POTUS 21 and Dissertations
October 5th marks the birthday of the 21st President of the United States. Here’s some words of wisdom from Chester A. Arthur that you can apply to your dissertation…
Where you stand depends where you sit.
— Chester A. Arthur
The dissertation is a growth process. You will change as a result. I always tell my students to save every draft they write separately. And, they never fail to be amazed at how awful their writing was just a few short months earlier! Such is the growth experience of the dissertation journey.
So, if the veins in your neck start to bulge and you hear your heart pounding in your ears when you read the latest feedback from your committee members, remember that it’s just their perspective. They’re not right and you’re not wrong. But, you do need to earn their approval in order to graduate.
So, take time to understand their perspective. Who knows? May you’ll share it as you continue to grow!
Honors to me now are not what they once were.
— Chester A. Arthur
Dissertation students tend to be high achieving sorts. They are proud of their GPAs, dean’s lists, and other accolades. When I was a child, teachers used to put a gold foil star are students’ head if they did particularly well at school that day. I could have papered my bedroom with my collection of gold stars.
But, that Type-A, perfectionist behavior can actually be a great impediment to completing a dissertation quickly. Instead, you should focus on making sure that your dissertation is “good enough.”
Good enough for your dissertation chair.
Good enough for your committee members.
Good enough for your school.
Years ago, one of my students called me after her dissertation defense. She was clearly quite shaken, and I felt this sudden rush of dread. How could she have possibly failed her defense?
I asked her what was the matter, and she told me about her defense. It turns out the a particularly pernicious committee wanted to get in a parting blow. She said, “This is the least relevant, most margin dissertation study that I have ever approved.”
My student, nearly in tears now, said that she didn’t know what to say.
“Thank you!” I told her. “She said that you graduate!”
After a few more minutes of consoling the student felt better. But, the point is that you don’t want to have any manner of ego or emotion wrapped up in this project in the first place. You have a job to do. Get in, get it done, and get out!
And, if you still crave attention for a job well done, it doesn’t get much better than having your committee say “Congratulations, Doctor!” at the end of your defense!
