PROMISE is hosting Barrett Whitener, public speaking expert, on Wednesday, Feb. 15.  Mr. Whitener will be presenting a lunch seminar on UMBC’s campus, but those who are unable to come may join us via the web. This year, we are attempting to provide more professional development opportunities for a greater number of participants through use of online technology.  Our PROMISE alliance of UMBC, UMB, and UM College Park may soon increase to include all universities that serve graduate students within the University System of Maryland. As part of our PROMISE Pathways grant from the National Science Foundation, we are investigating new options for training and community building.  Therefore, we are presenting the seminar and simulcasting a webinar.  The webinar will be an online version of the seminar.  Participants who join us online will be able to see the slides and hear the speaker.  Participants who come to the “live” seminar will have a chance to interact with Mr. Whitener in person. Both the seminar and the webinar are free. To attend the seminar in person on UMBC’s campus (lunch is included at no extra cost), login to MyUMBC and click “I can attend”.  Students who aren’t from UMBC may also attend; we ask that you RSVP as a comment on our PROMISE Success Seminars website post for this program. If you cannot attend in person, you may join the webinar via your computer from any location. Anyone, from any location, may join us!  Register for the webinar here.

The focus of this seminar will be “How to prepare oral and poster presentations.” 

PROMISE is hosting Barrett Whitener, public speaking expert, on Wednesday, Feb. 15.  Mr. Whitener will be presenting a lunch seminar on UMBC’s campus, but those who are unable to come may join us via the web. This year, we are attempting to provide more professional development opportunities for a greater number of participants through use of online technology.  Our PROMISE alliance of UMBC, UMB, and UM College Park may soon increase to include all universities that serve graduate students within the University System of Maryland. As part of our PROMISE Pathways grant from the National Science Foundation, we are investigating new options for training and community building.  Therefore, we are presenting the seminar and simulcasting a webinar.  The webinar will be an online version of the seminar.  Participants who join us online will be able to see the slides and hear the speaker.  Participants who come to the “live” seminar will have a chance to interact with Mr. Whitener in person. Both the seminar and the webinar are free. To attend the seminar in person on UMBC’s campus (lunch is included at no extra cost), login to MyUMBC and click “I can attend”.  Students who aren’t from UMBC may also attend; we ask that you RSVP as a comment on our PROMISE Success Seminars website post for this program. If you cannot attend in person, you may join the webinar via your computer from any location. Anyone, from any location, may join us!  Register for the webinar here.

The focus of this seminar will be “How to prepare oral and poster presentations.” 

The following dissertation support group and writing consultant information is relevant to students from UMBC, UMCP, or UMB. Please register or make an appointment early to get a spot in a group or with a consultant on your campus. In some cases, space is limited. The DH endorses involvement in these campus-sponsored groups. 

The Summer 2011 DH participants in College Park during a "group" support session.

UMBC: (From Dr. Emilie Stuber) The group will be lead by Assistant Director, Dr. Bonita Johnsen, and she is hoping to get it started ASAP. She plans to run the group on Thursday afternoons, at 1:00, 2:00, or 2:30.  Previous group members have been contacted; new members as welcome. Members who have already attended the group will not need to have an intake appointment with us, but we do ask that all new members schedule an intake appointment and let the receptionist know that they are interested in joining the Dissertation Support Group. http://www.umbc.edu/counseling/, 410-455-2472. Participation is free for students of UMBC.

UMCP: The spring Dissertation Support Group at College Park will begin on Feb. 24, 2012. Students must register by Feb. 10. http://www.freestuff.umd.edu/events.cfm?mode=detail&eventID=15382. For more information, contact Dr. Marcia V. Marinelli; Assistant Director, Counseling Center; Director, Learning Assistance Service; marcym@umd.edu; 301-314-7680.  This group is free for students of College Park.

UMB: UMB’s Writing Center offers assistance with dissertations. Students come to the Writing Center for individual help with brainstorming ideas, organizing structure, writing a draft, and revising and polishing prose.  The Writing Center - SMC Campus Center, 621 W. Lombard Street, Suite 302. For Appointment please call 410-706-7725. This service is free for students at UMB.

The following dissertation support group and writing consultant information is relevant to students from UMBC, UMCP, or UMB. Please register or make an appointment early to get a spot in a group or with a consultant on your campus. In some cases, space is limited. The DH endorses involvement in these campus-sponsored groups. 

The Summer 2011 DH participants in College Park during a "group" support session.

UMBC: (From Dr. Emilie Stuber) The group will be lead by Assistant Director, Dr. Bonita Johnsen, and she is hoping to get it started ASAP. She plans to run the group on Thursday afternoons, at 1:00, 2:00, or 2:30.  Previous group members have been contacted; new members as welcome. Members who have already attended the group will not need to have an intake appointment with us, but we do ask that all new members schedule an intake appointment and let the receptionist know that they are interested in joining the Dissertation Support Group. http://www.umbc.edu/counseling/, 410-455-2472. Participation is free for students of UMBC.

UMCP: The spring Dissertation Support Group at College Park will begin on Feb. 24, 2012. Students must register by Feb. 10. http://www.freestuff.umd.edu/events.cfm?mode=detail&eventID=15382. For more information, contact Dr. Marcia V. Marinelli; Assistant Director, Counseling Center; Director, Learning Assistance Service; marcym@umd.edu; 301-314-7680.  This group is free for students of College Park.

UMB: UMB’s Writing Center offers assistance with dissertations. Students come to the Writing Center for individual help with brainstorming ideas, organizing structure, writing a draft, and revising and polishing prose.  The Writing Center - SMC Campus Center, 621 W. Lombard Street, Suite 302. For Appointment please call 410-706-7725. This service is free for students at UMB.

I laughed so hard when I read this line on the Dissertation House blog from Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate, Nikki Westmoreland: “Sleep, it’s like my precious.” She said (wrote) it so casually, but if you’ve seen the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, you know that one of the characters, Gollum, calls the ring “my precious” and he relentlessly pursues the “precious” for a lifetime.

Similarly, many of the participants in the DH have been talking about sleep. Either they’re not getting enough, or they feel like they are getting too much at the wrong times and thwarting their productivity.  One of the characteristics that people seem to appreciate about the Dissertation House (DH) is the strict adherence to a schedule.  On DH days, there are strict start and stop times, and lunch/break is mandatory.  Those who have been to the DH in person, know that your “Head Coach”, Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale is a stickler for time, and  that she expects you to use some kind of schedule even when you’re working at home, in the library, or in your lab.   In this post, I’m going to repeat a few of the things that I posted in the DH “Winter 2012 Challenge” blog which represented a response to some of the participants who weren’t getting enough sleep.

Rx: Take some breaks!

I am proposing that you consider taking a “break” on tonight.  Some of you are working so hard that you’re not sleeping and not feeling well.  You will not be able to finish the dissertation if you’re sick, so take a scheduled break.  Some of you need to rest (sleep!), and some need some time with family or friends. Some need some sun and vitamin D (as reminded by DH participant M. Dabek), and some should take some time to take a stroll or get some exercise.  Others may just want to have some alone time to watch a movie, or read something that isn’t related to the dissertation.  A magazine can help, read a hard-copy, not an online periodical. Step away from the computer.

Here are some suggestions for this weekend:

1. Friday: Consider working today until 6 PM, then take a Friday evening break. Go to bed in time to be up and at your computer by 8:30 AM on Saturday morning.
2. Saturday: Start working by 8:30 AM.  After 8 PM, take a break. Sleep, go out to dinner see a movie.
3. Sunday:  Start working by 12 noon and end at 8 PM.

Within the weekend process, honor your respective sabbaths, but make a plan to both rest and work. For some, this may mean enjoying your worship activities, spending quality time with your families, having a good meal, and/or taking a scheduled nap.  Remember that we’re only human. We have great capacity, however, there was an important point that was discussed in the January 2012 DH: the non-stop process is not sustainable for the long term, so you have to take breaks. Schedule your breaks appropriately, be true to your schedules, then come back to the process rejuvenated. One former DHer, who now has her PhD and is settling into her career, made the habit of going to bed early, around 10PM, and getting up at 4AM to begin working.  This was her schedule and everyone around her knew it.  So they knew that if they wanted to go out or spend time with her, it would have to be done before 10:00.  Another DHer said that he always takes a short nap around lunch time and that gives him an opportunity to get back to work in the afternoon.  While you’re working this weekend, take scheduled breaks to eat, get some air, get some sun, and move around. Some might feel that all of this scheduling reduces your need for spontaneity.  In that case, you can still plan to have some time that is scheduled (e.g., the weekdays), and some time that you allow for random acts, e.g., Friday or Saturday evening of the DH weekend, or the third weekend of the month.

Schedule something that works for you, stick to the plan, and by all means, get some sleep.

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