Part-time PhD: finished after a two-year stall
Angela, 52 | PhD in Public Administration | Public university, Northeast
The challenge
I had not opened the file in twenty-two months. Every time I tried I reread Chapter 2 and stopped. My extension request was my last one.
What we changed
- Weekly 45-minute coaching calls with one deliverable each, never more.
- We started with Chapter 4 rather than rereading Chapter 2, which broke the loop.
- A written contract with my chair set submission dates for each chapter, which removed the guessing.
The outcome
Defended eight months later. Three chapters were drafted in the first ninety days.
One deliverable a week is unimpressive on paper. It is also the only thing that has ever worked for me.