This is undoubtedly one of the good days of my doctoral career—one that I think I’ll remember forever. Today’s the day my proposal defense is set!
It Feels so Real
To be honest, nothing particularly grand has happened. I simply confirmed my proposal date and sent the Zoom information to all of my committee members and some of the folks in my cohort.
But, everything feels so real now!
I’ve been thinking about the day I would defend my proposal for so long and it’s finally here!
It’s not the very big day when I’ll be defending my actual dissertation, but it is a huge milestone that brings me one step closer.
I honestly can’t believe it…
Everything Leading up to This Moment
I feel like I’ve put in so much work leading up to this moment. It’s been a long journey: from all the classes I’ve taken to the countless articles and pages I’ve written, I’m amazed at how far I’ve come.
To think that it’s kind of just getting started is kind of insane!
This, though, this current moment in time, is one for reflection. While I’m tempted to look to the future and think about how much work awaits me, I think it’s important for me to reflect on everything that has led to this moment.
I have grown and learned so much from that day when I was just interviewing for a spot in the program.
Reflecting on all the valuable skills I’ve learned as a doctoral student brings me so much joy and appreciation.
The ability to critically engage thoughts and ideas has been by far the most impactful.
I used to read news or books and, in many ways, take it as the truth. But being a PhD student has taught me the importance of asking critical questions and formulating my own opinions from an informed perspective. This, no doubt, will serve me for the rest of my life.
I’ve also learned how to be more organized and manage multiple projects at once. While part of this skill has come from simultaneously working a full-time job, my time as a student has certainly accelerated it.
Grateful
I don’t want this to sound like an Acknowledgments section of a book or dissertation, but I can’t help but think how grateful I am to the people who have played a role in me getting to the point where my proposal defense is set.
First and foremost, Brittany, the person who stood quiet when I spent all of my weekends reading and writing for class. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for her to play second to my studies, and she did for a few years—for that, I will always be incredibly grateful.
I’m also grateful to Vicenta Shepard who played such a pivotal role in encouraging me to pursue the program!
I’ll stop it there. Not because there isn’t more people I’d like to acknowledge my gratitude to, but more so because I still have to write the actual dissertation!
Next Steps After Proposal Defense
As far as next steps go, I need to first get my IRB accepted. After that, I’m off to recruit participants and collect data!
I’m optimistic about my goal to finish my dissertation in 8 months. Worst comes to worst, I’ll have to push graduation back one semester and then I’ll have an extra 4 months to complete the dissertation.
I will keep everyone posted, as always.
In the meantime, let me know where you are in your doctoral studies.
Did you just defend your dissertation? Are you just starting? Just thinking about pursing a doc degree?
Let me know in the comments below!
‘Till Next Time Travel Friends
