Back in August, I promised you a post with my line-up of fantastic PhD podcasts for dissertation students - so here it is! In this post, I’ll share six of my favorite research and study podcasts for dissertation students (and don't forget to check out the companion post 10 Essential Dissertation Blogs for Ph.D. Students!) […]

As a coach, I’ve noticed that one of the top pain points my students struggle with is finding the right dissertation supervisor. The right dissertation supervisor can be highly motivating and supporting, while a poor one can make the research and writing processes extremely difficult. Most new students look for a dissertation supervisorwho will be […]

A dissertation is the key piece of researched writing produced at the end of a masters or doctoral program. Before you dive into one of these programs, it’s definitely worth getting familiar with what a dissertation involves! In this article, you’ll learn: What is a Dissertation? As we’ve already seen, a dissertation is the piece […]

If you are feeling frustrated at the thought of writing yet another cover letter for your PhD program application, you are probably not alone. Pretty much everyone hates the tedium of browsing sample cover letters online, reading advice posts about cover letters, staring helplessly at a blank computer screen on which a cover letter has […]

Choosing the right graduate school and program for you can be challenging, but it is only the first half of the battle to becoming a graduate student. The next step is acing the grad school admissions interview. Like any interview, the grad school admissions interview is not easy – it’s not meant to be. However, […]

If you are just starting out on your PhD journey, you may be chomping at the bit to get started and wondering what you can do to feel prepared. If you love books as much as I do, you will almost certainly feel an irresistible urge to start buying dissertation books. Don’t resist – it’s […]

Graduate studies – especially those that require the completion of a dissertation – are not for everyone. So, how do you know if writing a dissertation is the right move for you? Here are my top three pieces of advice. You Need to be Passionate About Something A dissertation takes a LOT of time and […]

The vast majority of coaching students who come to me for help do so because they have just received their dissertation proposal feedback and are overwhelmed by the scope of revisions needed. While it’s practically impossible to avoid revisions altogether, there are some common problems you can look out for while writing to help you […]

When you’ve put in the time and paid the fees for your graduate degree, the pressure to get that last hurdle – the dissertation – right is immense. However, choosing the perfect dissertation topic is not always as straightforward as you would think. If you are struggling to choose a topic for your dissertation, these […]

In my time as a university professor, I’ve listened to hundreds of students expressing frustration about their relationships with their doctoral advisors. Whether the issue is lack of support, unclear explanations about expectations and requirements, or simply a lack of rapport, the underlying cause is nearly always communication failure. You can’t do much to change […]