Ask Doctoral Advising

ASK A QUESTION

You’ve read what we have to say, but now it’s your turn. What questions do you have?

Ask your question
META

MONTH: July 2009

July 30th, 2009   by Jonathan GehrzSubscribe to comments on this post

Professional Dissertation Website Companies and Dissertation Quality

Recently, a comment was posted to our blog that due to certain restrictions, we elected not to release the comment, however, the author posed some important, legitimate questions that I would like to address further.

Specifically, the entry raised awareness to a professional dissertation writing website company.  To this author’s credit s/he was not necessarily promoting the use or affiliated with the organization, however, raised questions surrounding the use of such “guidance packages.”  Further questions that I personally viewed as thoughtful and insightful, surrounded the issue of dissertation quality.  Reworking the author’s primary question, are today’s scholars more interested in efficiency and the shortest path to PhD completion v. preparing a quality document and by extension, becoming a scholar?

READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, Dissertation | 3 Comments »

July 29th, 2009   by Vera KovacovicSubscribe to comments on this post

Doctoral Journey – the Inner Education

One of my interests beyond my work as an academic advisor is watercolor painting. I attend workshops, read what some Master watercolorists have to say about their work and I paint. I have a great deal of appreciation for the artists who can articulate not only insights on color theories and techniques but also delve into the meaning of what takes place when they create, the challenges, the inspiration, the disappointments, and the perseverance to make them succeed. READ MORE

Posted in General | No Comments »

July 20th, 2009   by Lynn RiskedalSubscribe to comments on this post

Mind Talk.

It tends to be negative which doesn’t do you any good.

A couple years ago, I entered a half marathon with a time limit. As I struggled through the heat, at the pace I was moving (slow), I had mind talk going about not being able to finish this event. Why did I run, anyway? I knew I wasn’t prepared for this event, why did enter? READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, Dissertation | 2 Comments »

July 17th, 2009   by Dana ForbesSubscribe to comments on this post

Musings on Mediocrity

What is mediocrity? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as, “of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance.” Learners have encountered many kinds of mediocrity throughout their lives. For example, medical errors, banking errors, and other errors have had a negative effect on learners’ lives. Learners don’t like to be the object of mediocrity. READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, General | No Comments »

July 15th, 2009   by Johnna WilliamsSubscribe to comments on this post

Critical Thinking: What?

First let me preface by saying that this is a conversation that needs to occur with everyone interested in or actively pursuing an education.  These conversations should be happening in public schools, at the undergraduate level, and in master’s and doctoral programs.  It is my intent to open this forum up for discussion and hopefully spark dialogue about reinforcing solutions to this social (yep, I said it) issue! READ MORE

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

July 13th, 2009   by Lynn RiskedalSubscribe to comments on this post

Thoughts on learning, failure and perfectionism

I’ve happened on quotes about learning that have captured my attention.
Too often we scurry on in our lives and forget to learn.  That happens during the doctoral program, too.  We are so busy accomplishing the assignments, the discussion posts, that we don’t really learn.  We react.

How do you know you are learning?
How do you know you are not learning?  READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, Doctoral Advising, General | No Comments »

July 10th, 2009   by Stone ShifletSubscribe to comments on this post

Spending time with writing tools opens new doors for using Smarthinking

All Capella learners who are registered for one or more courses are provided free access to Smarthinking.  To being using these services, learners can visit www.capellawritingcenter.org, click on the first link under ‘Resources’ on that page (titled ‘tutoring’), and follow the prompts to make an account. Any one in the general public can use Smarthinking, but the fees can mount quickly, so to avoid being charged fees for the service, Capella learners must make the account using the prompts provided at the location noted above. Once the account is established, learners can use the account with the password and ID that they create.

On that same Writing Center public home page, learners can find new ways to ask for feedback from Smarthinking.  The Writing Feedback Tool (WFT) on the public page (second link under ‘Resources’) provides users with a common language to use when talking about academic writing.  The WFT starts with critical reading (category 1) and moves all the way through 11 categories, including organization, APA format, grammar, mechanics.

Here’s how the WFT can make Smarthinking a more effective tool. READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, Comprehensive Exam, Dissertation | No Comments »

July 8th, 2009   by Constance DavisSubscribe to comments on this post

Second doctoral commandment: Know who/what to believe

This is the last week before the summer quarter begins, so many of my advising colleagues and I have been talking to learners who are about to take their comprehensive exams.

Once again, I am hearing some of the myths that circulate among the learners about to take those dreaded comps. Some insist that they heard these myths from faculty at colloquia. Others admit they heard these myths from other learners. No matter who or what is the source of the myths, I try to do my part to give the learners correct information. READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral, Comprehensive Exam | 1 Comment »

July 6th, 2009   by Jen WilliamsSubscribe to comments on this post

Mow Your Lawn, Own Your Career

After nearly a decade of home ownership, it recently occurred to me that I dislike lawn maintenance. I enjoy maintaining the inside of my home. I don’t even mind shoveling snow, which is a bigger responsibility up here in Minnesota. But mowing my grass? Pulling weeds? Sweeping my front porch and walk? Ugh.

Maybe I should have bought a condo.

Don’t get me wrong – I love owning my home. Except for the lawn. The problem is that no one else is going to do that work for me. I could hire a lawn service, but the cost is prohibitive, and I would feel silly spending all that money when the lawn maintenance season in Minnesota is ridiculously short. And either way, I’m still ultimately responsible for committing the resources – my time or my money – to my lawn.

If I don’t assume that responsibility, the grass will go to seed, weeds will take over my garden, the porch will get dusty and dirty, and the place will become an eyesore. My neighbors will scoff at my failure to take ownership of my place. Friends won’t want to visit because my place is such a mess. But as annoyed as everyone would get with me, it’s unlikely anyone would step forward and offer to help. And they shouldn’t…I own it, and it’s my responsibility.

Learners frequently contact Capella’s Career Center for advice on job searching and career management. As a career counselor, what I often end up talking with them about is career ownership. And at some point in nearly every one of those conversations, I find myself saying, “You need to manage your career. No one else is going to do it for you.”

READ MORE

Posted in Becoming Doctoral | No Comments »