "The Smart Way To Your PhD:200 Secrets From 100 Graduates."
Now Available in Kindle Edition!
One of The Few Skills That Will Always Guarantee You A Job
One of The Few Skills That Will Always Guarantee You A Job
The answer is writing, especially if you are in the sciences. Many people strongly dislike writing because, invariably, writer's block hits everyone, and some take it as a sign that they are fundamentally not gifted as writers. If you have ever been disheartened by writer's block (and who has not), you know how painful it is to stare at a blank page with absolutely no idea of what to write. The truth is that even the most famous writers are blocked frequently, but they know how to wade through tough times.
It is no surprise then that people who have not received much training in writing, such as those in the sciences and engineering, frequently frown upon writing. For this reason, if you are able to prove yourself a proficient writer, you are likely to stand out from other job candidates or, if you are already employed, from other people waiting for a promotion.
But, how does one become a good writer? Or, a better question is, how does one become a prolific writer? (I am referring to work related writing such as reports, manuscripts, publications, and all the other documents no one else wants to write) My first language is not English, it is actually Hungarian, but I also learned Spanish and German before I came to the US in elementary school. So, English is my 4th language, yet it is the one in which I write the best. Why? Because that's the one I have the most experience with.
There are several books out there (see next paragraph) that can help you improve your writing. But almost all books emphasize the importance of quantity over quality in the early stages of writing. At the beginning, it is more important to get many ideas on paper, than to have perfect grammar and spelling. Ideas are born with writing, and the more you write, the easier it will become. An added bonus is that the more you practice writing, the more creative you will be when preparing Power Point presentations (another assignment others might be happy to hand off to you).
"Elements of Style" by Strunk and White is the number one book for helping you refine your writing. Its brevity makes it an attractive companion, since it summarizes the most import rules of grammar and style in less than 100 pages. "Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day" by Joan Bolker is another popular reference, and its ideas can be applied to any documents not just dissertations. "How to Write a Lot" by Paul Silvia is also a great resource for those in the academic fields. Those of you who want to become professional writers (or write for fun in your spare time) would probably enjoy any of Julia Cameron's books, especially one of her earliest, "The Artist's Way".
If the idea of writing gets you excited, I congratulate you and wish you the best. If you frown upon it, think again. In a world where job security is nearly non-existent, what if you were the one who could take on the tasks that no one else would or could take on? Writing is a learned skill, and a little bit of effort will go a long way to help you create great ideas on paper.
Wishing you the best,
Dora Farkas, PhD, Founder, PhDNet
Author: "The Smart Way To Your PhD:200 Secrets From 100 Graduates."
Now Available in Kindle Edition!
The Power of Visualization
Did it ever happen to you that you came back from vacation all energized, just to find your motivation lagging again just 48 hours after your plane landed? The question is, what gets us motivated during vacation, and why do we become overwhelmed a few days after we return?
Think back to a time when you were really enthusiastic about something. It could have been a trip, an academic project or an athletic event. Do you recall what ignited your energy? If you are like most people, you probably visualized yourself having the time of your life during that trip, or acing a class, or winning the race days or weeks before the actual event. You might have imagined yourself surrounded by friends and family cheering for you.
Visualizing the big picture, and the accompanying emotions, is one of the most powerful ways of motivating yourself. When you know what you want, and you are over-the-head excited about it, you are no longer concerned with the myriad number of tasks necessary to accomplish your goal. Those of you who are parents, for example, probably know the length to which one would go to for their children, without being concerned about the amount of time (and money!) necessary.
When you are on vacation, you have the luxury of thinking about the big picture. During the day-to-day grind it is tough to see "the forest from the trees." The big picture motivates while a lengthy to-do list does just the opposite. So, how do we keep our enthusiasm up when we are overwhelmed with work? I found that one of the best ways to keep our creative juices flowing was to spend about 5 minutes (or more if you have time) at the end of each workday visualizing 3 outcomes for the following day. I don't mean a to-do list, but a few desired accomplishments and their accompanying emotions.
For example:
-I want to complete the introduction and methods section of my paper, which will help me get closer to graduation, and make me feel like I am contributing to research in my field
-I would like to run 1 mile, so I could lose weight and feel healthier and more energetic
-I want to narrow down my apartment search to the top three homes, to feel a sense of security about where I will live after graduation
After you list your three outcomes, visualize how you will feel at the end of the day, knowing that you completed a significant part of your paper, took care of your body and found a few places to live. Then, schedule the necessary time for each outcome in your calendar. When I use this method, I am usually amazed at how much I accomplish compared to the days when I do not think about the end results the day before.
Do you see how this method, which really only takes 5 minutes, is more powerful than just writing a to-list? Of course, there will be days when your whole list will go out the window because of unexpected academic or personal issues. The desired big picture (e.g. graduating, a healthy body, and a place to live after graduation), will stay the same. As long as you remember what you want and why it is important to you, you will remain one of the most motivated people you know.
Wishing you the best,
Dora Farkas, PhD, Founder, PhDNet
Author: "The Smart Way To Your PhD:200 Secrets From 100 Graduates."
