The only outdoor activity for DH participants

So participants in DH did manage to take some time to enjoy the outdoors. On Saturday afternoon, we took to the streets and took a 45 minute walk to the bridge and back. It was beautiful. I promised to post the pictures so here they are. You can see the view from the bridge in the first, the view of the frozen lake and lodge in the second one and the mountains in third, not to mention all my wonderful Dissertation House colleagues. Moon dancing pictures to follow.

Finally Made It to Rocky Gap Dissertation House

Support, Support, Support! PROMISE's Rocky Gap Community Building Retreat and Dissertation House provide support in so many ways and levels for everyone in attendance. This was my first time being able to attend the Community Building Retreat as a participant in Dissertation House. I have been trying to get to this spot since I first attended the PROMISE Commnity Building Retreat at CoolFont in 2007 because it means being closer to PhD completion. I also felt that being able to work on my dissertation proposal in a different place would empower me and thats exactly what it did! The best things about Saturday for me were: not being able to get internet access in the resort on my laptop (because it forced me not to check email), Dr. Carter forcing me to do my grammatical error edits from committee members before my big picture changes, and the walk/run on the trail from 1:40-2:28! Thanks so much for all the work that PROMISE leadership and our outside sponsors did to make it happen!

Dissertation House Freshman

Community, coaching, and concentration were the vital components I needed
to get back on track after having serious doubts about the path of my
dissertation. PROMISE was the fire I needed when I began my Ph.D. program
and now at the end of my journey, it is my guiding light out. I feel
privileged to have the support and resources that PROMISE provides to
students during this obstacle course. Thank you for the opportunity.
- ALMOST Dr. Carr

Saturday night is a silent, but productive night in the Dissertation House

Reflections of DH

This year’s Rocky Gap Dissertation Writing Retreat has been very rewarding. As I am in the writing stages of my dissertation, having the ability to work ‘non-stop’ on targeted goals to complete chapters provides me with a sense of accomplishment. Even though I could have set time aside to complete the tasks that I completed during the retreat, the prevalence of distracting people, potential procrastination, and at times paralyzing isolation would have been fighting against me accomplishing everything on my list. In addition to completing my task, I have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Carter, the dissertation coach, to give guidance and perspective to tasks that I intended to accomplish during the retreat and the development of goals to accomplish after I leave the retreat. Lastly, the ability to share with other students your joys and pains of working on your dissertation, along with the camaraderie of working in a room with other students typing to accomplish similar goals, could not be found at home or at school. I’m glad I pulled myself away from the lab and my dining room table/ writing table to attend the retreat this year.

How much you can gain from one weekend?

How much can you gain from one weekend? Watch two movies? Sleep more than 12 hours a day? If you go to the Rocky Gap retreat with Promise, you can gain a lot in a one weekend. I was in the dissertation house component. I could not continue my writing because I didn't know how to go on for my dissertation before I attended the dissertation house. Dissertation house mentors, expecially Dr Carter, put a sun shine to the road of my thesis writing. It is quite clear now what I should do in the next few months. Only one weekend, you can gain more with Promise.

DH newbie

Thank you so much for this weekend! This was my first time in Dissertation House and I definately got much more out of it than I'd hoped for. In addition to making great progress on my work, I've come away motivated and inspired to get to the finish line. It has been a long hard road, and I don't know if I could keep moving without the support of the PROMISE staff and students...I know that besides coming away with a completed degree, I'll be going forward with valuable friendships. Love you guys!!

After participating in the Dissertation House this weekend, I returned home feeling motivated once again. I was able to get so much work done and although I’m completely exhausted (mentally and physically), the experience was worth it. I would highly recommend this type of working retreat to anyone struggling with their dissertation, particularly those who are “stuck” or need an extra push to continue working.

I look forward to participating in the upcoming summer Dissertation House. I would like to thank PROMISE staff, students, alumni and supporters for this most productive weekend...and to all my graduate student peers: YOU CAN DO IT!!

Dissertation House Online! July Challenge -- Do SOMETHING on your Dissertations this summer! Join us online!

This week, many grad students in Maryland and at other schools around the country are participating in the Online Dissertation House! Students in Maryland have a chance to participate in person since we have one session at UMBC (ending this week), and another session at UM College Park that will take place in two weeks. The deadline for participation in the in-person/on-campus versions of the Dissertation House was in June, but everyone else is welcome to join us online!

Go to Dr. Wendy Carter's TADA (Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished) Blog page, click on comments and go! Tell us what you will be working on, and make a blog entry each day to chronicle your goals and subsequent accomplishments.

Join us!

http://www.tadafinallyfinished.com/TADA-Challenge/


The Dissertation House is sponsored by PROMISE: Maryland's AGEP, the Council of Graduate Schools' Ph.D. Completion Project, The Graduate School at UMBC, and The Graduate School at the University of Maryland College Park. To read more about the Dissertation House, visit our site:
http://www.umbc.edu/promise/dissertation.html

To repost information about the Dissertation House in a text message or a tweet on twitter, you may use the shortened URL:
http://tiny.cc/DissertationHouse

Approaching My Proposal Defense Date!

I can't tell you how much the Rocky Gap retreat meant to me. My dissertation proposal defense is June 2 and I'm actually looking forward to it. I chose the dissertation house option at Rocky Gap. Just being in an isolated spot, having time, and having people that actually cared (and helped) my progress provided the push that I needed. When you're there, you feel like, "I can't believe that people care enough to do this for me!" And all of the other students are so supportive. I now have a "writing buddy." We haven't worked together on a regular basis, but when we do, we're really productive. I never would have thought of a writing buddy on my own. Also, the "15 minutes a day" commitment has totally changed my work habits. It is rare that I don't do something productive each day. It also keeps me focused -- no long gaps between the times that I work on my paper. Thank you so much!

DIssertation House

Participating in the Dissertation House gave me a better perspective on the dissertation process. It was encouraging to see so many of my colleagues motivated to finish...by any means necessary. Dr. Carter imparted valuable knowledge to us all and gave us the encouragement and advice we needed to press on...15 min at a time.

Dissertation House

The Promise retreat was amazing and productive...providing the much needed time, resources,space and support to work on completing dissertation goals.

Dr. Tull, Dr. Carter, and Gloria, I cannot begin to thank you enough for absolutely everything that you did to make it possible to be there!!
You are incredible and inspirational!!

PS Writing blessings to all of the dissertation house family & best wishes to everyone at Promise!

Dissertation House and More

Dissertation House was nothing short of a blessing!! I came to Rocky Gap with an idea for my dissertation, but no research question, no hypothesis and no direction. By the time the weekend was over, I formulated a research question, developed two hypotheses, started working on my problem section and found direction (due to my discussions with Dr. Carter). Although I greatly appreciate the progress I made with my dissertation, I am equally grateful for the time I spent interacting with fellow members of PROMISE. Talking with Dissertation House participants about their research and anticipated graduation was inspirational. Thanks to all of you, my “I think I can” attitude towards the completion of my dissertation has changed to “I know I can”. In addition, the conversations and laughter I shared with old and new PROMISE friends was a much-needed stress relief.

Dr. Tull and Dr. Carter, thank you for the Rocky Gap experience!!

Dissertation House

This weekend was excellent. Thanks so much for providing great accommodations and the opportunity to focus on my dissertation for the whole weekend. Dr. Carter, as always, you are the best!

Dissertation House

I really appreciated the time I was able to spend focused on my dissertation. It's incredibly difficult to work on the weekends when I'm already so tired from the rest of the week. Thanks for creating a space dedicated to getting us out!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To anyone who was involved in organizing this trip thank you! I don't know whether it was being in a new place, or being separated from email, phone and other stresses in my life or whether it was just being somewhere in nature or whether is was just having some one on one time with Dr. Carter (although I have it with her regularly at school and don't make as much progress as I did this weekend). I have been struggling with the writing of my proposal for the past two month, and this weekend I finally saw what I have been doing wrong. Although I didn't accomplish all of my goals at DH (someone told me early on, I was probably trying to do too much) I broke down a barrier and I think now I will be able to be more productive and finish my proposal. Thank you, Dr. Carter, for your untiring dedication to our success. The same goes for Dr. Tull and the entire PROMISE staff.

My First Dissertation House

As this was my first DH, I didn't know what to expect. Upon reflection, I am happy that I took part in it because I can say that I accomplished my primary objective of jump starting my proposal at the DH. My goals were to refine my topic, read three research articles, and read one article on methodology. Thanks to Dr. Carter and the DH environment, I achieved all my goals and my proposal came back from the dead. I was able to focus on my proposal like a laser beam. I was in the zone. I wish I could turn my house into DH.

Best of all, at the 2009 PROMISE Retreat, I meet new people and made new friends that I hope will last beyond PROMISE. Thanks to Dr. Tull and all who made the retreat happen. I look forward to more PROMISE events, especially the next Dissertation House.

Mansur Femi Mustapha
Public Policy, UMBC

DH - it is over already?

Whew! So ends my first dissertation house. Wow. It's been a long time since I've been able to focus so tightly on getting stuff done. No worries about friends and family calling, figuring out what I'm doing for lunch, coworkers needing something, or mundane things like doing laundry (yes, I did continue to shower and brush my teeth).

I had three goals, and I'm happy to say that I accomplished them all, which it served to solidify my topic and approach for my proposal this semester.

Special thanks to Dr. Carter for her feedback and guidance throughout the weekend. And thanks to everyone in the House! Everytime a little procrastination or itch to goof off crept into my psyche, seeing everyone around me hard at work was just what I need to buckle down and get it done.

Glad to meet and see everyone this weekend, and keep in touch!

RHH

Robert Holder, UMBC
Computer Science

A Peek into the Dissertation House

DH - already feeling the burn!

Well, Dr. Carter wasted no time in laying down the law! We are required to post on the wall our goals for our time here, and my first draft was unceremoniously rejected.... because I wrote too small. Well, at least she was nice about it... this time....

Gotta go before she catches me.

RHH