Baloney and Dissertations
October 24th is National Bologna Day, or, as we say here in the South, Baloney. And, let me tell ya, there’s a lot of baloney that dissertation students need to know…
When I was growing up, if someone heard of questionable veracity, you might hear them declare, “That’s a bunch of baloney!” There were other expressions, too. But they tended to be avoided in mixed company.
For National Bologna Day, let’s talk about a bunch of baloney that dissertation students believe that drags out the dissertation process and prevents lots of them from ever graduating.
The Dissertation Process Is Supposed To Take A Long Time.
First off, it’s worth noting that only about half of doctoral students who start the dissertation process ever finish. And, those who don’t finish often take a quite a while not finishing.
But, many doctoral students who do finish take a long time to do so, too. I’m sure that you personally know, or have otherwise heard of, students who spent 3, 4, or 5 years, or more, completing their dissertation projects.
Unfortunately, these time frames aren’t at all uncommon. But, fortunately, they aren’t necessary, either.
For example, the first thing we do with each student we bring into our coaching program is to set a 12 month goal for graduating! It’s a stretch goal to be sure. Not all of our students make it.
But, by focusing on getting the dissertation done as quickly as possible, our students progress quickly. They typically finish in 12 to 18 months and credit us with helping them shave 1 – 2 years off of their time to graduation.
Good things don’t come to those who wait. They come to those who set goals, make plans to accomplish them, and stick to their plans!
My Dissertation Has To Be Completely Original.
Sir Isaac Newton was not considered to be a modest man. Indeed, many of his contemporaries wrote about how his singular genius could only be equaled by his singular opinion of himself.
But, even Newton was quoted as saying “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
This is simply how science works. You study the work of others in your field and build upon it so that you may further science in your own right.
There is no such thing as a completely original idea. Even paradigm-shifting geniuses like Einstein worked from a foundation laid by others.
So, don’t tie yourself in knots about being completely original. Instead, think of your dissertation as laying another brick in the wall of knowledge.
My Dissertation Needs To Change The World.
This is another frustrating misconception shared by dissertation students far and wide. The only part of the world your dissertation needs to change is yours…by getting you through to graduation and changing your first name to Dr.!
