It may seem a bit overwhelming to plan so many things ahead of time, but trust me, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Now we jump ahead to the dissertation phase. More likely than not it’ll be a few years before you get to that point, but it’s not too late to plan. You might be thinking that it’s a bit too soon to bombard your brain with so much information, but it’s not. It also won’t be that painful, as long as you’re not waiting until the last minute. Your topic will change over time, especially once you start getting feedback. You may even change the topic altogether, and that’s okay too.
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PhD 101: Coursework & Planning
When you log in, often times you have to acknowledge some sort of courseroom/faculty expectations. Be sure to read them fully. The last thing you want is to be docked for acknowledging an agreement you didn’t read. In the courseroom, the required course materials, syllabus, professor expectations, and the expectations of the school, will be provided. I highly recommend that you go over each module so you know what to expect work-wise. If you need to, print it out. Printing out everything for the course, as soon as the room opened, helped me to plan out the weeks of work. Also, if there are additional materials that you will need, you should receive an e-mail prior to the courseroom opening so you can buy them in advance.
Continue ReadingPhD 101: Expectations
I chose to complete my degree online. At first, I was really judged, but this isn’t like those diploma mills where you pay an amount for a fake degree. Doing any work online takes time management, planning, discipline, and proactivity. Your end result is only as good as what you put into it, and if you slack off, you’re only hurting yourself. As what happens with any brick-and-mortar establishment, there are good and bad instructors. Some make sure that you are getting the most out of your course, while others leave it to you or a TA to do the work. The “open door” policy will also vary by professor.
Continue ReadingPhD 101: The Beginning
This will be this first post in a series that will outline my personal experiences in obtaining a PhD. It is something that I wanted to have since I can remember, and in all honesty, I didn’t think it would happen. Anyway, this first post is, as the title states, the beginning of my journey. All other posts in this series will be scheduled for Mondays.
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