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Family gathering last weekend. My uncle, who I haven't seen in years, asks what I'm doing. I say "working on my PhD, writing my dissertation." He nods seriously and says: "Is that a legitimate program? Or one of those online things?" I wanted to disappear. Or scream. Or both. My dissertation...

I spent my first three years of grad school paying full price for everything like an idiot. Software. Journal access. Conference travel. Food. All of it. Then a friend shook me and said "you have a .edu email. USE IT." Here's what I've learned about grad student discounts: Software is...

I'm in my fifth year of a sociology PhD. Started with a topic I was passionate about. Ended up with something completely different. Here's what I learned about picking a topic that won't destroy you. Passion isn't enough. I started with a topic I LOVED. Really loved. Spent a year reading...

I don't even know how to write this post. My hands are shaking. I defended yesterday. Passed with minor revisions. I'm Dr. Now. Dr. Me. Dr. Someone who spent 6 years of her life on a project that's finally, finally, FINALLY done. 🎉🎉🎉🎉 The defense was terrifying. Two hours of questions. Two...

I was done. DONE. Finished Chapter 5. Wrote the conclusion. Formatted the bibliography. Celebrated with wine and takeout and a full night's sleep for the first time in months. 🍷 Then my advisor read it and said: "This is great! But I think you need one more chapter connecting your findings to...

ABD. Dissertation on gender representation in 19th-century literature. Was making good progress. Then... nothing. Two weeks of nothing. Complete blank. Writer's block so thick I can't even open the document. 📄 I sit down. I stare. I open social media. I stare some more. I make tea. I reorganize...