Corey Carlson has his PhD in Higher Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University.
Keys to facilitating a positive experience:
1. Peer support is critical, so find your tribe. Places to look: Your courses, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. I have a group as well; you can find it at: https://expandyourhappy.com
2. Vocalize your ideas – talk to anyone who will listen. Be cognizant of how much you are talking; don’t burn out your network
3. Adopt a growth mindset. You are in a doc program, remember? YOU LOVE LEARNING!!! When you hit a block ask: What am I learning here?
· It’s OK to be pissed. But be sure to move through that feeling. See: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/6988105
4. Realize the Doctoral Research part of your program is VERY different from completing your core courses. Want to know why grades mean nothing now? Download this: https://www.expandyourhappy.com/HDSP121
· More about this here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/7242724
5. Facilitate a good relationship with your Chair
· Communicate and request regular synchronous meetings –let your Chair decide how often they should be
6. ALWAYS be curious. When you experience feelings of discomfort, ask: “I wonder what I might be learning here?”
7. Your dissertation is an opportunity to LEARN. You will learn about science, your area of specialization, and you as a human.
· Learn more here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/8063165
Corey’s biggest piece of advice: Work 15 minutes/day on your project. It will add up and will get you DONE! Can’t bear opening up your doc? Then do 15-minutes of self-care and call it working on my dissertation. Here are some ideas:
TIPS for CHAIRS:
1. Remember they have never done this before; help them by being very clear about the very next task and what they need to do to complete that task.
2. Be timely in your responses to your students – even if the response is simply: “I got your doc and will have it reviewed in the next 10 days. Meanwhile, please be working on this, that, and the other thing.”
3. Consider the value of real-time communication
4. If a student doesn’t ask you for regular synchronous meetings, you might want to (especially if the student seems “stuck”). Personally, I find this schedule helpful: every other week pre-proposal and then weekly during data collection and analysis, then as every other week while writing chapter 5 and up until the defense. These can be 10–15-minute meetings but can save MONTHS.
5. Invest in yourself. Your students need you. Learn how to do this in a super simple way here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/6988105
“Reaching out to embrace the random, reaching out to embrace whatever may come” Tool
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Get The Happy Doc Student Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578333732
Other resources at: http://Expandyourhappy.com
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