Lessons Learned after One Year of PhD Studies
This weekend, I wrapped up my first year of doctoral studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While the workload has been exhausting (as any doctoral program rightfully should be), I couldn’t be more excited about the focus of my studies and the opportunity afforded to give focused attention to an academic discipline—ethics—that I love. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned after one year of studies that may prove helpful for anyone considering the pursuit of a PhD.
Utilize technology. Evernote and Zotero have become go-to resources for organizing research, jotting down notes, collecting bibliographic information, and academic writing. Technology has made all my resources available via cloud technology; and the integration of Evernote has allowed me to forgo the need to haul around a mass of papers. I’m paperless. If you spend the time to learn how to use these programs (Zotero takes more time than Evernote in my opinion), you’ll save yourself hours of time when it comes to creating bibliographies and creating citations in your papers. After a year of using it, I can affirm its value. If you aren’t using it, I feel sorry for your tired soul.
Carving out time. I have a full-time job that I love. But the PhD is also its own full-time job. This means that you have to be creative in finding time to study and write. For me, that means waking up early, grabbing coffee, and reading. I’ll wake up early and read, then head to the office; or I’ll arrive at the office very early and read until 8:30 or 9:00. You must also take advantage of every free moment you have. This means having a book with you at all times. Wherever I go, I usually have at least two books in my bag. Don’t get caught flat footed for a twenty minute time span and not take advantage of knocking out a few pages of reading. Progress happens by being deliberate and shrewd. You’ll also have to work on the weekends. Sorry, but you will. Saturday mornings became high moments of productivity. And afternoons during the weekend while your family is watching TV or napping are great times to chip away at whatever work needs to get accomplished.
Say no. There are opportunities I’ve had that I’ve had to turn down. Seek wisdom from others about whether opportunities that come across your plate are worth taking. Don’t take on extra responsibilities if you know they’re going to detract you from your already over-extended schedule. I’ve told myself that I will not take on an additional major “role” in my career until my doctoral program is over. That’s not because I’m lazy; it’s simply because I value my sanity and my family more than my resume’.
Exercise. The start of my doctoral studies coincided with me being deliberate in an exercise routine, which means running. You need to exercise at least three times a week. Our minds are not disembodied brains. They are apart of our body, which means we have to integrate our body into our study rhythms. If you aren’t exercising, chances are your stress levels are higher than they need to be. Exercise allows you to clear your mind and blow off steam. This is essential. Also, take advantage of walking. Few things inspire solitude and reflection than a walk.
Up-front costs are worth it. There’s one item in particular I invested in. I bought Bose in-ear noise canceling headphones. They were a $300 investment. They’ve become essential. I bought the in-ear headphones because they’re compact. The normal size ones don’t fit comfortably in your briefcase or bag. I don’t have a home office, which means when I study, I need to be able to focus in a way that works for me. Trust me: They’re a lot; but they’re worth the pay off in the long run once you consider their utility and their quality. If you need to make an expense upfront that may be uncomfortable, but that will pay off through studying and sanity, just do it. But, you don’t need a BMW to do a PhD
Get used to always being busy. Doctoral study consists in a lot of psychology. You have to get accustomed to never being done. There’s always one more book to read; one more note that could be taken. After one year of what I hope will be four years in total, it’s easy to feel beaten down and overwhelmed. Get used to it. Remember that that’s normal. If you don’t feel overwhelmed, chances are that you aren’t doing enough; and that it hasn’t set in that the PhD is a beast.
Develop a reading plan. Know how to read. You’re not going to memorize each book you read. What you need to do is spend some time preparing to read each book you plan to give time to. Review one or two academic reviews so that you’ll have an understanding of the book’s overall contribution to your field. Develop a system of how to take notes in the book. I underline, highlight, checkmark, flag, and dog-ear. From this, I’ve developed a tiered-marking system that I use in the margins of each book that allows me to know how important each insight is to the overall content of the book by ranking it. Also, Phillip Bethancourt recommended I purchase this little contraption—a book clip. At only $5, it has revolutionized how I read. I’ve now purchased three of them and have one in my bag, my home workspace, and my office.
Go one day at a time. One of my professors I go to church with gave me good advice. He said that you have to take your PhD studies one day at a time; one week at a time; one month at a time. This provided a lot of sanity for me. I’m now done with year one of my studies. I hope to be done, and am on pace to be done, in four years.
Sleep. I’ve pledged to not sacrifice my sleep; and I’ve stuck by this very intentionally. A lack of sleep will make you, and everybody else around you, miserable. My friends sometimes laugh at me for refusing to do things after 10 PM because I get immediately tired and cranky. In general, I try to be asleep by 10:00 or 10:30 and up by 5:00 or 5:30. Remember: Your body matters to your studies!
Plan well. Each of my seminars had one major paper, so I allotted one month, separately, to each paper. Generally, that’s two weeks of research, and two weeks of writing. Everybody is different, though. I’m a fairly quick writer, so I can afford to break up the planning in two week intervals. Adjust accordingly if you’re different.
Always be researching. If you’re using technology well, you can always be jotting down good insights and tracking sources; so when it comes time to write, you have a lot of preliminary research out of the way.
Keep the dissertation on your brain. I’ve been encouraged to start my studies with an eye toward narrowing my interests for a dissertation. This allows you to be collecting resources and bibliographies that will pay off when it comes time to write the dissertation. If you have a general idea of where you’re headed, this will allow you to begin gaining familiarity with the primary sources and influential thinkers in your field. At this point in my studies, I’ve identified two major categories that I’d like to devote a dissertation to: Carl Henry and Natural Law Theory. What I would like to do in my studies is evaluate evangelical attitudes toward natural law and work to develop a theory of how Christians should understand moral obligation in the public square. As a proponent of natural law, I’d like to argue that the structural elements of Carl Henry’s theology provides a great starting point for evangelicals to develop a minimalist, “thin,” and biblical account of natural law for public square engagement.
Write smart. Related to the dissertation comments, you need to begin to understand your writing dynamics; of when you’re productive, and when you’re not. Working when you shouldn’t be doesn’t make you virtuous; it simply produces mediocre or bad work. Secondly, though I’m embarrassed to admit this, I’ve finally begun using outlines for writing papers. I always avoided doing that because it was one extra layer of work. But, being forced to outline (as I was for one of my classes) provided a smarter writing experience. It isn’t a coincidence, I think, that the paper I’m most satisfied with this year is the paper that I deliberately outlined. Outlining helps crystallize ideas and helps you understand the overall flow of your argument.
You’re not an expert like you think you are. The temptation with the PhD is to view yourself as the definitive expert. If you think this way, you’re going to get bogged down with the lingering temptation to be arrogant. You are not your gift, as one of my mentors says. A doctoral program is a journey of learning and illumination. Yes, you’ll get deeply acquainted with certain topics, but remember: You’re a young scholar. Relatedly: As my friends have told me, the PhD is an entryway into the broader field of academia. The PhD means you can hang—at least hypothetically—with the big dogs. Your dissertation isn’t your magnum opus.
Don’t be a bad spouse or parent. “Having to read” can be a convenient excuse for passing off responsibilities onto your spouse. I won’t say I’ve been perfect about this; but generally speaking, from 5:00-8:30 PM, I try to do minimal school work and make that family time. Don’t buck responsibilities. Play with your kids. Get off your phone (I’m guilty here often). Tuck your kids in. Read with them. Sing with them. Pray with them. Talk with your wife.
Keep the main thing the main thing. If you’re a Christian scholar, your academic endeavors cannot be quarantined off from the glory of Christ. In all that you do, go at it with the perspective that each and every academic pursuit is done toward the purpose of knowing your Lord and Savior in a newfound way.
Coffee. As one of my fellow doctoral buddies noted, you need to develop a taste for coffee. Coffee helps provide ballast; and a good energy boost when needed. I go the route of the Keurig, mostly because my wife is not a coffee drinker, so it makes more sense to make individual cups rather than waste a whole pot.
Here’s to the completion of year one! Here’s to a summer of studying theological German! Here’s to three more years of exhaustion, excitement, and discipline!