Please, if you have your PhD or are married to a PhD....

[dorothy]

Can you tell me how long it took you to prepare for comps and then to write your dissertation?

 

My dh teaches at the university full time and has just finished his PhD coursework (great!). However, he now has to prepare to take comps and then work on his dissertation. I am wondering what this will be like. We have dc and he tries to spend some time with them each day, but really I have been a single (married) mom for four years now. It is wearing thin.

 

Can you give me some reasonable expectations?

 

Thanks.

[abbeyej]

Hey, Dorothy...

 

I'm afraid I can't help much -- it's been a few years now since dh finished his PhD, and I don't recall the exact sequence of events. And, of course, once you get to the dissertation, it depends a lot on the particular discipline and how fast the candidate writes...

 

But I did want to offer my empathy. When the children were small, dh was working full time and working on the PhD... It was exhausting for everyone. It *seemed* doable at the time, but now when I look back on it... Yikes. :) I'm so glad that phase of our lives is over! ... And there's my promise for you -- some day it will be over.

 

Have you talked to your husband about how long he expects this to take? He'll be able to give you a better estimate than any of us guessing at what he's studying and how fast he'll work.

[PariSarah]

We were not expected to teach at all during coursework, and have a very light load now. I can't imagine doing it the way your dh is!

 

So, my experience will only be partially helpful: we spent just under a year preparing for comps; we're planning to take two years for the diss. (Of course, it's already been seven months of the first year, and if you ask me to tell you how much I've written, I'll probably glare very nastily at you.) A lot of people in our department take a sixth year; some go even longer, although that's neither recommended nor wise.

 

Honestly, the year preparing for comps was hellish--mostly because I was pregnant and dh was preparing for comps at the same time. (We took them the same month, when I was seven months pregnant. Ugh.)

 

It's been more calm this year, even with the new baby, because there's less of a sense of urgency. But that'll pick up this summer, I'm guessing, and then get really bad again next year. (Next year might be the year I give up homeschooling. :()

 

But this timeline is different in different disciplines. A friend of mine is getting his PhD in the sciences in a lot less time than it'll take us, and an acquaintance took 9 years to get hers in German. It can really vary.

 

It's quite a stressful time, though. I'm totally sympathetic! I can't imagine how hard you're both having to work!

[kalanamak]

My father taught during the day, came home for supper, played and read to kids, tucked the littles into bed, and then went back to his office and studied until 12 or 1 am. He also came home from lunch as did the grade school aged children.

[Perry]

It took me 7 years all together, but I was going very part-time. The last 4 years were spent doing research (lab and field work), and the dissertation was written over the last 2 years of research. In my department, comps weren't a big deal, so I only spent a couple months preparing for them.

 

I could have done the coursework in less time, but I don't think I could have done my research and the dissertation any faster.

[dorothy]

I was working up until two years ago when baby 4 arrived and I was hsing the others. He was offered the work and scholarship at the same time and started four years ago. It is a PhD in Business. He is an excellent professor and student. He is saying that it will be at least six months of study for comps and at least one year, or more, for dissertation.

 

I just feel like I have hit a wall. I am middle-aged and feel like I am OVER the life of a student. We are alway short on cash, short on time, short on energy, short on family time, short on couple time, etc. His mind is always on his studies and projects. I understand it all, I just can't stand it all.

 

Thank you for your replies.

[abbeyej]

...and feel like I am OVER the life of a student. We are alway short on cash, short on time, short on energy, short on family time, short on couple time, etc. His mind is always on his studies and projects. I understand it all, I just can't stand it all.

 

I'm so sorry, Dorothy. I understand. I wish I could say more, make it easier...

 

It was *tough* on me, but I was still very young and only had two small children. The thought of doing it again now, or in a few years...

 

I really do empathize. Is there *anything* you could do for yourself to make yourself feel more cared for? Someone who could take the kids for an afternoon so you can regroup, or so you could have a quiet lunch with your dh? *Anything*? This *will* be over some day -- but I'd hate for you to fall apart before that happens... :(

[dorothy]

I am trying to take care of myself more and get some time but it has not changed this sort of looming feeling of "I can't keep living like this." I know I have to get over it. It is what it is and he is working very hard. I just feel like our lives are slipping by and we won't be able to recover these years with the dc and each other. We will be broke both spiritually and financially but by Jove, we will have a PhD!

 

I am sorry to be so negative. I usually handle this with grace, patience and encouragement.

[Harriet Vane]

My husband spent twelve years working to get his actuarial certification. The exams are monumentally difficult. 10-12 years is the average length of time to certification, and there are many who go longer, or just drop out.

 

We weren't married for the first couple exams. The first NINE years of our marriage were characterized by a very, very strict schedule. Ten months out of the year my dh would come home from work, eat dinner and play for 90 minutes, and then study for 3-4 hours--four nights a week. He also studied half days Saturday. The last month before a given exam (twice a year) he studied nearly constantly--five nights a week, and ALL day Saturday. His study vacations were in December and June. There was no way to ease back on the work--the exams are *very* difficult, and only a small percentage pass (roughly 35%).

 

We thought we were done, but it became clear that dh needed one additional certification to be able to work in the area of specialization he enjoys. He has passed two of the CFA exams. He is now studying for the final test in a 3-test series (3 years of work in addition to the 12 he already spent becoming an actuary).

 

It *is* hard. I have spent years joking about being a "study widow."

 

During this time we had two babies (two nightmarishly sick pregnancies) and dealt with significant health challenges for both ds and myself (ds had heart issues and chronic sinus infections; I have arthritis issues and chronic anemia). Our living situation is also quite challenging --we live in a socio-economically challenged, urban environment in which we are a definite racial minority. In addition, we have had major ongoing family crises due to a relative's brain tumor (she has five children). Believe me, I KNOW all about being totally wrung out.

 

We learned the value of a strict schedule. The more hodge-podge life was, the more stressed we felt. We *had* to stay on schedule, both to get the studying done, AND to make sure there was rest, too.

 

We had to come up with unique solutions to our problems. One example would be that my kids go to bed early so they do not feel slighted by their father's studying, and they wake up early to take advantage of the breakfast hour to be with him. Another example would be that I have had to be very, very intentional about getting together with friends so that I do not feel so lonely when dh is studying.

 

I would advise you to set up a routine that includes both time for the work to get done as well as REST and time for YOU to re-energize. Then just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

[OnTheBrink]

My father has a dual Ph.d and it took him 3 years, full time. I was 7 when he graduated, but I do remember him being able to spend time with me in the evenings. I don't know how late he stayed up studying, though. Granted, all he did was work on his degrees, so I'm not sure how normal this timeline is.

[PariSarah]

I just feel like I have hit a wall. I am middle-aged and feel like I am OVER the life of a student. We are alway short on cash, short on time, short on energy, short on family time, short on couple time, etc. His mind is always on his studies and projects. I understand it all, I just can't stand it all.

 

Oh. My. Word.

 

Yes.

 

I wish I had some wisdom for you. Just know that the big "splat" you see on the wall next to you is me. :o

 

If you find anything that helps, let me know.

[Mom to 3 Island Boys]

I think it really depends on the discipline, but just to give you one more person's experience to throw in... I got my PhD in Biochemistry. Once I finished my actual laboratory research (and classes and teaching, etc.), I only spent about 7 months writing my dissertation and studying. My husband and I timed it so that my son was born right when I thought I'd be finished up with everything else and ready to write/study, so I was writing and studying with a newborn while my husband worked (I learned quickly how to breastfeed while typing! :)). So the good news is that I think it can be done quickly... BUT I wasn't working outside of the home, just doing some research for one more article. And my writing was probably somewhat easier for me since I had already published some of my research ~ so large chunks of my writing were already done along the way. (Thank God for cut and paste! And that you can't get in trouble for plagiarizing yourself!)

 

I hope things get better for you. It sounds like he's at least nearing the finish line! And maybe it's OK if it takes him just a little bit longer because he takes occasional breaks to spend a little more time with the family? The kids are only kids for so long... I even feel like my 4 year old has grown up too fast!

[Plaid Dad]

I did comps in one semester; they had to be completed within six months, so there was no wiggle room there. Writing the diss. took a year and a half. I could have turned it in after a year, but I got a dean's award for an extra semester's worth of income, so... For reference, I was not in residence at the university while writing, so I did not have the usual teaching load. I was also single at the time and very driven about writing.

 

So much depends on the field and the department. I was in the humanities (German) and the stated goal was to get us from walking-through-the-door-with-a-B.A. to the Ph.D. in five years. No one actually did that. I took 5.5 years, and that was a full year less than anyone else of my vintage in the program. Most took around seven years total, and a few were ABD for a year or two longer.

 

HTH!

[Bev in B'ville]

The comps in my department consisted of two parts. First, a week long essay exam using nothing but a department computer to type in your answers (no notes, books or other helpers). Answers were expected to be complete and the questions were all encompassing, which meant about 16 typed pages per answer. The test began Monday morning at 8:00 and ended Friday afternoon at 5:00. There were four questions per day of which we had to answer three. It literally took all day. When I did this part of the exam I got a hotel room for the week. We had two small children at home (under 5), my husband took a vacation week and stayed home with the kids. After each day's questions I went back to my hotel room and studied, studied, and studied some more. It was better than making the commute home and then having to deal with family stuff. Pretty much everyone was a basket case after each day's testing.

 

Part two of the exam was the oral comps. My committee prepared a project for me, gave it to me with a one week time period to prepare a two hour presentation. I had to present to them (my committee members) and they would ask questions as we went along. This was another stressful week.

 

Dissertation is another matter. It really depends on what your area of expertise is. Mine was psychology so I was expected to develop an experiment and run subjects, crunch the data, present it to committee members, then publish it in a respected journal. It takes a long time, depending on where you have to get your subjects, how complicated the statistics are, etc.

 

Good luck.

[chiguirre]

Hey, Strider, I totally sympathize about the CFA! I did it when I didn't have kids and I read NOTHING but finance and accounting for 6 months out of the year. I remember hauling most of the books for the level 1 exam to the beach for Carnival. My dh thought I was nuts, but I did get a huge chunk done. On the bright side, it's only 3 years :)!

[TravelingChris]

My husband did most of his work including almost all research and all coursework, comps, everything but the dissertation in three years full-time. We had no financial problems because he was an active duty officer during this and was receiving his normal pay. However, I was also working on my Phd at the time and had a four year old and a new baby. I ended up doing all my coursework and my exams in a year and a half and then I quit since I got ill and could see that my family would suffer. My husband left the institution without his PHD and moved to his next base. About a year and few months later, he came back (with me at home with my third) did two weeks of supplemantary research and then got his dissertation finished, went back and did his defense, and got his PhD. He never went back for the ceremony because we were living 2500 miles away at the time and the airplane tickets weren't cheap. So for him the total was 3 yrs fulltime and then two years finishing up not at the institution whle working long hours in his normal job which included travel and more coursework for that job.

 

How did I deal with it? I knew the payback would be great in many years hence (it has been 10 years since his degree). He is still AD but he some better assignments becasue of his PhD. Furthermore, we don't have any of the worries of the less technical people as he nears retirement. With his degree and his clearances, he will get a good job.

[Caroline]

in Materials Science and Engineering. I studied for comps for a semester. It was two years from them to finish my research and write my dissertation. I know people who did it faster. But, I had a kid and I worked off hours and had him in the lab with me a lot. My husband did it faster. His adviser was moving to another university halfway across the country, so DH had to finish before he left. He was working full time while I finished up, so money wasn't really an issue for us. I really did take my time. I will say, I think a lot depends on what your adviser needs from you. If he/she thinks he/she will need you to teach for them the next semester, he/she may be slow on the reading.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

(((Dorothy))) It is a hard road and the results will pay off in the end. But it doesn't make it any easier at the time, does it.

 

My dh has his PhD in Quantum Optics. He began in Sept 1990 and handed in his corrected finished dissertation Dec 1997. He is an experimentalist. So it took a bit longer given what he was researching. Lasers are not easy to get results with quickly!

 

I don't know when he actually started writing. I do know that over the course of his tenure there, he was writing some as he went along with publications and such. Those were used in the final papers. I seem to recall (a bit foggy as I was in the throes of morning sickness and the like) that he was doing only writing (hard and heavy) the last 4-6 months or so.

 

 

The comps: hmmm, I want to say several months (?) for those? Wow, that was a long time ago!

 

 

But it does depend on the discipline of study and the particular area and type of research for the length of time. It is a difficult road. We did not have children yet. So I cannot imagine how hard it must be for your family. I hope you can make it through to reap the rewards without going bonkers!

[JeanM]

I have to say though, how long it takes really depends on the department you are in and your mentor. My department (Cellular and Molecular Biology) had a goal of trying to get people through in about 5 years. I would have finished in 5 years, but my oldest ds was born that last year. I finished in 5.5 years. My department didn't make a huge deal out of prelims, I finished that the end of 2nd year. I have no regrets about getting my PhD, even though I'm not working now.

 

DH's department is much less student-friendly and most students take much longer to get their degrees. He is in engineering and it took him way too long (over 10 years) to finish.

 

And on a cheerier note, I know a guy who wrote up his dissertation in less than a month. He had finished all of his research and had a job lined up. He was unmarried and really motivated to finish.

 

I am so with you on the "tired of living this lifestyle." We are still there since my DH is doing a post-doc.

 

Jean

[Harriet Vane]

Hey, Strider, I totally sympathize about the CFA! I did it when I didn't have kids and I read NOTHING but finance and accounting for 6 months out of the year. I remember hauling most of the books for the level 1 exam to the beach for Carnival. My dh thought I was nuts, but I did get a huge chunk done. On the bright side, it's only 3 years :)!

 

Yep--it blows my mind. Thanks for the sympathy!:)

[Pster]

Dh says you have a long road ahead of you.

He had started his research and then began writing when we first met. So...we've been thru it - pre-kids. It is tough - can't imagine doing it with kids so I do feel for you.

 

He also asked what field he is in and where he is attending ~ that that would determine a lot also.

 

(I haven't read the other responses so I don't know if you have answered this yet.)

[3littlekeets]

So much depends on the field, the advisor, and the University. I did mine at Purdue in Communication. It was 3 years of coursework, 6 mos. of comp studying, then 2 years of diss. work. My DH is in the same field, but did his work at another institution; his comps were the same, but the dissertation was more like an article than a book and only took 6 mos.