The Dude and Dissertations

December 4th marks the birth of Jeff Bridges, aka The Dude. And, The Dude is a fount words of wisdom for dissertation students everywhere…

I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me. That or, uh His Dudeness, or uh Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.
— The Dude

You can substitute, “Doctor,” if you want… after you graduate!

This is a very complicated case Maude. You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous.
— The Dude

The dissertation is a long process, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Make it one of your top priorities to keep your dissertation simple.

No more than 2 or 3 research questions. Quantitative or qualitative, not both… no mixed methods studies! Collect your data once; don’t plan on multiple rounds of data collection.

Just keep it simple.

Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
— The Dude

And, if that “man” happens to be on your dissertation committee, then that opinion matters. In fact, that opinion is the only thing standing between you and graduation. So, honor their opinions, and give’m what they want, as soon as possible.

The Dude abides.
— The Dude

And, so should you. It’s important to maintain an even keel throughout the dissertation process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

So, set a pace that you can maintain and stick to it. We recommend that our students set aside 10-15 hours each week to work on their dissertations.

If you don’t get too caught up in the highs and lows of the journey, you’ll get through just fine.