Dissertation Coach

  PH.D. DROPOUT RATE?

The Chronicle of Higher Education

"No comprehensive national statistics are available, but studies suggest that the attrition rate for Ph.D. programs is 40 percent to 50 percent…Women drop out at a higher rate than men. Minority students leave at a higher rate than white students do. Americans drop out more often than international students. And students leave humanities and social-science programs at a higher rate than those in the sciences" (Smallwood, 2004).

  ABD? Tired of being stigmatized by those three letters?  Then set the wheels in motion today and in just one year you could already be celebrating the successful defense of your dissertation!

  People from many different walks of life, some against all odds, are able to complete their dissertations, so there is absolutely no reason why you cannot. Really, no reason at all. No matter what stage of life you have reached, you can finish your dissertation. 

Why can I help you?

I have written my dissertation and received my doctorate recently, so I am still able to relate to all your frustrations, fears, doubts, and the like. I have not forgotten the ins and outs of such a daunting process.

Do not wait for the perfect place, the perfect moment, to start writing every day. Just sit down and type. That is exactly what I had to do. I could not afford to wait until inspiration struck; otherwise, I still wouldn't have finished my dissertation!

I really believed I did not have the ideal environment for doing such significant writing. And the truth is, most of us do not, but still, it needs to get done!

We lived in a one-bedroom apartment with our daughter, who at the time was almost a year and a half old. During her naps, I would write the parts that required the greatest amount of critical thinking, and when she was up I would write the least challenging parts. Before writing my dissertation, I used to be one of those students who could never study with the TV or music on, or with any other kind of noise. It had to be absolutely quiet for me to be able to concentrate. But this time I had no choice, if I wanted to be done fast. In fact, even though every day I heard the neighbors' loud TV, and every weekend I heard the thumping music from parties in the back of the building, or simply the talking of visitors at our place, I just sat down and wrote. And, do not forget, with a little child in the house, things can easily get out of control! On top of it all, I did not have a proper desk and wrote most of the dissertation on our dinner table. What saved me was a file cabinet I kept under it, which I had to constantly lock in order to prevent my daughter from opening it and decorating the entire living room with articles.

The good news is that I still like writing and I have now learned to shut out any distractions and just type.

We all agree this is no easy process, but it is feasible. Do not give up. And remember to give yourself daily rewards for daily efforts that you make toward the completion of your work. Simple rewards such as "if I finish reading this article and summarize it by a specific time (which you predetermine), then I can have a break and do some leisure reading, watch the end of a game (no, not all of it!), or chat with a friend (keep it short, though).

Motivation is critical during long-lasting projects.

I can help you keep yourself highly invested and make this demanding journey more bearable and most importantly, I can help you cross the finish line.

Free Consultation

* By calling or sending an email today, you are already getting a step closer to completing your dissertation! Set up an appointment for your first consultation. It's free. It's worth a try.
 
* During a 30-minute free session you can assess whether teaming up with me, Dr. Simonne Pollini, as your dissertation coach, will help you reach your goals.