New beginnings

Today is the first day of fall quarter and a new beginning. Think about your elementary school days and the excitement of a new box of crayons and jar of paste. Just like those beginnings, you too have the chance to begin again with a fresh commitment to your dissertation and new resolve.

Start with laying out your quarter week by week and make yourself a specific goal for each week. Be sure to include any family or work commitments. Consider, given your weekly commitments what can you get done in a given week? How many articles can you read and take notes on? How many pages can you write? If you are new to the dissertation process, talk to your chair about what he or she thinks is reasonable. If you do this planning carefully, you will have a realistic quarter plan. Think of it as syllabus, of things you need to accomplish each week for your course. Follow your plan, make it a priority, and make some great progress this quarter!

Next time I will post an updated blog index. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu