Chapter 1: Rearranging My Plate: A Doctoral Journey

The clock in my office reads 12:15 a.m. I am finishing the last of some truly terrible instant coffee while trying to figure out why my handouts for class are not printing. I will give the last presentation (that’s for a grade anyway) of my academic career in eight hours. A few hours after that I will meet with my advisor to discuss my dissertation proposal. Oh crap! I forgot to update my literature review and refine my research questions! Add it to the list. Sleep is optional these days. Pity. In a few weeks I also become a father for the first time. Suddenly the line “Look at your life, look at your choices” begins to ring in to my head. And so I begin to reflect on this doctoral journey.