I said I’d be blogging about the dissertation process and I’m not stopping with the proposal so here’s a fun one… the life of ABD.

It’s been 2.5 weeks since I finished the diss proposal. I haven’t done much since then, other than the basic functions of life. I wanted to maintain the momentum, but for whatever reason, I am very slow at regaining my prior speed. I hear/see many who take months to get into their dissertation after passing their proposal. Being ABD is both a wonder and a curse.

The reason… no external structure! There are no more classes. None of your peers bugging you about not being proposed, while still hanging out with all the first and second years students (nothing against them but you’re suppose to be farther along). There is NOTHING, NADA, NO MAS structuring your day. This is also the reason why so many DO NOT FINISH once ABD… This cannot and will not be the case. There is too much at stake and too many reasons to keep things moving. I’m going to spell them out so I can keep myself accountable and motivated. I’m outlining the external forces that I am accountable to (we’ll check in a few months to see if this works):

1. I have to start data collection in a month (More on this as soon as I sign on the dotted line).

2. My adviser and committee expect a great deal.

3. I need to look for a job starting next summer. In its current form, the vita will not get me the positions I hope for (especially the publications section). Why do all this work if you can’t get to where you want to go?… I watch too many aim high but fail to put in the required effort (uh, it is a high level, see prior post on “once a runner”, but people still need to know what is required).

4. I’ve always been a “B” student. However, I’m shooting to play in the “A” field. If I want to get there, I better start working like an “A” student.

5. If I don’t start working, rather, just sit here and think about working, I’m going to (1) not get anything done and (2) be upset I didn’t spend that time climbing mountains or doing something else productive (I can’t sit still… as one lovely lady once told me, “Sleeping is for the grave.”).

6. I think it’s finally time to get out of school…

7. My adviser says I can’t climb mountains, compete in any more races, or have  girlfriend until I finish. She said I could have Christmas off, but that is it And Christmas is over. Maybe I should tell her I celebrate Kwanzaa. (On a serious note, if someone like your adviser is going to invest so much time into your future, you owe it to more than just yourself to get it done).

8. My dad keeps asking me if I’ve written the dissertation yet… “should have taken you a week” he says. I don’t think I can take that much longer.

9. I hate the mush and grey that is a State College winter. I need either sun or real snow with real mountains with real skiing. More clearly, I need to get out of Pennsyltuckey.

10. My current hourly wage is about $8.43/hr if you average out the number of expected hours against the graduate stipend. Upon graduation, that should be about 10 fold. Money motivates and what most procrastinating grad students don’t realize is how much they’re throwing away every time they stop to blog.

It starts tomorrow. I’ll be working on once again building the momentum. For the next 8 months it will not be as intense as the proposal, but it will be up there around 80-90%. It has to be.

Saturday, December 26th, 2009 @ 9:47 pm Uncategorized
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