CHAPTER 1

SECTION 1

Intention Is everything

Knowing Yourself and Your Support System

What is your purpose for taking this journey?Pursuing a Doctorate or a Ph.D is a hugeundertaking. The journey requires dedication,a commitment of your time and energy, and asupport system. Understanding why you arechoosing to take the journey at this time providesclarity, purpose, and definition. Identifying thesemain concepts enables you to complete yourcourse study work and research that leads to thefinal product: your dissertation. Having a supportsystem enables you to go the extra mile whenyour energies are low and other commitmentsare competing for your time. You need to thankthose in your support system regularly. They willbe undertaking responsibilities that belong toyou while you are setting aside time to completeyour doctoral journey. Most universities requireattendance at one or more residencies where youwill be away from home for several consecutivedays. During your residency experiences, you needto thank your employer and your family membersfor understanding how important it is for you to begone and to carry on without you.

Success and Failure

The attitude and mind-set you bring along onyour journey plays a role and affects yoursuccess or failure. The work and commitmentneeded for an advanced degree is determinedmostly by your attitude and mind-set. You need tobe ready to change your life enough to completethe challenges of the doctoral program. The workneeded to complete the doctoral or Ph.D journeyis not always hard, but should be looked at froma perspective that allows you to reinvent andretool your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Thecontributions and efforts you put forth during theprocess will be the end result of what is returned.Therefore, if you have a poor attitude during theprocess, the journey will be difficult and will result indelays. Even with the best of attitudes, you shouldexpect delays. The best of plans do not always goas expected. LIFE HAPPENS! When unexpectedthings happen, inform your instructors and yourcounselors. They are there to help you throughunexpected events.

Achieving success during your journeydepends on your ability to have an open mind,to use your instructors' knowledge and expertiseto your advantage while examining what yourcurrent knowledge, skills, and abilities are thatenables you to enhance them to your advantageand benefit. Another concept of success is to beopen to feedback and to ensure you do not takefeedback personally but use it as a developmentaltool. Almost everyone starting out on the journeyto becoming a doctor believes he or she is acompetent writer. You will soon learn the writingyou have done in the past is quite different fromthe writing expected in the doctoral/PhD program.You should expect a lot of feedback on how andwhat you write. Feedback is provided to move youcloser to the goal of becoming a doctor. Acceptingthe feedback often requires a thick skin. You willbegin to think nothing you write is ever going tobe good enough. Feedback is provided to helpyou succeed. As you move through the program,do not assume what you have done in the past oralready think you know is going to be sufficient inthe doctoral program. Make sure you understandeach instructor's expectations. Ask questionswhen you are unclear about assignments. Prepareyourself to get work returned covered in red ink.Remember not all instructors are equal—not allare "gems." Not every residency experience willbe great. Prepare for experiencing the good andthe bad.

The opposite of success is failure. Failure isnot being open to what is taught and is more likelyif you have a preconceived notion that does notallow you to increase your knowledge, skills, andabilities. Failure means not taking the feedbackprovided by your instructors, mentor/dissertationchair, and committee members as a personal attackrather than using it for personal and professionaldevelopment. You must be open to learn from failureand not use it as a blanket to shield yourself andhide, which results in the stagnation of personaland professional development and growth.

Survival

The doctoral or Ph.D journey requires self-discipline,organization, and self-motivation.If you are a procrastinator, this process will betimely and costly, and loss of motivation may setin. While you reflect on why you are undertakingthis journey, create sentences of inspiration; writeyour dreams out so they may serve as a reminderof why you are on this journey. Speak with peopleyou know who have completed the journey. Thisprocess will serve to re-inspire you when yourenergy is low and you are losing steam or when theend does not seem to be in sight. Remind yourselfwhile on the journey that the journey is a processof continual learning.

You must be patient with yourself, even whenfrustration creeps in. Buddy up with others inyour program and form a support group. A schoolsupport system will allow you to collaborate withothers who are going through the process and canshare their experience and how they overcameroadblocks. The support system will also motivate,encourage, and cheer you on when life seemsto get in the way. Remember to also take timefor yourself and rejuvenate as needed. There aregoing to be times you should put your work downand walk away from it for a few days. Let yourmind clear. Allow your mind to run free every sooften. This allows for creativity to take place anddecreases stress as you complete the coursework leading up to your research and the creationof your masterpiece (your dissertation). After allelements are in place, you are ready to moveforward with a journey that will change who youare. Good luck!

CHAPTER 2

SECTION 2

Research

Allow Vulnerabilities to Show

Allowing your vulnerabilities to show providesyou with an opportunity to ask questions andobtain responses regarding school policies andprocedures, their program(s) if you are unsure ofthe program you want to enroll in, tuition and othercosts, length of program, and requirements foradmission and enrollment in classes. It is importantto research the school in which you are hoping toenroll. Speak to other people who have attended theuniversity you are considering. Talk to people whohave successfully completed a doctoral program andsome who were not successful. Learn as much asyou are able about the institution and its educationallearning platforms such as ground, online classes,or a combination of the two. There may be differentcriteria for ground classes meeting days and onlineparticipation. In addition, do a comparison on thedifferent types of programs the institution hasavailable if you are unsure of the program that isbest for you. Comparing programs may help withand result in selecting a program that is best suitedto your preference and future goal; this method mayalso help you to select the best program for yourcurrent and possibly future needs. Find out if it ispossible to change programs if you feel you shouldhave enrolled in a program different from the oneyou are in. During your research, find out about theenrollment process, if an exam is required, and howmany credits are needed to complete the program.Investing in a Doctorate or Ph.D is a huge financialinvestment. Ensure the program you select is in linewith your career and advancement opportunities.After you have concluded your research, write outany questions you may have and pose them to yourenrollment counselor (EC). The initial EC you workwith while enrolling may be your counselor duringthe program.

Form Relationships (Enrollment Counselor,Academic Counselor, and Financial AidCounselor)

The purpose of an EC is to provide you withneeded information regarding the enrollmentprocess, the criteria for acceptance into the program,the credits needed for completing the program, thecourses, and the length of the program. The ECwill be your go-to person, use his or her knowledgeto make your initial decisions about whether youhave chosen the right university and right programat that university. If the school's website does notanswer particular questions, direct it to your EC.Forming a relationship with your EC will be the startof the road to your success in the program. It is theresponsibility of the EC to provide answers to anyquestions you may have regarding the school, itspolicy, enrollment, class structure, course work,instructors, and other vital information regardingyour program of choice. In addition to sourcingand referencing your EC for information, anotherindividual who plays a role in your success in theprogram will be your academic counselor (AC).Your AC provides in-depth information regardingthe courses and course expectations. Ask yourAC what is the grade requirement needed to avoidrepeating a class. Your AC can also provide youwith a list of classes you need to complete theprogram. The goal of the EC and AC is to ensureyou succeed in the program of your choice. It is notuncommon for students to have a change in theirAC sometime during the course of the program. Ifyou do change AC's, get to know your new AC asquickly as possible. The bond students make withtheir AC is very important in having success in adoctoral program.

It is important to source and reference your ECand AC, as they are a great source of information.If the institution course work is on ground and in aclassroom, find out how many nights a week youare to be present in class and find out how manyabsences you are allowed to avoid being releasedfrom the class and program. If the institutioncourse work is online, find out how many daysyou are responsible for logging in and posting tothe discussion board. Find out the participationrequirements, as the setting does not offer face-to-faceinteraction as ground classes do. If youare new to the online education environment, askabout workshops. The workshops will expose youto the online environment and may help you decidewhat works best for your schedule as you jugglehome, work, and family responsibilities. If you areuncertain or unclear about anything, ask your ACfor help. That is their job. Once you begin classes,ask questions of your instructors if you are notclear about their expectations. You need to alsounderstand that instructors are usually advisedto not give ADVICE to students. Instructors willanswer questions pertaining to their classes, butnot your program. This process and experiencemay further assist in determining which approachlearning atmosphere is best: online or groundenvironment.

Another individual who is there to assist youis your financial aid counselor. This individual willassist you with applying for financial aid. He orshe can explain the process and procedure ofreturning excess funds and assist with reading andunderstanding your financial documents. Your FCcan assist in the event you need to apply for aleave of absence (LOA) while you await feedbackregarding your proposal or dean's feedback. Asmentioned earlier it is not uncommon for studentsto have a change in their FC sometime during theirprogram. If you do change FC's, get to know yournew FC as quickly as possible.

The contributions, knowledge, and expertisethat enrollment, academic, and financial aidcounselors can provide are invaluable. Theirpurpose is to provide guidance and clarity as youmake your decision regarding which route is bestfor your educational needs as you pursue yourDoctorate or Ph.D. It would be beneficial to sourceand reference these individuals to your advantage.A checklist has been included as a helpful reminderof items that you may want to keep in mind for yourdiscussion with any of these experts.

Checklist for Section 2

[] Have I chosen the right university anddoctoral program to attend?

[] Do I know the tuition or per credit coursecost?

[] Are the course materials included in mytuition?

[] Is there an exam required prior to enrollingwith the institution of my choice?

[] Which learning environment works best forme ground classes or online learning?

[] Are workshops able if I am new to the onlinelearning environment?

[] Who is my enrollment counselor?

[] Who is my academic counselor?

[] Who is my financial aid counselor?

CHAPTER 3

SECTION 3

Year 1

Understanding and Finding Your Focus

You are now enrolled and starting to take yourfirst class. It is common for new doctoralstudents to be both excited and nervous. Youare likely to get feedback different from any youhave gotten in previous degree programs. Writingat the doctoral level is quite different from writingexpectations in previous degree programs. Thefeedback you get about your writing and the kindof research support you have used or not used canbe unnerving. Don't be afraid to ask instructorswhat advice they have to improve your doctorallevel writing. Your doctoral level writing abilitywill improve once you have taken a few classes.You will get more comfortable and become moreaware of the requirements, whether your classesare on ground (in a classroom setting) or online.Do not let the amount of feedback and the higherexpectations discourage you.

Now that you are in the flow of the program, itis time to be attentive to the instructors you havehad in previous classes and your current class.Awareness of past and current instructors willaid you in creating a listing of plausible mentors/dissertation chairs as you embark on writing yourproposal and dissertation. At the very least youneed to develop a relationship with each instructorthat will allow you to ask them for suggestions ofinstructors who might be available to become amember of your doctoral committee.

Mentor/Dissertation Chair Selection

The mentor/dissertation chair will be the individualwho will guide you through the process of writingyour proposal. At most universities the proposalconsists of Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Your dissertationchair will be the person to tell you how you submityour written drafts. If you are attending an on groundprogram, you could be asked to meet with yourfull committee in person to get approval for eachchapter. The same could be true for the online/onground programs as it pertains to gaining approvalfor each chapter. If you are in an online program,it is likely you will get approval for your chaptersfrom your mentor/dissertation chair before you sendyour draft to the other committee members for theirreview and comments. Because different universitydoctoral programs have different procedures, youneed to have careful guidance from your mentor/chairperson and/or your academic counseloronce you start to write your first chapter. At mostuniversities, you will be writing your proposal orsubsequent full dissertation at the same time youare taking other program classes. This means youneed to adjust your schedule to allow more time tocomplete all the required work.

Your mentor/dissertation chair will further assistyou with completing your proposal and writing thelast two chapters 4 and 5 to complete your product.Although rare, some doctoral programs require aChapter 6. This is something you need to ask aboutas early as possible when deciding which universityor which program you want to attend. Making contactearly with potential committee members is essential,as mentors/dissertation chairs may be limited to acertain number of mentees. If you have an instructoror instructors in mind, make contact by sending ane-mail regarding your interest in having him or herserve as your mentor/dissertation chair. Ask yourprospective mentor/dissertation chair about theprocedure for selecting him or her to assist you withpreparing your proposal and dissertation. Once youhave successfully secured a mentor/dissertationchair, find out the best method of contact is e-mailor telephone. Also, discuss the best time of dayfor contact and interaction. If you are in an onlineprogram, you need to keep in mind your mentor/chairperson may be anywhere in the world. Youdo not want to call a mentor/chairperson in themiddle of the night because you did not realize theywere multiple time zones away from you. Considerestablishing a written contract between you andyour chairperson. The contract should outline theexpectations of each of you relative to how oftento communicate, expectations for timeline for workcompletion, turnaround time for feedback, just tomention a few items typically found in dissertationchair/student contracts.

It is also a good time to think about yourdissertation topic, problem statement, andspecific problem that you are wanting to research.In addition to providing information about yourproposed dissertation topic, expect to be asked tosubmit something you have written to a potentialmentor/dissertation chair. Knowing this will furtheradd depth to your initial conversation with yourmentor/dissertation chair, whether it is via e-mail ortelephone. In your proposal, you will be discussingyour problem statement, purpose of your study, themethodology that you intend to use, and tentativeresearch question(s). The problem of your study willbe the driver of your research paper. Everything elsemust be in alignment with the problem statement.After your mentor/dissertation chair has approvedyour problem and purpose statements, you havenow established the focus of your research.