Guardians and Dissertations
August 5th is James Gunn’s birthday. Did you realize that he wrote a scene in Guardians of the Galaxy just for dissertation students?… Peter Quill: I have a plan. Rocket Raccoon: You’ve got a plan? Okay, first of all, you’re copying me from when I said I had a plan. Peter Quill: I’m not copying you, I have […]
Continue reading
POTUS 44 and Dissertations
August 4th marks the birthday of the 44th President of the United States. Here’s some words of wisdom from Barrack Obama that you can apply to your dissertation… We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent. — Barrack Obama I agree that we […]
Continue reading
Persistence and Dissertations
On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus finally set sail, after working on his proposal for seven years! Persistence pays off — for Columbus and for dissertation students, too… Christopher Columbus was convinced that he could find a western route to the Orient. He thought that circumnavigating the globe would be quicker and more efficient than sailing south […]
Continue reading
Wonderland and Dissertations
On August 2, 1865, Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a tale of profound confusion and wisdom. Dissertation students take heed… Lewis Carroll was a mathematician as well as an author. At its highest levels, math is about logic and reasoning, not numbers and computations. Carroll deftly weaves pithy advice throughout Wonderland in surprising and, to the characters, confusing […]
Continue reading
Depression and Dissertations
August 1st is Jerry Garcia’s birthday. His most popular song, Touch of Grey, describes how too many doctoral students feel about their dissertations… Depression is a serious thing, and I absolutely don’t want to make light of it here. But, the fact is that I talk to doctoral students several times a week who say that […]
Continue reading
Harry Potter and Dissertations
July 31st is J.K. Rowling’s birthday. Rowling cast the perfect magical spell when she went from rags to riches. Here’s how to put her magic trick to good use for your dissertation… J.K. Rowling authored the record-shattering, blockbusting, pop-culture-creating phenomenon that is the Harry Potter Series. But, the real magic behind her welfare-to-billionaire story wasn’t an […]
Continue reading
Ford and Dissertations
July 30, 1863 marked the birth of Henry Ford, who made automobile ownership a reality for all Americans. And, could help make graduation a reality for all dissertation students… Henry Ford’s great contribution was not the Ford Motor Company, although it is a Fortune 500 Top 10, with well over $100 billion in revenues. Instead, […]
Continue reading
Music and Dissertations
July 29th is Geddy Lee’s birthday. Lee was the lead vocalist and songwriter for the rock band, Rush, and musical lyrics have a lot to say to dissertation students… Rock lyrics have served as anthems, laments, and rallying cries for decades. Whether it’s rock, jazz, hip-hop, or reggae, there’s a surprising amount of wisdom and […]
Continue reading
Milk Chocolate and Dissertations
July 28th is National Milk Chocolate Day. When I was a child, milk chocolate was a special treat. And, if anyone needs a treat, it’s dissertation students… We didn’t have much when I was growing up. Didn’t miss it, either. That’s just how things were. We’d go out to eat once every month or two. […]
Continue reading
Life and Dissertations
July 27th is Maya Rudolph’s birthday. In Bridesmaids, her character experienced an unfortunate example of “life happening” to her, just like it does to dissertation students… Lillian (Rudolph) was trying on a particularly exclusive wedding dress after lunch at a rather dodgy ethnic restaurant. Nature called her and her friends rather urgently. With the facilities in […]
Continue reading