Almost 50% of doctoral students never finish their dream degree. However, this drop-out rate varies by discipline.
So, does the responsibility lie with the school, with the students, or a little of both? Or there are other crucial factors? Let us discuss the potential pitfalls as well as problems inherent in doctoral education.
Certainly, the doctorate is the highest level of an academic degree. The degree is the combination of intellectual, emotional, and financial strain. Students, with time, get dreaded ABD (“all but dissertation”) syndrome.
If you are planning for earning a professional doctoral degree, there are some challenges that you are almost certainly going to have to face. But don’t worry. With proper planning and this guide, you will be able to complete your degree effectively.
Reasons Why People Fail to Finish Their Doctoral Degree
The reason has to do with many factors but, in this blog, we’ve focused on the negative factors basically so that you can avoid them.
1. Wrong Dissertation Adviser
It is needless to say that choosing your dissertation adviser is one of the most significant decisions of your academic career. Try to find out someone who has similar research interests as yourself along with experience. You need to consider the accessibility and the feedback turnaround times while choosing the adviser.
2. Impractical Expectations
The scope of demand that a doctorate involves is immense. You need to be prepared for the level of detail, and the amount of research and writing that’s expected of you. It is going to take considerable time and effort. Thus, determine how and where you’re spending your time well. Make certain you have a passion for your dissertation topic, or you will lose interest.
3. Lifestyle Mismatch
Opportunities and abstract concepts sometimes don’t match realism, therefore when learners register, finally they experience what they’d up until now only been visualizing. And when faced with the intrinsic imbalance of a graduate apprentice’s life, some decide it’s not for them.
4. Lack Of Time Management Skills
A doctorate takes time. If you’re not upbeat, your doctorate can get pushed to the side. Use Google Calendars—conscientiously. Plan out all your social events, family commitments and work urgencies together. You can use the Trello as well to organize your project by phases. Schedule high-value tasks during your power-hours, and lower-value tasks when you are not at your highest. And please…learn to say NO.
5. Job Market
Well, this is also an important reason. The academic job market is unattractive. Some students may gradually realize this during the course of their studies, and leave their programs in search of better job opportunities. While others may realize that they can achieve their career goals with only a master’s instead of a doctoral degree, so they decline the break to spend the additional three to five years completing their doctorate degree.
6. Choosing Too Extensive Topic
Even though most doctoral learners understand this, but unfortunately, they bring with them the false impression that the dissertation should include everything, cover everything, and so on. Try to narrow down your research topic and zone in on a specific area. Hence, make sure you work closely with your dissertation adviser keep working on narrowing down your topic properly.
7. Procrastination
When doctoral students finally face the problems, they simply tend to procrastinate as a method of coping with something they are not used to. To do well in anything you do, you must face down these problems and don’t just start putting things off as you subconsciously find it easier on your ego to do so.
- Lack of Focus
Establishing a good organization arrangement is a great way to safeguard you’ll finish your degree. Use Wunderlist, listen to spotify, use evernote to capture ideas when you’re on the go – and reference them later.
Another issue, apart from the above-mentioned ones, that doctoral students do face is they are simply not writers. In case you face this issue, use Google Docs, this tool will allow you to share your work with others and get comments, feedback and suggestions for edits. You can even work with a professional writer or hire an editor as well.
Some Secret Tips For Completing Your Doctorate Degree Successfully
For your better understanding, you can follow some basic strategies ---
- Consider online learning
- Plunge yourself in writing
- Keep your dissertation subject as narrow as possible
- Promote your work and talk to others
- Make sound nutrition your friend
- Add exercise to your routine
- Build in time for family and friends
- Write the introduction last
- Don’t pursue perfectionism
What Do Studies Say?
Here is a selection of the most popular answers:
- Determination
- Having support makes a giant difference as well
- Supportive and committed supervisor with constructive feedback is the key to success
- Clear goals, hard work is important, but not enough
- Persistence and really great time management skills are categorically necessary
The Bottom Line
There are many learners who are simply not completely prepared for the leap to doctoral studies on a practical level. Online Professional Doctoral Degrees are something that will match your busy and hectic schedule. Concentrate on each step as every step is important and see yourself finishing that step.
Good luck!
Written By : Laura Taylor
