• The Dissertation House: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/
• Professors-in-Training (PROF-it): http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/professors-in-training-prof-it/

The 2011 PROMISE Summer Success Institute will sponsor a 12 Hour Marathon “Dissertation House”  session at the Sheraton Columbia Hotel on Friday, August 19.  The marathon will last from 1:00 PM Friday, 8/19 until 1:00 AM Saturday, 8/20.  This session is limited to PROMISE DH alumni and a limited number of guests.

Eligibility and Instructions

Interested students must:

•  Be a doctoral candidate or alumnus of a previous Dissertation House
• Have a history of conversations about your dissertation with either Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale or Dr. Renetta Tull.
• Be registered for the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, and  plan to fully participate in the other parts of the conference (outside of the DH) on Friday morning 8/19, and all day Saturday, 8/20.  http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/promise-summer-success-institute-ssi/
• Follow the traditional application procedures and apply by Monday, August 15, 2011: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/
• Login to the DH 2011 Summer Challenge and join the conversation with #TeamGetItDone:  http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2011-challenge/
• Outline your goals for the 12 hours marathon online (using the challenge link above) by Wednesday, August 17.

The 2011 PROMISE Summer Success Institute will sponsor a 12 Hour Marathon “Dissertation House”  session at the Sheraton Columbia Hotel on Friday, August 19.  The marathon will last from 1:00 PM Friday, 8/19 until 1:00 AM Saturday, 8/20.  This session is limited to PROMISE DH alumni and a limited number of guests.

Eligibility and Instructions

Interested students must:

•  Be a doctoral candidate or alumnus of a previous Dissertation House
• Have a history of conversations about your dissertation with either Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale or Dr. Renetta Tull.
• Be registered for the PROMISE Summer Success Institute, and  plan to fully participate in the other parts of the conference (outside of the DH) on Friday morning 8/19, and all day Saturday, 8/20.  http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/promise-summer-success-institute-ssi/
• Follow the traditional application procedures and apply by Monday, August 15, 2011: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/
• Login to the DH 2011 Summer Challenge and join the conversation with #TeamGetItDone:  http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2011-challenge/
• Outline your goals for the 12 hours marathon online (using the challenge link above) by Wednesday, August 17.

The Dissertation House at the University of Maryland College Park is in full swing. Dr. Carter has already given mini-lectures on public speaking and your role with your advisor and Dr. Noah Collins, Staff Psychologist from the Counseling Center discussed balance.  Here is Dr. Carter’s synopsis of Dr. Collins’ talk (reprinted from our online challenge page.)

“Dr. Noah Collins from the Counseling Services Center is here talking about having balance when writing your dissertation. He gave a humorous presentation on his approach to writing his dissertation. He said that he is a morning person. He says if I have to work in the evening, the rewards have to go WAY UP if I am going to work at night. His discussion presented the two sides of self that argue with each other about the way to write your dissertation. One side is the drill-sergeant who wants to focus mainly on working on the dissertation, the other fanciful person who does not really want to work on the dissertation. He said one does not have to win at the expense of the other. When fanciful side wins, the drill-Sargent calls you lazy, wasteful, slacker, etc. When the drill-sergeant side wins, the fanciful side loses and feels depressed and sad. He suggests that when the fanciful side does not want to work, you should negotiate, otherwise the fanciful side will go on strike by shutting down, by playing solitaire, or by depression.”

Tomorrow is the last day for the participants at College Park.  Two of the participants, Nikki and Alexis, have continued to use the tag #TeamGetItDone throughout the week. The students are working hard and their time and effort are having an effect … they are getting it done!

The Dissertation House at the University of Maryland College Park is in full swing. Dr. Carter has already given mini-lectures on public speaking and your role with your advisor and Dr. Noah Collins, Staff Psychologist from the Counseling Center discussed balance.  Here is Dr. Carter’s synopsis of Dr. Collins’ talk (reprinted from our online challenge page.)

“Dr. Noah Collins from the Counseling Services Center is here talking about having balance when writing your dissertation. He gave a humorous presentation on his approach to writing his dissertation. He said that he is a morning person. He says if I have to work in the evening, the rewards have to go WAY UP if I am going to work at night. His discussion presented the two sides of self that argue with each other about the way to write your dissertation. One side is the drill-sergeant who wants to focus mainly on working on the dissertation, the other fanciful person who does not really want to work on the dissertation. He said one does not have to win at the expense of the other. When fanciful side wins, the drill-Sargent calls you lazy, wasteful, slacker, etc. When the drill-sergeant side wins, the fanciful side loses and feels depressed and sad. He suggests that when the fanciful side does not want to work, you should negotiate, otherwise the fanciful side will go on strike by shutting down, by playing solitaire, or by depression.”

Tomorrow is the last day for the participants at College Park.  Two of the participants, Nikki and Alexis, have continued to use the tag #TeamGetItDone throughout the week. The students are working hard and their time and effort are having an effect … they are getting it done!

One of our Dissertation House (DH) students started her own blog.  Margaret is a Chemistry student at UMBC and she is moving right along. Enjoy her posts, they will make you smile! http://adventuresofdissertationwriting.wordpress.com/ . Margaret wore her “6 Steps to Completing Your Dissertation” tee-shirt (distributed by AAAS at the American Chemical Society – ACS conference) to the DH last Friday. Humor is incorporated in the design of the shirt which describes the steps as drudgery, procrastination, panic, despair, drudgery, and printing.  Perhaps step 3 fits Margaret’s post for today, “Freak Out Moment #1.” We applaud Margaret on her blog and on her determination to work through the drudgery toward the great reward!

You can read comments from other DH students on our online challenge page. http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2011-challenge/

One of our Dissertation House (DH) students started her own blog.  Margaret is a Chemistry student at UMBC and she is moving right along. Enjoy her posts, they will make you smile! http://adventuresofdissertationwriting.wordpress.com/ . Margaret wore her “6 Steps to Completing Your Dissertation” tee-shirt (distributed by AAAS at the American Chemical Society – ACS conference) to the DH last Friday. Humor is incorporated in the design of the shirt which describes the steps as drudgery, procrastination, panic, despair, drudgery, and printing.  Perhaps step 3 fits Margaret’s post for today, “Freak Out Moment #1.” We applaud Margaret on her blog and on her determination to work through the drudgery toward the great reward!

You can read comments from other DH students on our online challenge page. http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/summer-2011-challenge/

This morning, Dr. Carter led a session called, “Good Morning Dissertation House!” This “Good Morning America” styled interview exercise allowed students to discuss their research in a succinct way, with imposed time limits.  Dr. Carter tackled issues of nervousness, rambling, organized thought, purposeful gestures, and confident volume. DH members joined the conversation following each interview to offer their peers constructive feedback. One member said that he now realizes that speaking about his research at any given time will be something that he will be expected to be able to do as a person with a Ph.D.

Suggested resources include joining a Toastmasters chapter to practice public speaking, and the book “Speaking About Science” by Barrett Whitener and Scott Morgan.  (This book is available online and in UMBC’s Bookstore.) We also discussed Whitener’s “Hour Glass” method of explaining your work which prompts speakers to talk about their topics broadly as a first step, then narrowly as you get to the middle of the talk, and end with broad statements to accommodate listeners at all levels.

Today is the final day of the Dissertation House at UMBC.  The Editor of the UMBC Magazine visited us a few times this week, so you may see more about The Dissertation House in a future issue of that publication.  We hope that our students leave with a sense of accomplishment and motivation as they work to finish their dissertations on this road toward the Ph.D.

This morning, Dr. Carter led a session called, “Good Morning Dissertation House!” This “Good Morning America” styled interview exercise allowed students to discuss their research in a succinct way, with imposed time limits.  Dr. Carter tackled issues of nervousness, rambling, organized thought, purposeful gestures, and confident volume. DH members joined the conversation following each interview to offer their peers constructive feedback. One member said that he now realizes that speaking about his research at any given time will be something that he will be expected to be able to do as a person with a Ph.D.

Suggested resources include joining a Toastmasters chapter to practice public speaking, and the book “Speaking About Science” by Barrett Whitener and Scott Morgan.  (This book is available online and in UMBC’s Bookstore.) We also discussed Whitener’s “Hour Glass” method of explaining your work which prompts speakers to talk about their topics broadly as a first step, then narrowly as you get to the middle of the talk, and end with broad statements to accommodate listeners at all levels.

Today is the final day of the Dissertation House at UMBC.  The Editor of the UMBC Magazine visited us a few times this week, so you may see more about The Dissertation House in a future issue of that publication.  We hope that our students leave with a sense of accomplishment and motivation as they work to finish their dissertations on this road toward the Ph.D.

We are in the process of planning for our summer sessions of the Dissertation House (DH).  DH sessions are being planned for the University of Maryland Baltimore (Medical School Campus) in June, UMBC in mid-summer (July 5-8, 2011), and UM College Park at the end of July. All of the dates and specific rooms on each campus will be announced soon. Please stay tuned.  In the meanwhile, please continue to participate in the Online Dissertation House: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-2011-challenge/