A PhD Program Doesn't Have to Feel Like a Solo Race

You know, one of the things about our cohort or our program, I should say, is that it promises a cohort model.

And when we both defended in May, so I defended right after you.

And again, it's still odd to be addressed as Dr. Roman.

It's still odd to say that out loud.

And to see it in writing.

But one of the things that was really important, I think, for both of us was to have a program that was going to give us a cohort model so we didn't feel like we were going through this PhD journey alone.

Right.

And the cohort model, as far as it goes with the doctoral program, is presented in this way that these are the people who will carry you through.

And our experience, as we've reflected back on it over the past couple of months, was that when it stops delivering, that's a design limitation rather than a failure.

So what do you think... with a little bit of distance that the cohort model is really optimized for? And when does it stop being true?

And I thought about this too, even since we've written our piece for Odyssey.

And I'm almost thinking about the cohort model as like the building blocks too, right? And that's something I've thought about and maybe reframed it in my own mind as those were either the first few steps up or the first few steps of the path that you have this group that are preparing you for both of us it was like the prospectus and the dissertation phase because of the timing of our coursework i think i finished mine in three years you two even faster like a year and a half and That's when I was most connected to my cohort, for sure, because I was having classes with some of them.

That first year, we had those required classes as part of our, not just the higher ed cohort, but the whole department cohort of PhD students.

So I've thought about it a lot as that.

It is like to get you to the stage where you're set up, you've made some connections.

You know some people or you know who your people are that are going to carry you into that next stage of independent and independent research.

Yeah, you know, I think that's spot on.

I think one of the things that was really helpful about the way that our program was structured is having those two required courses from the department where, you know, we got our focus in higher education, but more broadly, the department was OLPD, and that stood for Organizational Leadership Policy and Development.

So it wasn't just higher education.

There were different programs as part of it, and so therefore different PhD students.

But when we had those required courses, it really helped you try to figure out, okay, well, who's going to be in this program in this department with you? So even if you're not just talking to your higher ed, you people all the time, at least you can talk to someone else who may be going through this or going through a similar challenge in a different way.

And it's both supportive in the aspect of, you know, you're kind of rooting for each other.

Anytime someone meets a milestone, you're really making sure that you're giving them their kudos and that type of thing.

But then also, I think challenging the other person of, okay, you're kind of benchmarking yourself a little bit on where people are.

And whether you're on that same benchmark right now, or if you're a little behind, or if you're a little further, so it's kind of that like iron sharpening iron type of aspect to it.

You know, one of the things about our cohort or our program, I should say, is that it promises a cohort model.

And when we both defended in May, so I defended right after you.

And again, it's still odd to be addressed as Dr. Roman.

It's still odd to say that out loud.

And to see it in writing.

But one of the things that was really important, I think, for both of us was to have a program that was going to give us a cohort model so we didn't feel like we were going through this PhD journey alone.

Right.

And the cohort model, as far as it goes with the doctoral program, is presented in this way that these are the people who will carry you through.

And our experience, as we've reflected back on it over the past couple of months, was that when it stops delivering, that's a design limitation rather than a failure.

So what do you think... with a little bit of distance that the cohort model is really optimized for? And when does it stop being true?

And I thought about this too, even since we've written our piece for Odyssey.

And I'm almost thinking about the cohort model as like the building blocks too, right? And that's something I've thought about and maybe reframed it in my own mind as those were either the first few steps up or the first few steps of the path that you have this group that are preparing you for both of us it was like the prospectus and the dissertation phase because of the timing of our coursework i think i finished mine in three years you two even faster like a year and a half and That's when I was most connected to my cohort, for sure, because I was having classes with some of them.

That first year, we had those required classes as part of our, not just the higher ed cohort, but the whole department cohort of PhD students.

So I've thought about it a lot as that.

It is like to get you to the stage where you're set up, you've made some connections.

You know some people or you know who your people are that are going to carry you into that next stage of independent and independent research.

Yeah, you know, I think that's spot on.

I think one of the things that was really helpful about the way that our program was structured is having those two required courses from the department where, you know, we got our focus in higher education, but more broadly, the department was OLPD, and that stood for Organizational Leadership Policy and Development.

So it wasn't just higher education.

There were different programs as part of it, and so therefore different PhD students.

But when we had those required courses, it really helped you try to figure out, okay, well, who's going to be in this program in this department with you? So even if you're not just talking to your higher ed, you people all the time, at least you can talk to someone else who may be going through this or going through a similar challenge in a different way.

And it's both supportive in the aspect of, you know, you're kind of rooting for each other.

Anytime someone meets a milestone, you're really making sure that you're giving them their kudos and that type of thing.

But then also, I think challenging the other person of, okay, you're kind of benchmarking yourself a little bit on where people are.

And whether you're on that same benchmark right now, or if you're a little behind, or if you're a little further, so it's kind of that like iron sharpening iron type of aspect to it.