(Note: this was written months before it was published due to technological difficulties)
Gosh, things have been busy around here. Busy is not always a bad thing. While we have had a significant amount of work and school tasks to attend to since my last few posts, we have managed to have a good bit of fun during that time as well.
The next few posts I write will be an attempt to recap our spring , summer, and fall 2012. I’ll use my list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days as a way to organize these posts. This post might shed some light on why I haven’t been an active blogger lately.
You may recall one of the posts I wrote last spring about feeling overwhelmed with my Ph.D. studies. This post can serve as an update to that one. Over the last few months I have been able to cross off a few items related to my dissertation study for my doctorate (see the numbered items below). At the time this was originally written, I wasn’t in the clear yet. I still had a long way to go; however, I had overcome a few major hurdles.
I took these pictures on my phone just after I returned to my office from my prospectus meeting with my dissertation committee. I was kind of amazed when I realized I had a draft of a real dissertation and that I had just successfully defended my dissertation prospectus. I am following in my Dr. Mom’s footsteps. I keep a copy of her dissertation in my office to use as a resource. I am so proud to be accomplishing this Ph.D. goal. I hope I have made my mom and my Grandmother Braden (my mom’s mom and my only living grandparent) very proud!
Below is a list of accomplished Ph.D. related goals.
4. Find a theory to use as my conceptual framework for my dissertation
5. Determine appropriate variables to analyze for my dissertation
6. Select a statistical method to analyze data for my dissertation
7. Have my prospectus meeting for my Ph.D.
You may remember that I have a group of friends who also work at UAB and who are experiencing this Ph.D. journey with me – The Dissertation Divas. These three women and I are all seeking our doctorates. One of the dissertation divas, Jennifer, very thoughtfully brought me a card to wish me congratulations on a successful prospectus meeting. Thanks, Jennifer! We did it!
8. Have my proposal (3 chapter) meeting for my Ph.D.
9. Take/pass my Ph.D. comprehensive exam
10. Get Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
The other divas and I managed to accomplish all of these goals around the same time. We treated ourselves to a lunch together and had a sweet tea toast to our accomplishments.
To date, I have completed all of my dissertation coursework (with a 4.0 GPA whoop whoop!), reached the goals stated above, and will soon begin collecting the data for my dissertation research!!!
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(Since I couldn’t publish this post back when it was originally written early last summer, I have added all following school updates below.)
These things were also achieved.
11. Collect data for my dissertation
12. Analyze data for my dissertation
13. Write Chapter 4 of my dissertation
14. Write Chapter 5 of my dissertation
15. Have my private Ph.D. defense with my committee
16. Have my public Ph.D. defense with my committee
17. Graduate with my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership (higher education administration)!!!!!!!!!!!
18. Have my dissertation printed and bound and my Ph.D. degree framed
19. While I am still in school, use each lunch hour to work on some aspect of my dissertation
