Lex DeVille's - Journey To Doctor

[Lex DeVille]

You've lasted way longer than I did when I went back to study a one year MSc. I loved the first semester but the second was BS about how to format a dissertation etc. I bailed straight away. No sunk-cost fallacy with me over that.

You mention being tired a lot in your post. Could being tired be affecting how you view things? In your case, you've put in way more time and effort than my one semester. It would be a shame to stop for the wrong reasons. (Not saying not to stop if that's the right choice.)

I doubt I'll quit at this point, but I might take a semester off. My next couple of classes are the classes I was most looking forward to from the entire program. By the time I finish those, most of the year will be behind me, and all that will remain are the five dissertation courses. If anything, I'll probably finish the *fun* classes and then take a semester or two off before I return to finish up the dissertation.

I'm definitely physically tired. I've been waking up too early and not getting enough sleep. Small things I don't normally care about (like quality of class peers) seems more annoying than usual.

 

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[StrikingViper69]

I doubt I'll quit at this point, but I might take a semester off. My next couple of classes are the classes I was most looking forward to from the entire program. By the time I finish those, most of the year will be behind me, and all that will remain are the five dissertation courses. If anything, I'll probably finish the *fun* classes and then take a semester or two off before I return to finish up the dissertation.

I'm definitely physically tired. I've been waking up too early and not getting enough sleep. Small things I don't normally care about (like quality of class peers) seems more annoying than usual.

How much is left to be done to cross that finish line?

 

[Lex DeVille]

How much is left to be done to cross that finish line?

Five psychology classes and five dissertation classes.

I'm doubling up on classes for most of this year, but can only do the dissertation classes one at a time.

I don't know my graduation date, but my guess is sometime between next May and July, so it's actually a bit over a year.

 

[StrikingViper69]

Five psychology classes and five dissertation classes.

I'm doubling up on classes for most of this year, but can only do the dissertation classes one at a time.

I don't know my graduation date, but my guess is sometime between next May and July, so it's actually a bit over a year.

That is a decent amount of time, just over a year. You’ve been killing it on the program so far, it would be awesome to see you cross the finish line.

 

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[Andy Black]

I've been waking up too early and not getting enough sleep. Small things I don't normally care about (like quality of class peers) seems more annoying than usual.

Lack of sleep isn't good.

I don't get enough either. I had two days in a row of 8 hours sleep last month, probably the first time in years. It made such a difference.

What can you do to increase your amount of sleep?

 

[ZF Lee]

The latest course proclaims that earning a PhD "makes" you a thought leader. A large portion of the course required writing essays on the benefits of a Christian worldview for our research, followed by making recorded presentations of the same. These are the same psychological manipulation techniques used on prisoners of war to get them to adopt a new identity.

I'm so sorry you faced such things.

The faith should be all about freeing prisoners-- inside and outside. Not making more of them.
Or shifting them to another jail.

You mention being tired a lot in your post. Could being tired be affecting how you view things? In your case, you've put in way more time and effort than my one semester. It would be a shame to stop for the wrong reasons. (Not saying not to stop if that's the right choice.)

For myself, what exhausted me most back in my university days...was studying and living with kids who didn't live the life I wanted. And some bad living habits that seeped in from them. Even today I am working to recover from them.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Today is the start of my next classes - Theories and Research in Social Psychology, and the Biological Basis of Behavior (Neuroscience). I'm doubled up on classes and I can see now that this is not going to be easy.

My discussion posts alone will require 4,000 words of text minimum. Just one of my three books is over 800 pages. The other two are somewhere in the ballpark of 300 - 500 pages. One class has quizzes. Both classes have a lot of writing assignments.

Degree Path
I'm planning to wrap up all of my primary psychology courses this year. Right now, I'm considering entering the mortuary science program. I previously completed all of the pre-requisites to enter the program (roughly 10 years ago) but didn't enter it. So it should only take 1 year to complete it. The program is only available in the fall, so if I can take it, then it will sync up nicely with the break I was considering.

There are two things that might stop me from switching programs, though. The first is the industry itself. Next week I'll start collecting bodies and doing actual work for a funeral home. If, in a few months, it turns out that I hate the work (which I don't think I will) then I will just stay with my current degree path. The second reason I might not switch is if it turns out that I'm not eligible to enter the program this fall for whatever reason. For instance, if I have to retake any pre-requisite courses, then I would wait until the following fall (after I earn my PhD to enter the program).

For now, I've got my work cut out for me. Not really sure how I'm going to handle both of these courses at the same time. Hopefully, I didn't make a mistake by doubling up. I guess we'll find out.

 

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