Jack London and Dissertations
January 12th is Jack London’s birthday. Did you know that the top reason why doctoral fail at their dissertations comes right out of a Jack London novel?… Jack London’s most famous novels, The Call of the Wild and White Fang, are both set in the Yukon. The setting is desolate and wild. No structure. No rules. The principal […]
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Splashes and Dissertations
January 11th is Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends Day. What kind of splash are you making with your dissertation?… Everyday I talk with doctoral students about their dissertations. Although many have reached the point of being terribly frustrated, I can still tell that they are all inspired to do big things. I […]
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The Boxer and Dissertations
January 10th is George Foreman’s birthday. Foreman’s career represents the power of persistence, arguable one of the most important traits to apply to your dissertation… In 1973, George Foreman, a huge underdog at the time, KO’d Joe Frazier to win the WBC crown. Howard Cosell’s iconic, “Down goes Frazier!” call became the most notable of […]
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POTUS 37 and Dissertations
January 9th marks the birthday of the 37th President of the United States. Here’re some words of wisdom from Richard M. Nixon that you can apply to your dissertation… Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain. — Richard M. […]
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Earth’s Rotation and Dissertations
January 8th is Earth’s Rotation Day. Seriously. There really is a holiday for absolutely E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! But, there’s also connection with your dissertation, because that’s what we do here… Are you having trouble with your dissertation topic? Have you ever thought about ripping it on up and starting over from scratch? I talk to at least […]
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POTUS 13 and Dissertations
January 7th marks the birthday of the 13th President of the United States. Here’re some words of wisdom from Millard Fillmore that you can apply to your dissertation… May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not. — Millard Fillmore According to the popular aphorism, God helps those who help […]
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Resolve and Dissertations
The first week of January is New Year’s Resolutions Week. What resolutions have you made for your dissertation this year? Have you broken them yet? Here are 5 reasons you will break your dissertation-related resolutions, and how to avoid them… Talk of New Year’s resolutions is everywhere this week. In fact, over 40% of Americans […]
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Birds and Dissertations
January 5th is National Bird Day. When thinking about birds and dissertations, one inevitably wonders, “How is a raven like a writing desk?” Actually, no one wonders that. That’s just bird-brained, preposterous, but there is something, though… Bird watching is a popular hobby. Some people really get into it, going on hikes with books and binoculars. […]
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Trivia and Dissertations
January 4th is National Trivia Day. Here’s some fun and interesting dissertation trivia… The average time to earn a doctoral degree in the social sciences is 7.8 years. With coursework typically requiring 2-3 years, a typical student will spend 5-6 years completing his or her dissertation. Worldwide, less than 0.716% of the population earn research-based doctoral degrees. Only […]
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Losing Sleep and Dissertations
January 3rd is Festival of Sleep Day. Here’s what you should do if you’re losing sleep over your dissertation… Losing sleep is a common problem in our hyper-stimulated culture. Losing sleep results in cognitive declines in alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. Your brain is also less able to retain memories when you are sleep-deprived. […]
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