Seek Support
When students struggle with their dissertations, they often struggle alone—at home, in the library, or in their office—writing in circles, reading more and more research in search of inspiration, avoiding the work, and becoming increasingly demoralized.
Because the dissertation is such a solitary endeavor, students often rely solely on their own thoughts and ideas to:
Write
Design and carry out their study
Solve research problems
Manage uncertainty and doubt
At some point, almost all students get stuck, experience writer’s block, or feel unsure about what to write or what step to take next. When this happens, you have a choice.
You Have Two Options When You’re Stuck
When you feel stymied, you can:
Struggle on your own, hoping clarity will eventually emerge
Seek support and talk things through with someone else
If you persist alone, you will probably figure things out eventually—but doing so can be painful, demoralizing, and time-consuming. It can significantly delay your progress and even your dissertation defense.
One of the most effective ways to short-circuit being stuck is to talk over your struggles with another person.
Who Can You Talk To?
When my clients are struggling, I encourage them to reach out to people such as:
Fellow graduate students (current or former)
Their faculty advisor
Committee members
Other faculty members
Who you choose depends on:
Your comfort level
The nature of the problem
Who is best suited to help
If you are unsure where to start, a fellow student or recent graduate from your department is often a good first choice.
You may also benefit from forming or joining a dissertation writing group, where you can regularly discuss your work and receive feedback and encouragement.
A Personal Example: Talking My Way Out of Writer’s Block
I remember a time when I was struggling intensely with a major revision and reorganization of my literature review.
For my final dissertation, I needed to:
Write new material
Substantially revise earlier writing
Reorganize and reconceptualize my literature review
I struggled for several months, spinning my wheels and becoming increasingly discouraged. Eventually, I developed a significant case of writer’s block.
A wise professor helped me see that writer’s block is often really a thinking block. My problem was not a lack of effort—it was that I could not figure out how to think differently about my literature review on my own. The professor also pointed out that I was not using one of my strengths: my ability to talk ideas through verbally.
How One Conversation Changed Everything
After that conversation, I asked a fellow student and friend, Bernadette, if she would be willing to listen to my concerns.
We met at a coffee shop. I brought a printed copy of my latest (and very convoluted) literature review and walked her through:
What I had written
What I was trying to accomplish
Where I felt stuck conceptually and organizationally
Bernadette reflected back what she heard and offered a few suggestions—but she did not need to say much.
By the end of our meeting, simply by talking out loud, I had developed a much clearer mental outline for revising my literature review.
That afternoon, I went home and spent several hours cutting, pasting, editing, and writing new material. By the end of the day, my literature review was substantially improved.
Why Talking It Through Works
What struck me most was that the meeting was not about Bernadette solving my problems for me. It was about having the opportunity to:
Think out loud
Process ideas verbally
Share confusion instead of carrying it alone
Talking through research and writing challenges can dramatically accelerate your ability to:
Clarify complex ideas
Identify organizational strategies
Improve how you articulate your thinking
Often, the person you talk to does not need to be an expert in your research area—unless you need specific technical guidance. Frequently, having someone simply listen is enough.
Don’t Struggle Alone With Bigger Issues
You may also encounter challenges related to:
Choosing or refining a topic
Developing a conceptual framework
Designing your study
Analyzing data
In these cases, it is especially helpful to seek out someone who is both knowledgeable and approachable.
Resist the temptation to struggle alone. Solitary struggle does not make you nobler—or your dissertation more worthy—than seeking help does.
Why Talking It Through Works
What struck me most was that the meeting was not about Bernadette solving my problems for me. It was about having the opportunity to:
Think out loud
Process ideas verbally
Share confusion instead of carrying it alone
Talking through research and writing challenges can dramatically accelerate your ability to:
Clarify complex ideas
Identify organizational strategies
Improve how you articulate your thinking
Often, the person you talk to does not need to be an expert in your research area—unless you need specific technical guidance. Frequently, having someone simply listen is enough.
This article was written by Alison Miller, PhD, founder of The Dissertation Coach, a business dedicated to helping doctoral and master’s students successfully earn their graduate degrees.