The doctoral process that each candidate goes through is one that can fulfill personal goals and grants each candidate with a sense of accomplishment and purpose regarding their passion. As earning a Ph.D. or professional doctorate is staggering accomplishment, it also comes with frustrations and road blocks. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the attrition rate of students in Ph.D. programs is 50%. With 50% of doctoral students leaving their programs, it is apparent that the collective challenges faced by candidates are rigorous and at times, seemingly never-ending. What is the reasoning behind this attrition?
A study was conducted at Harvard University by Paul Barreira, Matthew Basilico and Valentin Bolotnyy, that sought to evaluate and dive into the depths of the mental health frequencies of doctoral candidates. The graduate students at Economics Ph.D. programs conducting the research found the mental health of doctoral candidates was accompanied by anxiety or isolation in a staggering amount. In their findings, the graduate students state, “ The average Ph.D. student reports greater feelings of loneliness than does the average retired American.”
What does this mean for candidates currently going through the doctoral process? Along with COVID-19 in the midst of our society, feelings of loneliness may become amplified. The Scholars at The Scholar’s Professional Editing Group want you to know that you are not alone as a doctoral candidate! The Scholars recognize in undergraduate programs, there are many helpful resources offered at colleges to guide students, such as office hours and mandatory study groups. Candidates in doctoral programs experience much more rigorous, time-consuming and emotionally draining content of work during their studies, and this factor is paired with lack of a support system.
The Scholars working at The Scholar’s Professional Editing Group have gone through these challenges themselves. They understand the intense feelings of being stuck and how that affects your mindset. Dr. Tamika Haynes, CEO/ Founder of The Scholar’s Professional Editing Group, states, “I recall feelings of defeat and hopelessness, consistent frustrations with the endless cycle of revisions, committee changes, ambiguous feedback, increasing student loan debt, and countless sleepless nights – while managing the demands of life, family, and work.”
After going through this process themselves, the Scholar’s sought after a way to make the doctoral process more feasible for other candidates currently making their way through the doctoral process, or those who are thinking about making the leap. Not only do the Scholars specialize in editing and refining dissertations, they provide all-encompassing services to help you reach your own hooding ceremony, including mentorship and one-on-one support.
Are you feeling stuck in any area while writing your Dissertation? Obtaining a sense of community through those who have already gone through the rigorous process of obtaining a Ph.D. or professional doctorate and want to help you may be the right option for you. To see what the Scholars represent and what other services they provide to help, head over to their website by clicking the link below.
More resources are coming your way. Be sure to keep an eye out for The Scholar's new launch: Boot Camp Research, Writing and Software Management Workshop. Don't walk this journey alone. The Scholars' doctoral boot camp training program will allow you to walk together with season scholars and other doctoral candidates, as your embark upon in-depth APA writing, research skills, and SPSS/NVivo software management continues. Enrollment for the program will be available November 2020.
