This article was updated on Feb. 23, 2026 If you feel like you’ve completely emptied your tank toward your PhD, you’re not alone. After all, depending on the discipline, around 30-40% of PhD candidates never complete their program. So kudos to you for making it this far! Submitting your dissertation is the final hurdle, which […]
The process of how to formulate a research question is daunting for many graduate students — and for good reason. One of the cornerstones of any research endeavor is the formulation of a strong, clear, and concise thesis research question. It serves as a guiding star for your research project. It also provides direction, defining
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You’ve worked tirelessly for years, finally producing your full dissertation and submitting it to your committee with positive results. Now you stand on the brink of one of your most significant milestones: your dissertation defense. This momentous event signifies the culmination of your hard work and the gateway to your future academic and professional career.
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As a graduate student preparing for your thesis or dissertation research, you may feel overwhelmed by the first significant hurdle — identifying a research topic. From idea conception, to finding a suitable supervisor, conducting the academic literature search, writing your proposal, and preparing for the dissertation defense, completing your doctorate may feel like a daunting task. The
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As Ph.D. students, one of the first—and arguably most crucial steps in your research journey is performing an effective academic literature search. While it might seem daunting given the vast ocean of scholarly publications and databases available, a well-executed literature search can provide you with the insights and resources needed to frame your research question,
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Back to school already, where did the time go?! Even if you’re well rested and ready for the new school year (which I never was at the end of the summer, by the way!), it can be tough picking up where you left off with your writing. You’ve likely lost some of the momentum that
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One of the main tools that boosted my productivity when I was earnestly trying to write my dissertation was a writing group. Despite having written countless papers, reviews, and articles in the past, I found myself frozen and overwhelmed when facing the prospect of writing a whole dissertation. Instead of trying to write something, anything,
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Having worked with countless graduate students nearing the end of their doctoral career over the years, I am often struck by how uninformed they are about the dissertation submission process. This ignorance is generally through no fault of their own; as things often do in graduate school, the details about this part of the dissertation
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Finding the Antidote to Graduate School Senioritis By Katrina Oko-Odoi While I have shared my number one secret for dissertation writing success already, finding an antidote to that vexing feeling of senioritis—of the graduate school variety—is another story altogether. I admit that I have struggled with the terrible habit of procrastination throughout my graduate
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I went to middle school and high school in New York City and one of my favorite places to visit was (and still is) the Museum of Natural History (by the way, the movie “Night at the Museum” does not do its magnificent exhibits justice). A very memorable exhibit is the “Evolutionary Clock” which compresses
Evolution of Your Thesis: The Last Fifteen Minutes by Dora Farkas Read More »