Waiting to Get Your Dissertation Accepted?
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When it comes to getting a Ph.D., there is no one-size-fits-all approach to ensuring success in graduate school. Every student must find their own path to navigating the most rigorous academic experience that most people will ever attempt. That being said, it’s a good idea to go in with a plan to give yourself the best possible chance to complete your coursework and dissertation. And maybe even have some fun along the way!
These are a few tried-and-true pieces of advice for Ph.D. students:
- Plan ahead
- Reach out early
- Make the most of your experience
#1 Plan Ahead
One of the best gifts you can give yourself as a Ph.D. student is to plan ahead. The semester goes by in a flash, and the sooner you can get started on your assignments, the better. It’s a great idea to make a plan at the beginning of the semester (or even a few months before) to map out all of your readings, assignments, and due dates.
One of the habits that helped me the most as a Ph.D. student was getting a head start on the readings for each of my classes before the semester began. Email your professors well in advance and ask for a copy of their syllabus and course schedule. This will give you an opportunity to knock out some of the readings before the semester begins.
#2 Reach Out Early
My best piece of advice for Ph.D. students is to meet with their professors as early in the semester as possible. It’s important to connect with the faculty in your program, and not just during the semesters when you are taking their classes. When the time comes to choose a dissertation chair and members of your dissertation committee, you’ll need to have a good rapport with the faculty members you want to work with.
Becoming a familiar face to the faculty members in your program is also important because they can provide mentorship as you take your first steps in your career. Your dissertation chair and committee members have the potential to be strong advocates for you not only during the dissertation process, but also when you go on the job market or apply for post-doctoral programs (so choose wisely!).
#3 Make the Most of Your Ph.D. Program
Going to graduate school is an incredible opportunity, and you should do everything you can to make it a rich and rewarding experience. This may sound like a ridiculous (or even impossible) prospect when you’re in the thick of it and feeling like you’re barely keeping up, but trust me. Once grad school is over and you’ve made it to the other side, you’ll be grateful for every experience that you said yes to.
Even though working on my Ph.D. was challenging and, at times, stressful, I loved graduate school and it remains one of the formative experiences of my life. As an adult, there are not many opportunities to fully dedicate yourself to reading and learning everything you can in a discipline you’re passionate about. Take advantage of this time, and make the most of it!
