Dissertation Institute– Dr. CV’s Writing Cluster 2020
BY DR. CARTER-VEALE MAY 6, 2020
AUTHOR: DR. CARTER-VEALE
Dissertation Coach, Motivational Speaker, Professor, Evaluator
You made it. Congratulations on making it to this year’s Dissertation Institute.
The Dissertation Institute provides a week-long opportunity for you to work on your dissertation or dissertation proposal. In this week-experience, you will be able to build new writing habits, work on your dissertation or dissertation proposal, enhance your motivation for your doctoral process, and learn skills that will help you make progress in your dissertation.
Welcome to your Dr. CV’s Writing Cluster Accountability Group
In the era of COVID 19 where we are all at home possibly sheltering in place, we still have goals that we want to accomplish. With the COVID-19 coronavirus wreaking havoc across the world, for instance, Ph.D. completion provides universities with the opportunity to participate in a virtual Dissertation Writing accountability writing space. As part of Dr. Carter’s Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished (TADA!) program and the Dissertation House at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), we have always had an online component for graduate students across the globe who could not participate face to face.
The goal of the Writing Clusters is to help you reflect on your writing experiences during the week. As a group, you will check in on Zoom Tues, and Thurs (A.M. & P.M.) and Fridays (A.M.).
I would also like to meet with each of you one on one. As a dissertation coach and Writing Cluster facilitator, I focus on helping students with:
Creating strategies for writing
Setting realistic goals
Setting timelines
Managing the relationships with their advisor, family, and friends
Daily planning for writing activities
To participate in this blog, you will be asked to blog twice daily at the start of the day and the end of the day. On the first day, you will be asked to post answers to the following questions:
What will you work on?
How much time will you spend days working on it?
Tell us how much progress you are making, or what challenges you are having.
At the end of everyday plan what you want to accomplish the following day
Break down your tasks into bite-size manageable chunks and make a list and post that list in a public space like on the blog.
Make a daily commitment to work on your proposal, thesis, or dissertation. Set aside a reasonable amount of time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes a day.
Work within your limitations . . . if you are a morning person by all means make yourself some coffee and spend 15 minutes with your dissertation before everyone else rises . . . if you are a night owl . . . turn the TV off 15 minutes earlier and write for 15 minutes.
Celebrate small victories when you accomplish your tasks for the day. Spend the rest of the day guilt-free enjoying your break knowing that you have done something (no matter how small) on your dissertation.
Whatever you do, don’t spend the week constantly worrying and saying to yourself ‘I really should be working’. Above all, do something daily to move your document forward. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Questions, Comments, or Concerns?
