Sometimes I wonder
by Lynn Riskedal | September 9, 2009
Sometimes I wonder why and how I accomplished my PhD. I have never been a serious student.
I look at those who were in school with me, and the learners here at Capella, and wonder what the characteristics are of the people who achieve, and those who do not achieve, the degree.
It isn’t about intelligence or book knowledge.
There are multiple reasons people stop out of their program ( family issues, health issues, financial issues, collegiality issues, and perhaps grade issues). What are the characteristics of people who persist, despite the same types of issues that occur in their lives?
As I was reading a blog that I follow, these words popped out.
Curiosity.
Resilience.
Commitment.
Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient.
~ Eugene S. Wilson, Amherst College
Curiosity.
One needs to be curious. I often use the term “ponder” and “wonder” Curiosity compels you to read, explore, follow a thought of someone’s to understand it. Curious people get lost in the library ( as in, all of a sudden its 4 hours later). Find an interesting article and an interesting point and follow that idea to learn more.
Resilience.
To fall off the bike and get back on and finally learn how to balance and enjoy the ride. We learn skills of coping and being resilient throughout our life. And we often don’t know how resilient we are, until we are in the middle of a situation, and we choose to learn and grow through that situation. We are able to say to ourself: ‘this has happened to me, before, and I survived’. Or, ‘I have the strength to carry me through this situation’ Resilience in a doctoral program may be as mundane as feeling like courses continue on forever and wanting to get on to the next stages of the program. Resilience may be managing the academics through a family issue/crisis. Resilience may be working through a communication misunderstanding.
Commitment.
To self and to goal. Keep your goals in sight. Adjust getting to those goals, if necessary (and it probably will be necessary).
Think of taking a road trip. You have a destination city, but in the process traveling, you find that the a road is under construction. You need to change the roads you travel. You don’t need to change your destination city.
Are there other characteristics that contribute to your persistence in accomplishing your goal?
2 Responses to "Sometimes I wonder"
Shelby Alward says:
Lynn,
As I read this I saw a lot of me throughout this article. I have been out of college for over 12 years. Before I had graduated in 1997, I always thought that I would continue my education. There were times, as the years went on, that I did not think that I would ever do it. Once I enrolled in my master’s program, I finally said to myself, “I am finally doing this.” A comment from my mother is making me more determined. She said to me, “I never thought you would continue. You were never the greatest when it came to school.” She wasn’t saying that I was bad in my classes or got bad grades. It was more that I was never one for school. But the more I learned, the greater I appreciated what I was learning. I do have all 3 in me-curiosity, resilience, and the commitment. I am determined to finish my education. How far I will go, I have somewhat of an answer. I need to prove to myself and everyone else that I am committed to this. Right now there is now end in sight for me.
Thank you for the great article,
Shelby Alward
Master’s in Human Services-Counseling Studies
Lynn Riskedal says:
Thanks for sharing your personal story. Very powerful. Education is very powerful and we continue to learn in many ways.
Keep up the commitment, the curiosity, and lean on resilience.
Lynn