When completing the doctoral process, there comes the point where one might enter what I call “The Black Hole.
” If you are reading this and you possess a Doctorate, you may know precisely what I’m referring to without having to read another word. For those of you who are on the journey, I implore you to continue reading. The insight offered here may give you a sigh of relief and satisfaction in knowing that what you’re experiencing now or will experience in the future is entirely normal.
I’m your standard Type A personality, which means having a mapped out sequence of how I would traverse through my doctoral program was necessary for my success. I completed my coursework within three years while also getting married, changing careers, and having my first child. I completed my program at an R1 (research one) institution, so there was an exceptional amount of rigor coupled with high expectations for each course. However, somehow the journey didn’t seem too painful.
It wasn’t until I hit my ABD (all but dissertation) status that things took a different turn. My path was clearly delineated, but somehow ABD took another course of its own. And I call this path, “The Black Hole.” Although my dissertation committee chair helped steer my journey, the process of conducting research and writing my dissertation was a tedious, never-ending process. At times I felt I would never see the light...that being graduation. However, I continued to work through the process, knowing that if I didn’t give up, I would eventually taste sweet success! The Black Hole can be daunting if you don’t have a mentor who can guide you, coach you, and encourage you along the way. Although I had a chair, I didn’t necessarily have that person giving me the inside scoop on this process. For this reason, I am committed to mentoring those who want to take on the challenge of tackling the great and mighty Ph.D. / Ed.D. It was definitely a challenge, and I often say that after child-birth, it has been the next most difficult thing in life to achieve. However, just like motherhood, I wouldn’t trade being a Doctor of Education for anything in the world!
P.S. Life is never about obtaining a title but instead is about seeking each and every moment to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
AGW
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