The Secrets to Saving $$$ Earning a Doctorate Degree

Dr. Judy Osmond

Earning a doctorate degree is an incredible achievement.  You will feel accomplished, proud, and bring honor to yourself and your family.  You will reach a level of academic success that very few will ever reach.

Most doctoral students complete their programs in five, six or seven years, even if it’s possible to complete it in an earlier time frame. The average cost of tuition for a doctoral degree in a private college in the U.S. is $20,000.00 per year, costing students $100,000.00  for a five year experience.  Add interest rates to this cost and students could be paying up to $500.00 per month on student loans for the rest of their lives.

In the first months of my program, a professor advised our class that two students had previously completed the same doctoral degree in only two years.  Once I knew that it had already been done, I made a decision to finish my program in two years.  I did it, and so can you!  My degree only cost me $40,000.00,  with interest of course, saving me tens of thousands of dollars.  It could have cost me $60,000.00 to $100,000.00, as was the case for the majority of my classmates who chose to take more time to finish.

Choosing to take longer than is necessary to finish a degree not only costs you in terms of money, it also prolongs the stress in your life. The easy part of the program is completing the course work. If you’re smart, you will follow the course schedule as is suggested by the college and complete the courses within the first two years or so.

Before You Begin the Doctoral Program: 

To ensure that your doctoral program will give you the highest returns, financially and career-wise, you may want to consider the following:

(i) Why do you want to pursue this rigor? Be clear about your motivation.  The program will be rigorous. You will experience burnout and be tempted to quit many many times. You will lose thousands of dollars if you start and don’t finish. It is important to your quality of life that you make a decision and stick to it to the very end. Otherwise, what’s the point?

(ii) Research the job market and future trends in the field of study that you are pursuing. You want to be sure that your hard work will pay high dividends at the end.

(iii) Determine the highest amount of student debt that you are able to afford. Then, research the salary you are expecting to bring in with this doctoral degree.  Will the salary provide you a lifestyle where you can pay off the student loans in a reasonable amount of time while still maintaining a lifestyle of a mortgage and living expenses?

The Main Stressors of the Dissertation:

The really stressful part, however, is completing the dissertation. Here’s what I learned as I pursued my degree:

(i)  By the time you finish your coursework, you will experience burnout. No matter how much you exercise, eat well, try to balance your life, lack of enthusiasm and optimism, my friend, is guaranteed! You probably have been juggling a full-time job and family life with your school commitment. Taking on a dissertation is not for the weak during the best of times, let alone after you’ve completed two years of heavy course work;

(ii)  Once you begin the dissertation, there are milestones along the way that you must attain.  Deadlines have a habit of sneaking up on you very quickly as you, which can be very stressful, to say the least! Once you get off track, you can lose momentum quickly so it’s imperative that you stay the course;  and

(iii) You will start to notice negativity and frustration amongst classmates who are equally feeling burnout. In fact, many of our classmates will begin to show signs of resignation.   It will be easy to quit. This is the time for you to stay strong and carry on, no matter what!

Secrets to Finishing the Doctoral Program Early

Having completed my doctorate in two years, I have learned the secrets to saving years of stress and tens of thousands of dollars!  My hope is that you will apply some of this advice and, in the process, save yourself a lot of heartache. . .

(i) Determine the shortest length of time it takes to finish your doctorate.  Simply ask your program advisor to give you statistics on fast-tracking from their experience with former students.

(ii) Decide to finish early.  Saving money and time is a mindset.  Get into the frame of mind to save tens of thousands of dollars and make a plan of action. Create a vision board, write  your goals with timelines, and look at it once a week to remind yourself of your promise to YOU.

(iii) Begin the dissertation as early as possible in your program. Your advisor will give you guidance and take his/her advice.  The earlier you begin, the earlier you will finish.  You will get momentum before the real burnout begins.

(iv) Determine the topic for your dissertation and stick to it.  Changing your mind will cost you precious time and energy.  Time is money.  There will only be three people interested in your dissertation (a) the person on the board who has the authority to accept your dissertation and give you the credentials; (b) the advisor who is working with you to get your dissertation passed by the board and (c) you.  You won’t change the world with our research. This is nothing but a process to get to the next level in your career.

(v) As you go through the process of writing the dissertation, follow your advisor’s lead to the most exact detail.  You will send your dissertation back and forth to your advisor for months on end as you revise your paper over and over again to perfection (according to you) each and every time that he/she makes suggestions with editing and specific requirements.  This is the time that many students get frustrated and quit.  However, this is the time for YOU to swallow your pride, remind yourself of why you enrolled in this program to begin with and follow his/her lead. Otherwise, you can’t win!

(vi) Commit to staying on track. Focus, remain disciplined and do not let any distractions (eg. trips, traditional celebrations, etc.) or negativity get in your way of finishing early.

(vii) Never, ever, ever quit!!! If you believe it can happen, it will!  I believed it! It happened for me.  It can happen for you too!

YOU know that you REALLY, REALLY want this.  Be bold and courageous, my friend.  I’m on your team and am rooting for you!

Compared To Others, You’re Extraordinary

Dr. Judy Osmond

Have you ever noticed that, in your own mind, you tend to think everyone else is more intelligent, better looking, wealthier, or happier than you are?  Why is that?   Is that not the saddest thing?  Here you are, living in the western world, with great education and health care, surrounded by people who adore you, and striving to become independently wealthy. Yet, we constantly compare ourselves to other people, thinking that “they” have it much better than you. This is an illusion that we must fight against with all our strength and fortitude.

The media has us believing that the world is a scary place, that everyone is out to get us and that we are low people because we don’t own a big business or aren’t making millions (or billions) of dollars.  We are surrounded by people who take prescription drugs just because they feel insecure and bad about their lot in life. Some of the most educated and beautiful people I know need medication just to go to work everyday. Is that not the craziest thing?

You are wealthier and more beautiful than you’ll ever know.  Practice the following.

(i) Begin each day in gratitude for our health, support system and love.

(ii) Look in the mirror and speak beautiful language to yourself.  Be kind, generous and your best friend.

(iii) Talk to someone today and help them solve a problem.  They’ll reciprocate and will help you one day.

(iv) Say a kind word to someone you meet today who looks a little sad.

(v) Keep the focus off your personal pity party and help someone else .

(vi) Spend your free time today looking at Youtube videos on how to reach your higher self.

(vii) Be proud of other people’s accomplishments.  They are no better, or worse, than you.  They have the same insecurities and issues you have.

Know that you are already terrific and have everything you need to do anything you want to do today.  You’re special.  Be your best self.  The world needs YOU just the way you are.

 

 

 

 

 

When Your Son Needs Help, Get It.

Dr. Judy Osmond

Does your son seem a little off lately?  is he exhibiting behaviors that are not normal for him? Does he sleep with his light on? Does he not want to sleep alone in his bed anymore? Does he seem more angry or agitated than normal?

When boys exhibit behaviors that are out of character for them, we need to pay attention. It could be signs of any number of things: bullying, hanging around with a fast crowd who do not have the same values as your son and your family, getting a bad grade in school, etc.)

First and foremost, know that your son needs

(i) your patience and understanding. He does not want to be angry or make you annoyed at him anymore than you already may be.

(ii) your support, sensitivity and professionalism.  He is most likely very embarrassed or humiliated and will not want you to contact the school.  He doesn’t want any more negative attention drawn to him or have bullies and classmates retaliate. Hear him out, contact the school in a sensitive and professional.

(iii) the support of the school.  He needs to know that the school is a safe environment.  Contacting a school professional (counsellor, teacher or vice principal) to help guide him will assure him that he has a safe place to go for protection and understanding.

Here are some ways to deal with it:

(i) Have your son talk with a school counsellor or trusted teacher.  You may instigate a meeting by notifying the school professional and have them talk with him.

(ii) If you see signs of anxiety (nervousness, panic, fear) or depression (can’t get out of bed) that continues for at least two weeks, bring him to a professional counsellor who can help him. Time is of the essence.

Please get this resolved in a timely manner.  You want your child back to his normal vivacious self as soon as possible so that (i) he can concentrate on his studies and extracurricular activities and (ii) build resilience so that he will learn what to do next time it happens.

 

From Bullied to Thriving

Dr. Judy Osmond

Nothing worries a parent more than to have a child come home from school after being bullied. The emotions can range anywhere from your child feeling sad, humiliated and embarrassed to showing signs of anxiety and depression. And nothing angers a parent more than to hear that the teacher had made fun of their child in front of the class, making the situation worse for their child.

As a Guidance Counsellor, I have spoken with many parents over the years who have shared with me stories of their children getting bullied at school and having to spend days, months or even years dealing with their child’s anxiety and depression that inevitably follows. One “small” event can be life changing – for both the child and and the entire family.

I have seen it all. I have been involved in situations where families pay the price of torture and sadness for years by using ineffective ways of dealing with the situation AND in situations where families deal with it in a way that brings positive transformation to their child.

The goal is to have a happy child again. Here are some ways to effectively deal with the situation:

(i) Gather the facts.  Find out from your child exactly when, where, who, what and why the situation occurred.

(ii) Remain calm.  Reassure your child that you love him/her and will do everything possible to make him/her safe.

(iii) Arrange to meet with the teacher, Guidance Counsellor or Dean of Students.  The teacher and/or school counsellor should have contacted you before the child came home to prepare you for your child’s emotions. If not, contact the child’s guidance counsellor first thing in the morning and arrange a time to have a one-on-one meeting with you and the child. If there are confidential things that need to be discussed, have your child wait outside the office until you’ve finished speaking with the guidance counsellor.

Administration may require that the bullies stay a certain physical distance from your child while on school property. Your child may feel even more embarrassed about this but sometimes the only way to calm things down and strive for peace is for all people involved to have space.

(iv) Determine strategies for your child’s success. With the input of school administration, (a) be clear about your expectations (i.e. What do you want and expect them to do? Contact the parents of the alleged bullies? Discipline the alleged bullies?) and (b) determine the actions that school administration is willing (or not willing) to take.

(v) Surround your child with a supportive team.  Contact a tutor, life coach, counsellor who can meet with your child and you to determine strategies for success (i.e. help your child develop a mindset and strategy that can help him/her move forward).

(vi) Help your child focus on the positive.  Have your child create a vision board listing goals and dreams for the day, week, month or year to hang on his/her wall, refrigerator, etc.; encourage your child to read books and watch Youtube videos on successful people and positive strategies for success.

(vii) Help your child develop a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset.  Practice positive language at home and an attitude of “if-it’s-going-to-be-it’s-up-to-me.

(viii) Encourage your child to stay physically active (eg. martial arts is terrific). This will help him/her gain physical strength which will help with emotional strength building.

(ix) If your child is experiencing anxiety and depression consistently for at least two weeks, seek professional help for your child and you (parents/sibblings).  Your child needs help – if only for the short term.  Don’t let this event become a bigger monster than it already is.

With the right support team and mindset, your child will learn from this and grow into a terrific human being who can help others. Your child will thrive more quickly with a supportive and effective professional team.  I know. I’ve experienced miracles with children and families who have made the transformation to greatness in spite of the obstacles. You can too!