Recent content by Jack

Eric, I'm a recent graduate. My timeline: Year 1: classes, TAing, panic Year 2: classes, comps, proposal, panic Year 3: data collection, analysis, first draft Year 4: revisions, revisions, revisions, defense Total: 4.5 years. I thought I'd be done in 4. I wasn't. That half year nearly broke me...

The Zurich list is excellent. Ideological bias in LLMs is a hot topic right now. If you're early in your program, jump on it. The field is new enough that there are still big questions to ask. My topic came from a debate I saw at a conference. Two scholars argued about something. I thought: "Why...

Dear dissertation, I hate you too. But I need you. Emma, this letter is the most honest thing I've read about the dissertation process. The love turns into fighting. The excitement turns into exhaustion. But we keep going because stopping isn't an option. I'm saving this. Reading it every time I...

For years, I've written for my committee. I've tried to anticipate what they want to hear. I've used jargon, avoided taking risks, stayed safe. My writing was competent but lifeless. A professor said: “Write the dissertation you want to write. If it's good, your committee will see that. If you...

I haven't taken a real break in months. I told myself I couldn't afford to. Every day not writing was a day wasted. But I've been staring at my screen for hours, writing nothing. I'm exhausted. A dissertation coach said: “Take breaks before you're broken. You can't work at full capacity...

My advisor said: “You've edited, but you haven't revised.” I thought they were the same. A guide explains: Editing fixes grammar, punctuation, word choice. Revising changes structure, argument, evidence. You revise first, then edit. I've been fixing commas when I should have been rethinking my...

I'm at the point where I need to write my dissertation acknowledgments. I keep putting it off. A guide says: “Write from the heart. Thank people who supported you. Be specific about their help.” I'm scared I'll leave someone out. I'm scared I'll cry while writing. How do you write something so...