Just over a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Eastern Communication Association
in Cambridge, MA where I attended a session on graduate education. Eventually the conversation veered towards how to support doctoral students towards completion of their dissertations. Some of the ideas I have shared here were reiterated there; one highlight for me was the idea about creating structure after comprehensives/preliminaries/qualifying exams to enable students to make progress on the dissertation.
One professor shared how in their program, they have created due dates and deadlines by which students should submit various portions of their dissertation. Others felt this might be too structured for some students, particularly if those deadlines are created by the program. In some programs, the most important deadline is the defense date in order to graduate by a particular end-of-semester (e.g. must defend by end of March to graduate in May).
I think there is a way to create a structure that supports your efforts at writing your dissertation. It is to create a plan in cooperation with your dissertation advisor. That plan should include due dates for major sections of your dissertation. The easiest way to do that is to start with your intended graduation date, then work backwards to determine when you have to defend, when you have to submit the completed document for committee review, when you need to submit each chapter/major section, etc.
Once you come up with your plan, introduce it into your daily, weekly and monthly calender. That is, ensure that there are periods of your calender dedicated to achieving your dissertation goals. As many writing coaches will tell you, the best way to achieve your writing goals is to write daily. Waiting until you have huge chunks of time to write especially if you also have a busy work and family life is often not effective. Off course there may be seasons when you can dedicate entire days and even weeks to writing...but that is often the exception rather than the rule.
As much as it depends on you, work that plan! When life happens (as it often does), then revise your plan accordingly. Be sure to keep your advisor abreast of your progress and any changes. Like you, your advisor quite possibly works on schedule, so any changes to your schedule affects hers. Be courteous by keeping her informed. If you cannot meet a particular deadline, inform your advisor in good time so she too can adjust her schedule.
When you achieve a milestone (such as complete a chapter, or data collection, or defense), reward yourself. Do not wait until the very end to reward yourself, do it along the way. This will keep you motivated and energized along the journey.
As always, all the best. Comments and questions welcome.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
An Ode to the first African woman to earn a PhD in East and Central Africa
Voice and leadership: AN ODE to/Portrait of Wangari Maathai
(I read this poem at the Wangari Maathai celebration event: Brooklyn College CUNY, March 28th, 2012. I wrote this poem in the spring of 2011, I had no idea Professor Maathai was struggling with ovarian cancer. She passed away in September 2011, I added the last stanza after I heard about her passing.)
Miriam Wangari
Mary Josephine Wangari
Mary Josephine Wangari Muta
Wangari Muta
Wangari Muta Mathai
Wangari Muta Maathai
You have been known by many names
Names imposed on you
Names you imposed on yourself
Names you earned by marriage
“I am not an object
the name of which
can change with every new owner”
I now pronounce myself
Wangari Muta Maathai
Once and for all!
Inspiring
A story of courage
Conflict
Conviction
A story of strength
Serendipity
Sagacity
A story of adversity
Advantages
Admonition
Courage to pursue your dreams
As serendipity placed you
In the right place at the right time
Courage to stick to your convictions
As fate placed before you
Insurmountable challenges
Divorce
Jail
Job loss
Jail
Broke
Jail
Hunger strike
Jail
How many academics
Have left the ivory tower
For the grassroots struggle?
How many
After working so hard
To earn tenure and promotion
To gain equality of the sexes
On university campus
Would take that fight to the street
Just when all seems to have settled
Getting your braids
Cut off
Pulled out
Piled with dirt
In the search for justice
Persistence
That ought to be your ‘anglo’ name
I now baptize you
Persistent
Resilient
Resourceful
Radical
Mother
Through struggle
Release political prisoners
Hunger strike with the mothers
Getting strength from motherhood
In the midst of personal
Political
Struggles
Pioneer
First woman to earn a PhD
1971 was a very good year
Yet
Not celebrated
Not even a small article
In the local dailies
Long journey to success
Divorced
Because you were apparently
Too strong
Too educated
Too successful
Too stubborn
Too hard to control
1979 was a very bad year!
“My greatest claim to fame
Was that I was married
To a man who was getting rid of me”
Publicly
Loudly
Media circus
Were they making an example of you?
Lest any woman
Should decide
To be strong
Educated
Successful
More than her owner/husband!
1982 was a very tough year
Failed attempt
At running for parliament
Road blocked
By government
On whose wrong side
You’d found yourself
Lost university job too
No home
No job
No money
Professor Resilient
Never give up
Never give in
Rise from the ashes
Like a phoenix
Focus on Greenbelt Movement
And National Council of Women of Kenya
Leading both
To success
In the midst of
Financial struggles
And rise up
Lead
Political struggles notwithstanding
2002 was a very good year
Entry into parliament
But alas, assistant minister for environment?
What the *&^%!
Why on earth?
After all the sustainability leadership
You’d already demonstrated,
Assistant &^%$ minister?
2004 was the best year of your life!
First African woman
Nobel Laureate!
Then the celebrations
Reverberated
Through university
City
Country
Continent
And the world!
Success
The sweetest revenge
No need to raise arms
Instead
The sweet smell of success
Is now your legacy
Success
To wipe away the tears
To swipe away the sneers
Of those who placed barriers
In your path
At university
In government
In [un]civil society
Success
Now they call you great
Honorable
Nobel Laureate
Professor
Mother
Activist
Global leader
Africa’s hope
Wangari Muta Maathai
Gone way too soon
We were not ready for your sudden departure
We were not prepared for you to leave us yet
But
You have fought the good fight
You have won the race
Now rest
We will pick up where you left off
In our universities and city halls
Our colleges and communities
Our parliaments and political parties
Until justice as you envisioned it
Becomes reality for all
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