So is November… Time is going by way too fast… It has been a fairly productive year when I think of my dissertation research project. I successfully defended my dissertation proposal in May and had my IRB approved in August. This past summer, I started working with the development team to complete the motion, facial expression, and voice capture for the animated agents that will be use in the simulation environment. I’m currently working on a small validation study of the simulation scenario and I’m actively editing my document.
I don’t think there is anything that can truly prepared you for this journey. The dissertation journey comes with a lot of self-commitment, organization, responsibility and self-encouragement. It is very emotional and is also physical. It helps to have a good support team. Some days you will feel like you have these larger than life task that seems impossible to accomplish. Having a good support system with family and friends that encourage you to give it your all will comes in handy. Other more practical words of advise will be to set a daily schedule, set specific times for reading, writing, editing, emailing, meetings, etc. I also like to keep a to-do list with short-term and long-term tasks. I would also suggest that you organize your files with a naming convention that works for you. My dissertation folder has a large number of files (900+)… Is like my personal resource library. Last but not least, stay motivated! Remember the best dissertation is one that’s finished. This is my first post about my dissertation journey, I hope to post an update in a few months. I will also have additional words of advise and recommendations. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Design Goodiness 