Stay Focused and Energized During the Winter Months
If nothing was expected of you during the cold winter months–no dissertation, work or family obligations–what would you do? For many, the answer would be: Sleep. Eat. Drink. Nap. Watch TV. Read a book. Repeat. While these responses may sound a lot like depression,...
Break the Cycle of Dissertation Avoidance in 2022
Happy New Year, Dissertators! As a dissertation coach, I see firsthand the backlash of negative feelings graduate students experience when they don’t complete their stated goals. This self-blame often stymies them even more, creating a negative ripple effect that can...
The Dissertation Process and Your Health
Think of your favourite athlete and what he or she must do to prepare for a competition. It goes beyond a physical skill and extends into areas of nutrition, sleep and mental health. When it comes to completing your dissertation, consider yourself an academic athlete....
Autumn Offers a Fresh Start!
Move over New Year’s resolutions. October is the new January. A Pinterest study revealed that the majority of us think of autumn as a popular time for starting over (again), taking care of long-awaited goals and making needed personal changes. It makes sense, right?...
The Sleep Factor: How to Improve Mental Acuity and Memory
Writing your dissertation can be a long and arduous process, albeit one with significant rewards. It can also cause a serious amount of apprehension and anxiety...enough to interfere with our sleep. Here’s the catch: unless we’re sufficiently rested, not only does it...
Preparing For Your Upcoming Dissertation Defense
Hi there, Great news! You are now almost at the end of a long and challenging journey. It's so very, very close. You never thought this day would arrive, but miraculously, you have completed your dissertation. It’s been vetted by your advisor and the other members of...
Motivating Yourself to Complete Your Dissertation Part One: Your Work Space
Hi there! Researching and writing a doctoral dissertation is often a long and lonely process. It can take anywhere from two or three years to what seems forever. Unless you’re a newly-minted graduate student with a few teaching duties and a scholarship that allows...
Choosing a Doctoral Program: Making the Right Choice
After some deep reflection, you've finally decided to take the leap and apply to a doctoral program. As well as the gratifying aspects of the Ph.D. process, the reality is that it consumes a good part of your life, take years to complete and costs a substantial...
Choosing a Dissertation Coach: Finding the Right Fit
It can be argued that writing a dissertation may be one of the most challenging cognitive tasks you’ll ever undertake. Many equate it to writing a book - but completing a dissertation goes beyond that. A better comparison: writing a dissertation is really writing an...
Do You Need a Dissertation Coach?
You have been on the educational journey for a long time by now: primary school, secondary school, undergraduate school, followed by graduate school for your masters and now your Ph.D. It’s been a lot of years - likely a long haul - and if you’re not yet at the very...