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After speaking at Dissertation House- Winter 2013 as an alum this afternoon, I have decided to post the advice I gave the new crop of dissertation writers:
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T minus 60 days: How to Write your Dissertation in 60 days
By: Margaret Dabek, Ph.D.
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1. Consult the Graduate School Website for Key Dates and Deadlines for the semester you would like to graduate in
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2. Let your advisor know the date you have selected
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3. Set a defense date with your committee members
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4. Count backwards to set dates (with a reasonable amount of “fudge time”) for:
a. Submitting your final version to the graduate school (keep in mind technical difficulties!)
b. Getting necessary paperwork signed before deadlines
c. Making changes after your defense
d. Making edits before your defense
e. Submitting to your committee and hearing back from them
f. Submitting to your readers and hearing back from them
g. Submitting to your advisor and hearing back from him/her
h. Deadlines for specific chapters or sections (if desired)
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5. Start a Blog!!! (wordpress.com works great!) An example:drdabekmay2012.wordpress.com
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6. Tell your family and friends about your 60-day plan and their involvement
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7. Make a list of things you need to do in order to (add these to your blog):
a. Organize your data (I recommend excel sheets for tabulating information from journal articles and references)
b. Write your dissertation
c. Prepare for your defense
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8. Blog daily about your goals for the NEXT day and strike-through any goals you have met (I recommend a daily list as well as a comprehensive list)
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9. Remember dissertation writing SOS:
a. Schedule : Set up a schedule for the next 60 days- 10-day blocks are easiest!
b. Out-Source: Ask your family and friends to help with any tasks that they can help with!
c. Sacrifice: Make that announcement, be accountable, stick to your plan and have CONSEQUENCES!
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10. Defense day tidbits:
a. Prepare your clothes ahead of time and any necessary materials
b. Put together a “Defense Day Binder” with the final version of your dissertation and any pertinent information for last minute review prior to your defense
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IT’S ONLY 60 DAYS!
It is NEVER too late! Start NOW and in 60 days you can be done writing!
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Still can’t believe I was here just one year ago. <happy tears! 😀 > So grateful to all that DH and Dr. CV have done for me!
#GETITDONE!
I have done it. Dr. Dabek officially reporting in tonight!
The day started off rocky because of the torrential downpour which had me soaked by the time I got to the chem building in HEELS. I neverrrr style my hair (ever!) and this morning I did- the “good luck shower” I got on my way down to my presentation undid that. Who cares though? Used my fingercomb and fixed it. LOL 😉 Trying to be more positive!!! (it’s working!)
Then I went to starbucks and tried to use a “free drink coupon” I received in the mail for my special day. They said they are NO LONGER TAKING THEM AT THIS LOCATION! wtf what omg no! I BEGGED. literally. i said “but can you just once more?? pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase? It’s my defense day, it’s raining, I’m a mess and don’t want to cry. PLEAAAAAASE?” They succumbed 😀
So I had my traditional grande iced americano and pb sandwich (did not finish it due to nerves LOL), which helped me calm down. This was 8:45am and I chugged the caffeine so that it would kick in on time- like 5 mins flat. 😛
Minutes before the presentation I just could not believe it was about to start. During the introduction from my adviser my head was spinning. When it was my turn to talk, all eyes were on me and I just could not believe my moment was HERE. Unbelievable. Somehow I was able to get through it without toooo many stumbles. When I did stumble, I just stopped, smiled and started over. woohoo!
Overall, the presentation went superbly well (according to those in attendance- I was quite shaky for 1/2 of it!). As always, the background was the hardest part to get through for me but once I got to the “Rationale” and “Results” sections I was calm and normal, even cracking jokes. LOL My presentation luck continues- my worst practices make for the best “opening nights” after all …. 😉
According to Margaret G’s timer, my talk went on for 36 minutes. My goal was 35, so score!!! Following the talk, I got 4 great questions. 1 from Margaret G, 1 from a faculty member, and 2 each from my PharmD, PhD mentors. I answered them all confidently 🙂
The private session was over quicker than we had all anticipated. I am still shocked about this. The whole day was a blur and I do not recognize myself at this moment. What an out-of-body experience!
They asked me questions, I NAILED them. One of my committee members actually did his PhD work on similar compounds (Thio-Michael addition)- something I found out after I answered the question correctly. OMG. 🙂
Several other questions were confidence testers, but I literally answered with full confidence and had no issues. One of my readers said that I was missing data for one compound and I said “I anticipated this problem. I did it just recently,” and then proceeded to hand out the hard copy “hot off the press” handout. They were SHOCKED, AMAZED and I think this deterred more probing questions. 🙂 Anywho, I was completely done at 11:30am, which is shocking because I had anticipated an hour more. It is just such an incredible feeling to be done!!!!
Party was FANTABULOUS afterwards, as was the dinner. I really am lucky to have such an amazing friend like Margaret G in my life. You were a superstar friend today- THANK YOU!!! thank you does not cover it, nor is it enough for the amount of help and work you put into making my party a success! Not to mention the personal cheerleading role!
Thank you also to Carlos et al (DARLING CUTEST KIDS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!)- you are my buddy!
SO BLESSED. SO GRATEFUL. SO HAPPY!
Also, when I got home, this is the first thing I saw: my igoogle homepage.
Check out the COUNTDOWN: expired!
Let this be inspiration to all those working…THERE IS AN END! KEEP GOING!!! 😀
What sculpture is to block of marble,
education is to an human soul
-Joseph Addison
~Now if this isn’t fate, then I don’t know what is!
shorter walk downtown but that was enough_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plan for Thursday, April 26th:
There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
-Henry Ford
You WILL pass. Your committee would not set a date if you will not pass.
-Dr. CV
It as much about execution as it is about preparation.
-BFC
You just need to be confident. As long as you are confident, you can even sell poop.
Labmate
eeeeeek!!!! aghhhhh!!!!! OMG!!!
Ok, had to get that out of my system. Those were the precise sentiments running through my head as I wrote the title of this blog post.
This morning and in fact all of today, I have been ridiculously nervous about Thursday. So much that people have been telling me I look incredibly scared.
All throughout the defense I sat through today (a girl from the lab next door defended today) I had terrible stomach knots and my palms were sweating so much they were dripping. yikes!
I am 😀 to report, however, that since then I have made a 180 degree revolution. Too bad my defense is not at 10pm, right?!
I have reaffirmed something that I have always known about myself: I am most calm when I am busy. Instead of “relaxing” which everyone keeps telling me to do (“get a massage, take a nap, etc”), I find comfort in occupying myself with SOMETHING. In fact, when I sit idly, I get MORE anxious because this runs through my head:
“I AM BEING LAZYYYY!!! I’m doing nothing. I’m getting older every second and I have nothing to show for it!”
I am just a plain ole garden variety busy body.
So after an afternoon ridden with anxiety and panic (up until 6pm when I left lab), I went home and started working on my presentation notes/transitions/points that must be covered. This has calmed me down 80% which is saying A LOT because my heart rate was through the roof! I have found at least 20 different places where I can expand on in my talk to make it longer, more clearer, and more “fun” (ha!) to listen to. I have also boosted my confidence in doing so. BOOM!
I have a run-through (alone) tomorrow morning and I plan to run through the slides WITHOUT LOOKING AT THESE NOTES and see if I can do it to my satisfaction. A part of me wants to fill the room with stuffed animals as my audience…LOL 😛
If I go through my slides alone I do not want to call it a “practice” per se because if it goes too well I will be scared that I won’t be able to repeat it the following morning….A run-through is just a lighting/costume fitting in my book 😉 If I do well I CAN repeat it Thursday and if it goes less than well, that’s ok because the adrenaline on Thursday will help me do better 🙂
Review of my day today:
not gonna strike-through this smiley! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plan for Wednesday, April 25th:
A bad dress rehearsal makes for a good opening night.
Today was just ridiculous. Can best be summed by: “a bad dress rehearsal makes for a good opening night performance.” The ONLY way to describe what happened this morning at my practice presentation. I am finding comfort in this quote, though I cannot google it toooo extensively or else I find disproof of this common saying…yikes.
I was just flustered and in Monday-days-pre-Defense mode. I think that once Thursday comes around, i will have some “performance” adrenaline circulating which will help me deliver a good talk. In fact, let’s say I am CONFIDENT in this fact. I have to be!
I ended up going home early to run some errands and then drank tea and read my study review binder. YAY ME!
Tomorrow is the last defense in the department before mine…gulp! It’s going to be somewhat of a wash day, but I am not going to let myself get tooo carried away. I will stop by for the party and mingle and then I am heading out to read some more material. With all these defenses so close to one another, this is what I was worried about a few months back. But let’s stop worrying and SEIZE THE WEEK!!!
Review of today:
I also:
Excited and exhausted all at the same time!
Night -.-
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Plan for Tuesday, April 24th:
Today was a good day in the sense that I spent a lot of time at the mall looking for a “better” outfit for my defense day. I also spent time with a friend and went to church (first thing in the morning).
I only spent a grand total of 1hr in the lab tonight, but I guess it isn’t urgent at this stage in the game. So oh well.
I guess I should be reading up on a few topics. I don’t know what will be asked of me, and this is the gut-wrenching part of the process. If I don’t study, I won’t be able to forgive myself day of the defense when I am stumped with a question. Frustration!
Random side-note: I had a dream last night that one of my committee members asked me what I usually eat for breakfast. If only!
Review:
I also emailed my presentation slides to Dr CV for review, so yay for that.
Tomorrow is going to be an intense study day, which is fitting for starting a few days before an exam (brings back not-so-fond memories of SOP….)
k that is all.
Night -.-
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Plan for Monday, April 23rd:
drdabekmay2012 