I don’t write about work. First off, there’s this little thing called FERPA, and it means that the federal government doesn’t like it if you release information about students. Especially if it isn’t directly related to that student’s education. Since my job is nothing but working with students, this can be problematic. Writing about work is a good way to get your butt fired. Your boss, I bet, wouldn’t like it if you wrote about the bad things going on in the office, or about how you goof off when they’re not looking.
I have three things going for me in this post, however. I am not writing about any particular student. Also, I love my job, and feel no need to bad-mouth it or my co-workers. Finally, if there is any goofing off that goes on in our office—like the occasional Friday afternoon joke off—our boss is well aware. We tend to include her in those things.
She’s pretty darn funny. All of my co-workers are pretty darn funny.
I advise doctoral and online master’s students. That’s my main job. I also teach online each semester.
By the way—this is not the place to bash online students or learning. My students are engaged, active, and smart. Smarter than me. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have learned from them. They are in graduate school, receiving the same level of education as our on-campus students. They are engaged in research at the same time that they are working fulltime and taking care of their families. They receive awards on their theses, or present papers at our field’s conferences. Most of them are either looking to become newsroom editors, public relations directors, or tenured instructors. Shoot, many of them are already teaching undergraduates. If you don’t believe me that online learning can be just as good as face-to-face learning, read the US Dept. of Education meta-analysis from 2009, and keep your comments off this blog!
Okay, I’m down off the soapbox.
So, back to the main topic of this post. I advise doctoral students. And I love my job.
One of the many milestones of a doc student’s life is the comprehensive exam. Basically, you must, in some format or another, show your committee that you know everything you need to know to start writing that dissertation. Think of it as background research on steroids. Our exam process is middle of the road—not a take home exam (on the easier side of the continuum) and it is not an oral examination in front of the entire department (on the harder side of the continuum).
And yet, it is a big milestone. It intimidates the students. They come to me seeking advice (perhaps because I am the person that administers the comps), and since it is my job to give it to them, it is my goal to make them feel better about the whole process.
No one wants to be tested on two years worth of coursework and a semester’s worth of readings while you are fighting the overwhelming urge to vomit in the nearest trashcan.
What I have realized is that the advice I give students—the stuff that really sets their minds at ease—is the same type of stuff that all of us could use in everyday life. In fact, we should be using this stuff in everyday life! On that note, I thought it will be helpful share what I share with them—to put out what they—and I—have learned.
10. Bring earplugs:
Okay, so maybe you really can’t bring earplugs everywhere with you. It would be bad to put the earplugs in while the kids are screaming and you are trying to cook dinner. I do fantasize about wearing them in the car with the kids sometimes. But the point of this is, you can tune the world out when you need to. Do you have something going on in your life and you can’t focus on fixing the problem because the background noise is too much? Perhaps you are working towards a goal and the naysayers are trying to dissuade you? Tune ‘em out. You don’t need that.
9. Indulge in coffee and chocolate (and pillow, and blanket, and sweater, and fuzzy socks…):
We only get one life; we might as well enjoy it! Now, I am not recommending that we live for nothing but cocktail parties, expensive dinners, and vacations (now that would wreak havoc on your home economics), but there is nothing out there that says you can’t have some creature comforts during trying times. Trying to deny yourself is not the way to go.
8. Flowchart:
I suggest that each student does this while studying for comps, and then once they read the (previously secret) question. When studying, think about the likely questions from your reading list, and flowchart what you want to say. Think about the potential roadblocks, and the ways you’ll work around them. Then, when you get in there, read the question, and write out what you want to do with it. It helps you keep on task. You can use this on any potential problem in your life. If this, then that. Plan out that plan of attack on the problem. Know where you are going.
7. Talk to your committee members:
Want to know the easiest way to figure out where your comps question may be headed from a particular committee member? Talk to them about it! They are not going to give you the question, but they will be more than willing to talk to you about what you’ve been doing, and that will give you (and honestly, them) a good idea of what the question may be. Why do we, in real life, always make assumptions about how other people in our life are feeling or will react without actually talking to them? Wouldn’t life be a lot easier if we stopped trying to guess what someone else may do and actually talk tot hem about it?
6. Don’t worry about the number of pages:
Seriously. Do not try to compare yourself to the student who can write 20 pages in four hours. Most people cannot type 20 pages in 12 hours. Do your best, and stop sizing yourself up to other people’s standards. If you do your best, you should feel good about what you have done.
5. Take the darn break:
Again, seriously. We all need to step away on occasion. You have the right to walk around and collect yourself. No need to be a martyr.
4. Celebrate your accomplishments:
One of the great things about our students is that they really operate as a cohort. Our students get along well with one another. It’s great to see them cheer each other on during this challenge. Take a moment to accept the cheers and the pats on the back form your loved ones. You are doing something amazing, and it feels good for others to acknowledge you!
3. Don’t be afraid to show off:
I know, I know, I told you not to compare yourself to others, but at the same time, I want you to show the world how amazing you are! I think sometimes we spend too much energy on making ourselves smaller (not wanting to make others feel bad, not wanting to rock the boat). If you know it, and you’re certain, then own it. You should never deny who you are or what you can do because you are afraid that it will make others feel bad.
2. You can fix mistakes:
Don’t freak out if you wrote the wrong thing in the third paragraph on page 7. Your entire life does not depend on that paragraph. Your committee is much more open than that. You also have the chance to defend your answers after you write them. Own up to the mistake (you can’t fix a mistake if you don’t own up to it), and talk about how you would solve it. Everyone, and I mean everyone, makes mistakes.
1. Have fun, darn it:
The one thing I always tell students before they start comps is that after the first question (when the newness of the situation wears off) they will realize that the challenge can be a lot of fun! What, you doubt me? They do too. And then they take the first question, realize that it was not as bad as they had blown it up to be in their heads, and that it can actually be fun. It’s a challenge, and despite the fact that most people won’t admit it, many of us like a challenge. Also, you should be writing your dissertation on something you are really, REALLY, interested in. Your committee should be people who are interested in it as well. Your comps, naturally, should be on topics that really interest you. When else do you get to focus all of your time and energy on exactly what you want to be talking/thinking about?
So there you go. Everything you need to know about comps and a lot of what you can use in life. At least, according to me.
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