Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)At first I'd like to say that there are many references out there, online, that one can find about how to excel the PhD years and beyond. However, the author compile it in a very good, organized way, that practically explain how to tackle the common situations during the PhD years.
It's a small, practical book, that you can bring anywhere in your pocket, I recommend this book to all PhD students, alumni, and everyone who is thinking about doing a PhD.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond

This book helps guide PhD students through their graduate student days. Filled with practical advice on getting started, communicating with your supervisor, staying the course, and planning for the future, this book is a handy guide for graduate students who need that extra bit of help getting started and making it through. It concentrates on critical skills and tactics that are overlooked by many other how-to guides.

Get 48% OFF

Click here for more information about Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond

Read More...

Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D. Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a college professor, I am always on the lookout for a good source to help undergraduates who are contemplating getting a Ph.D. as well as to help graduate students succeed in their Ph.D. program. This book is one of the best in this genre I have come across. Although the author is a biologist, it is clear he has done his homework on other disciplines, and his advice is useful for graduate students in any field.
One of the most impressive features of the book is its comprehensive coverage. From improving one's credentials to get into a graduate program to getting a job once you have the Ph.D., Peters has detailed, entertaining advice for all the steps one encounters along the way. Liberally sprinkled through the book are anecdotes from students in a variety of fields that will leave most of us thankful that we did not have the Ph.D. advisors these poor hapless souls did.
Indeed, there were only two aspects I wish the book would have covered but it did not. First, there is no mention of handling coursework in a graduate program. This is probably because coursework and course grades are of much lower priority in graduate school than it is for the undergraduate degree, but I think Peters could have made this point and encouraged readers not to fall into the trap of spending more time on coursework than is warranted.
Second, I wish Peters had devoted more space to talking about getting academic jobs. College-level teaching is still the single most popular career goal for Ph.D.'s, and there are aspects of getting an academic job that are different than applying for jobs in the private sector. I wish he had written a separate chapter on academic jobs.
In a related vein, there was only one piece of advice that Peters give that I flat-out disagreed with, and that was his comment that teaching wastes time and that Ph.D. students should avoid teaching as much as possible. This is true for many Ph.D. students, but it is definitely NOT true for Ph.D. students desiring teaching jobs at 4-year, liberal arts colleges. Those jobs will want to see ample teaching experience, not just as a teaching assistant but also as sole instructor of a course. A student who does not have considerable teaching experience will not be competitive for those jobs, and because there are more of those jobs available than tenure track lines at research universities, taking Peters' advice on that score could be ultimately self-defeating.
However, those are the only negative comments I would make on an otherwise excellent book. I recommend it highly for anybody even contemplating going on beyond an undergraduate degree, and I plan to give copies of it to all my incoming graduate students.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D.

Is graduate school right for you? Should you get a master's or a Ph.D.? How can you choose the best possible school? This classic guide helps students answer these vital questions and much more. It will also help graduate students finish in less time, for less money, and with less trouble. Based on interviews with career counselors, graduate students, and professors, Getting What You Came For is packed with real-life experiences. It has all the advice a student will need not only to survive but to thrive in graduate school, including: instructions on applying to school and for financial aid; how to excel on qualifying exams; how to manage academic politics—including hostile professors; and how to write and defend a top-notch thesis. Most important, it shows you how to land a job when you graduate.

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D.

Read More...

How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book was my "bible" during grad school; it was my "mentor" as I fought to complete my dissertation. As I've counseled graduate students over the years, many have found this book helpful. I wholeheartedly recommend it, despite some of my comments below. Sternberg spent years working as a dissertation counselor, and he knows what he's talking about. Here are some features that I found particularly helpful:
1. This book *is* about survival. Of course, Sternberg could spend more space discussing formatting and other gritty details. This book is more concerned about cutting to the chase -- how to get a Ph.D. in the minimum amount of time, with the minimum amount of damage and the maximum amount of personal and professional growth.
2. It communicates very effectively to us that the process is typically lonely, dangerous, and costly. The process frequently ends badly. Sternberg focuses on practical solutions that carry us through.
3. He anticipates many barriers to completing a dissertation, and provides valuable advice for getting past them. For instance, he discusses issues such as (a) difficult members of the committee, (b) sexual harassment, (c) difficulties staying motivated, and (d) effective (and ineffective) ways to get support from friends, faculty members, and professional counselors. His advice isn't always politically correct (e.g., tolerating sexual harassment), but it reflects the voice of a strongly opinionated, experienced mentor who is aware of worst case scenarios and ways to survive them. In my own case, he was dead on, in various ways. I needed to stay focused on completing my work while tolerating and minimizing the damaging effects of my committee-member-from-hell. I needed to make sure my work was "good enough" while dispensing with the "magnum opus" myth.
I didn't take all of Sternberg's advice. He generally seemed to recommend weeding people out of one's life who were not particularly understanding or supporting of the dissertation focus. He seemed to recommend maintaining a constant focus on getting the work done--just keep working. In my own case, I moved forward when I budgeted plenty of time and psychological energy away from the dissertation. When I conquered workaholic tendencies, the time I actually spent working was much more productive. If I allowed myself time with friends and family who weren't particularly concerned in my dissertation, it was quite energizing. In other words, this is akin to "incubation effects" that one reads about in introductory psychology classes. (e.g., Crick and Watson took plenty of time off to play while discovering the DNA double helix...)
If you feel that your dissertation effort is on the skids despite all your work, I might suggest finding a good dissertation coach (or therapist). Several years ago, I heard a presentation by a dissertation coach in the San Diego area who seemed to be on target. Her site on the web was something like "dissertationdoctor.com" or some such... I'm sure there are others out there.
I wish that Sternberg would publish a new, updated edition of this book, especially now that there are newer competitors on the market.
Final note: If you are shopping for a book on this topic, then get this one. Lots of people have found it to be very helpful; some haven't. For [the money], or so, it is worth the gamble.

Click Here to see more reviews about: How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation

Mastering these skills spells the difference between "A.B.D." and "Ph.D."-refuting the magnum opus myth-coping with the dissertation as obsession (magnificent or otherwise)-the fine art of selecting a topic-writing the dissertation with publication in mind-when to stand your ground and when to prudently retreat if the committee's conception of your thesis differs substantially from your own-dealing with obstructive committee members, and keeping the fences mended-how to reconsider "negative" findings as useful data-reviewing your progress, and getting out of the "dissertation dumps"-defending your paper successfully-distinguishing between mere formalities and a serious substantive challenge-exploiting the career potential of your dissertation-and much, much more

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation

Read More...

Is a PhD for Me? Life in the Ivory Tower: A Cautionary Guide for Aspiring Doctoral Students Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was interested in going back to school to pursue a PhD in a business administration specialty such as accounting or finance due to the fact that after 5 years I felt my career was becoming monotonous and I had the grades and GMAT scores to get into a decent PhD program. Before reading this book, I thought it was something I was definitely going to do, in fact I would say I was 90%-95% certain. After reading this book, I'd say I was close to 98% certain I did not want to go back and pursue a PhD. This book explains what exactly a Phd program entails, as well as what can be expected in the world of academic research/teaching post-Phd. As I would be leaving the corporate/private world and was primarily interested in getting a PhD to enter the world of academia the nature of the academic world post PhD was of primary interest to me, as its often little discussed. Based on the information contained in the book, I realized that the academic world would probably be no more fulfilling to me and offer no better lifestyle to me than the private corporate world, and as such it wouldn't be worth the time or effort of obtaining a PhD.
The only shortfall I saw in the book is the author speaks of his experience earning a PhD at the Wharton School, which is one of the top programs in the nation. I was curious to know if the experience of obtaining a PhD is similar at a smaller less prestigious university less focused on research and more on teaching. Similarly, I was also curious to know what the experience of academia is like at a small liberal arts college or non-prestigious teaching university.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Is a PhD for Me Life in the Ivory Tower: A Cautionary Guide for Aspiring Doctoral Students

Each year, tens of thousands of students enroll in doctoral programs across the United States. The experience can be formative, uplifting, fulfilling, and inspiring. It is also often intense, frustrating, demoralizing and at times even infuriating. While many students are destined to be productive researchers, attentive educators and respected thought leaders, others are destined for failure. With the benefit of hindsight, many of those who leave graduate school without the coveted degree realize they were unprepared for the program and ignorant of the realities of the academic world."Is a PhD for Me?" is designed to help you, the aspiring doctoral student, in two ways. First, it is meant to help you make an enlightened decision about whether it is in your best interest to pursue a PhD degree. Second, in the event you do decide to pursue the advanced degree, the book is designed to help you anticipate and negotiate the trials and tribulations of the program.Embarking on a PhD program is a significant challenge, and one that should not be entered into lightly. This book will help you determine whether you have the unwavering passion, sustained commitment, and realistic understanding of the challenges, to thrive and succeed.

Click here for more information about Is a PhD for Me Life in the Ivory Tower: A Cautionary Guide for Aspiring Doctoral Students

Read More...