Birdwatching and Dissertations
December 14th marks the start of the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. I was surprised to find out just how relevant this annual event is to dissertation students… When I first started researching this post, I thought that this bird watching activity was just a classic example of dissertation-avoidance behavior, an enjoyable way to […]
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Taylor Swift and Dissertations
December 13th is Taylor Swift’s birthday. So, what, can absolutely anyonebe a dissertation mentor? Well, let’s see what words of wisdom Miss Swift has for doctoral students… Yes, seriously!… When you’re 25 or 30, you know, you can’t wear lime-green eye shadow anymore. — Taylor Swift Well… she’s just gettin’ warmed up. Shake it off! OK, […]
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Screams and Dissertations
December 12th is Edvard Munch’s birthday. The Norwegian painter is best known for his masterpiece, The Scream. And, as a doctoral student, I’m quite certain that you know a thing or two about wanting to scream… The doctoral journey can be quite tumultuous. You can post an absurdly high GPA throughout your doctoral coursework, only to lose […]
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Mountaintops and Dissertations
December 11th is International Mountain Day. Has your dissertation journey ever left you feeling like you’re scaling a sheer cliff face?… I often liken the dissertation process to climbing a mountain. When you stand at the bottom of a mountain and look up at the top, you can do one of two things: You could […]
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Nobels, Decimals, and Dissertations
December 10th is Nobel Prize Day and Dewey Decimal System Day. Which one provides greater inspiration for your dissertation? Which one should?… The Nobel Prize represents the greatest honor in a number of fields of science. Each year the Nobel Foundation recognizes the achievements of scientists around the globe…those who’ve made outstanding contributions in the […]
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The Foxx, the Dame, and Dissertations
December 9th is marks the birthday of Redd Foxx and Dame Judi Dench. Think that’s an odd pair of dissertation mentors? Read on to see what they have to say… I have no control over a film. I don’t know what will be left on the cutting floor. — Dame Judi Dench Just as few […]
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Time Machines and Dissertations
December 8th is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. How much easier would the dissertation be if you had a time machine?… Whenever you try something new for the first you can count on two things: 1) You’re not gonna get right the first time, and 2) It’s gonna take you a lot longer […]
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Cookie Cutters and Dissertations
It’s National Cookie Cutter Week, and that’s just perfect for Christmas cookies… and dissertations… Cookie cutters are great for making Christmas cookies. Perfect trees, bells, holly leaves, and snowflakes. Creating such an intricate cookie used to take skilled artisans minutes to produce. With cookie cutters they require little time and even less skill to stamp […]
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Steven Wright and Dissertations
December 6th is Steven Wright’s birthday. Here’re some words of wisdom from perhaps the world’s most calm comic for stressed-out dissertation students everywhere… Only one in four jokes ever works, and I still can’t predict what people will laugh at. — Steven Wright You may experience a similar success rate with your dissertation. Of course, […]
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POTUS 8 and Dissertations
December 5th marks the birthday of the 8th President of the United States. Here’re some words of wisdom from Martin Van Buren that you can apply to your dissertation… I tread in the footsteps of illustrious men… in receiving from the people the sacred trust confided to my illustrious predecessor. — Martin Van Buren Van Buren […]
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