Happy New Year. So far, 2008's been characterized principally by my hangover. But that's all going to change, because my New Year's resolution is to work like a motherfucker. I swear to God, this is the year I finish my dissertation.
Who's with me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Oh yeah. Morning of the first day of the new year, already at work. This is the year!
I don't know - this seems like risky business. When I didn't get any interviews at least I could say, "Well, yeah, it's no big surprise - I haven't finished my dissertation, after all." But with a finished dissertation, what am I supposed to do - take full responsibility for the rejections? That's clearly a bad option. Thus, it's probably best to just ride this grad student thing out. And I know what you're thinking - that I'll have to take responsibility for not finishing the dissertation. But don't be ridiculous - that's obviously my advisor's fault!
I finished within the last couple months. I feel better, but I'd'd felt better with an interview or two.
I'm with you on the Dissertation finished this year... In my case, 1 year from now I want a complete draft --- Then Dr. Advisor can take his time to pick at it...
Just finish it. Here are some things I was told about finishing the diss that turned out to be true.
First, don't try to make the diss perfect; just make it done. The diss isn't your final statement on any issue, just proof that you're up to speed on a conversation and know it well enough to make an original contribution to it.
Second, and following the first point, within months you will look at your diss and realize it contains several mistakes, wrong moves, whatever. This is actually a good thing. You aren't going to solve any significant philosophical problem in your diss. And, in any case, if your diss left you with nothing more to say on some problem/issue, what would you do to get tenure?
Third, after you're done, you will look at your diss and ask yourself, "why did that take so long?" You'll probably think, as many do, that you could have turned that in six months ago. So just do it.
Fourth, you will feel unbelievably good when you finally finish the damn thing. This is true. I didn't believe it, so I was surprised at how great it felt to turn in the final draft.
Good luck. For most of us, it really was worth the trouble.
Post a Comment