The Doctoral Process (notes from a burned out graduate)

Where do you stand?

A doctoral journey is a systematic process that requires a student to master certain skills through all phases.  For most students the key to success is to stay realistic, ask questions, and seek help when in doubt.  The difficulty level of a doctoral process can be viewed as a bell curve, where the middle stages (proposal writing, and proposal approval) can be most daunting if not planned out properly.   The good news is that since a doctoral process is typically a longitudinal process, spanning between four to ten years, there is always time for a student to take a step back, learn from mistakes, create a new strategy and get things done.  An appropriate level of coaching in the early stage of a doctoral program can potentially save a lot of time and money by facilitating the students to focus on developing the required skills and by getting a head start on next steps.  Coaching can also be acquired at any phase of the program to help students keep moving forward through the process.

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