Doctoral Residency - Phoenix Experience

Let me say this: The three doctoral residencies were transformational for me. RES720Rin Nov2017; DOC733R in Jan2019 followed back to back with DOC734R in January 2019. As an Online Student I needed the feel of the Phoenix experience. I recall especially during my first residency; at the hotel, getting on the bus to the college building. Meeting those in higher classes and wondering how it felt and enthused to forget all my woes to be in their stead in a matter of one, two or three years. And even more exciting: getting off the bus, walking onto those corridors and meeting faculty. These people were my heroes; it was an amazing feeling, every time!! Could it be because as an Online student I needed to touch and smell the places and people in my new world?   On my second trip to Phoenix I took my family and stayed with them in the hotel although they never really saw me; I was way, way, too HAPPILY busy. Those three to five day residencies were among the most pressured and productive periods of my entire course. 

Doctoral Journey

Thinking about my Doctoral Journey

Reading through some recent posts in the "University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies on FaceBook" thread reminded me of some open secrets for succeeding in the "doctoral studies," worth sharing: a) Learning to use reference managers and engaging one or more and b) Going the extra mile to learn how to effectively manage qualitative studies using a tool like NVIVO/ and quantitative statistical analyses using SPSS.  

While my mind was made up to do a quant study, I prepped myself to handle a qualitative study, just in case. Always ahead of the game.  Not fun: I did not have a clear idea of what exactly I would do for the dissertation until nearly the very end. It was not funny. Looking back, I really should have spent more time finding the study as early as RES/709. Not kidding! That is how early I should have. Instead, I was on my way to collect data when it finally dawned on me the exact focus of my research. 

Having a great dissertation chair was absolutely invaluable, someone quick to remind me where gaps remained and then also ready to give me protection from eroding influences. I was very focused on doing things right I overlooked doing the right things... stepping in the right places over finding the right direction to step into.