How I did it: I started graduate school in 2000 and just now submitted the final version of my PhD dissertation.  It was quite the whirlwind experience.  I started research around 2002 and started writing up the dissertation in 2005.  However, in 2006, I was getting panicked about finding a job after grad school.  I didn't work on my stuff enough while I was applying to place after place.  In 2006, I found a job, but I had only written maybe three of my six chapters (of which I had to completely rewrite two later).

High school teaching completely overwhelmed me and I got nothing done in the fall of 2006 or spring of 2007.  In the first summer off I had, I again failed to finish, although I plugged away at it and did versions of a few more chapters.  At the end of my second summer, I had what I felt was a workable draft of the whole thing.  However, I was told my literature review needed serious revisions and the rest needed touchups.  Over the end of my third school year and the past summer, I rewrote the whole lit review and finished up the rest.

On August 6 of this year, I gave my defense talk, which I passed.  However, I was given a few hours worth of revisions and additions.  As of today, I've finished them and submitted the final product.  Pending school acceptance of my formatting (which shouldn't be a problem), I am all set and will have a PhD officially by the end of the year (finishing in late August means your diploma is for the fall semester).

I am basically the poster child for a procrastinating graduate student who did not manage his time wisely and took 3-4 years longer than he should have.

The summary of all this is that I finished by slowly plugging away over a very long period of time until everything was done.  Most graduate school writing experiences boil down to this:  just keep persisting until you are done.

Lessons & tips:

• Keep at it and don't give up.
• Get to a point in your writing where the feeling of disappointment
  you'd feel if you didn't finish outweighs your desire to quit.  This is the "sunken cost effect" from psychology... use it to your advantage!
• Don't EVER (unless you absolutely must financially) take a job that distracts you from finishing.  Worry about employment when you're
  
  done.  I consider my decision to start work before finishing the biggest mistake I've made in my life.  It resulted in three years of being frustrated and hateful toward myself.
• Use any support system you have (friends, coworkers, advisors) as much as you can.
• Ask around... no matter how bad it gets, there are other grad students you can talk to that can commiserate and give advice and encouragement.

Resources: My advisor and research group
My family and friends
A supportive girlpal

Aug 23, 02:12PM PDT | 2 comments | 4 cheers