Posted on by Sabith Khan

Three Year PhD – What is it and why does it exist?

The three year PhD is a platform to share some of the most powerful and effective lessons I have learnt, from other experts on how to get through your PhD program, successfully.

While there is enough research on what causes students to leave doctoral programs without finishing it, there is little; if any support on how to help students finish what they started. An estimated 50 percent of doctoral students don’t finish their PhD.

This could be due to a variety of reasons, from: a. lack of funding b. Life changes – marriage, family demands, sickness in family or c. Lack of motivation or direction – from self as well as the committee

The name of this website is also suggestive and intentionally provocative. While finishing a PhD in three years (in the US) is very difficult, there are some new programs that have come up, that help students finish in three years or about four years. And I went to one such program at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs.

And yes, I did finish my PhD in three years.

While the idea of the blog is not to set up false expectations on you finishing your PhD in three years (even though it is quite realistic and possible, depending on a few factors), my objective is to bring together resources and ideas that will help you think through and strategize your own PhD journey, so you can finish it successfully.

I am also working on a book by the same title, that will be released in 2017. Watch out for updates.

Finally, send me any ideas or insights or questions that you may have, as you plan your way through your PhD.

Best wishes for the year ahead.

Posted on by Sabith Khan

First blog post : Being a finisher. What does it take?

If you are a first year PhD student, you may have wondered about what it takes to ‘finish’ a PhD. As a young wide-eyed scholar, I was in your shoes, not too long ago. Now that I have outgrown those proverbial boots, I am in a position to tell you how to move from there, to being a ‘finished’ PhD.

Believe me when I say this : The difference between finishing and being ‘almost done’ is a hairline difference. It could boil down to so many factors, some within your reach and others not in your control.

Some of the key factors that determine your success that I will help you understand and tackle include :

  • Personal discipline:  This, in my opinion is the most important factor and differentiates the boys from the men and the girls from the women. Seriously, if you are not disciplined and serious about your work, you must quit. Like, right now. Dont even bother attempting a PhD. This is serious business and you must mean it when you sign up for it. This also means stop whining and moaning about how hard it is. I know far too many people who are doing this – across social media, in real life and in their journals. My two cents : Get over it. No one put a gun to your head to do this. If you signed up for the process, either embrace it, or get off the track.
  • Politics of knowledge production : Yes, I know I’ve started sounding like a critical theorist. One who sees politics everywhere. But no, really. Give me a minute and I’ll explain what I mean. This talk of ‘politics’ of what ‘knowledge’ and ‘truth’ is not some hunky-dory talk. It is as real as it gets. If your committee chair/ members are of an entirely different political persuasion as you are or if they think qualitative research methods are just story telling and you are a strongly qualitative person; then your failure is guaranteed. The same applies to those who are strongly quantitative or ‘positivists’ working with  a strongly qualitative department/ committee. It goes without saying that you need to pick your committee members carefully, so as to ensure that your quality of work is not compromised, while ensuring the politics in your committee don’t get the better of you.
  • Strategy to move from one stage to another : I think there are certain ‘ways to think’ of your PhD. It is possible to map out your own progress, to chart it and also to benchmark it. If you are able to do this well, you will succeed. If not, rest assured you will forever remain a ‘PhD candidate.’
  • Maintaining your sanity : While this should really be on top of your list, I have put it as the last item because, in reality; this is what makes the whole process enjoyable and enriching. You don’t want to be a miserable PhD student or even a miserable Dr.whatever. You want to enjoy the process, build meaningful and lasting relationships with the people you work with, work for. What this means is maintaining a semblance of normalcy and a routine that works for you, your family and loved ones.
  • Building a supportive network : This includes your peers, mentors and others in your discipline. This is crucial, if you are to get through your PhD. You will hear more about this, but rest assured that this is crucial; critical even for your own success.

More on each of these items soon. But remember, your success is truly in your hands – well, for the most part. Make sure you do everything you can, to succeed.