I’m Feeling Optimistic Again...But I Nearly Quit || Doctoral Journey

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DISCLAIMER: Work processes, timing, and approaches to schooling may vary due to factors such as work commitments, personal life, academic background, skills, attitudes, and mindsets. This channel aims to inspire rather than impose a specific way of doing school. I hope you enjoy and find the video motivating. I support diverse approaches to schooling that work best for each individual.
Current degree at South College, Knoxville Campus (online):
• Doctor of Education (EdD) started July 1st, 2023
Past degrees I completed at Western Governors University (WGU):
• Master of Science (MSc) in Curriculum and Instruction (completed in 5.5 months)
• Master of Education (MEd) in Learning, Design and Technology (completed in 2.5 months)
• Note: Both programs were sunsetted after I completed them but WGU has newer versions that you can check out on their website.
Western Governors University Playlist:
• Western Governors Univ...
South College CBE Doctoral Studies Playlist:
• South College EdD

[@tal1414]

YOU GOT THIS JUSTIN! you made it too far in too good time to ever quit!! Please take a WELL deserved bow and short break- you doing so well no matter what🙏

[@lifebyjustin]

Thanks for the encouraging comment! That's so nice! I was able to take a little break recently and I'm feeling more energized. I'm back in the swing of things :)

[@Dom-pi1gj]

Glad to see you’re still going! I’m in my capstone right now for my masters in LXD and EdTech at WGU. Started august 1 and feeling a little burned out but motivated

[@lifebyjustin]

Thank you! And the WGU capstone is a lot of work, so know about the mini burn out you're feeling (I did two capstone-based masters at WGU). I'm sure your motivation comes from knowing you're very close to the finish line. Big accomplishment ahead

[@Dom-pi1gj]

@@lifebyjustin I got inspiration from your WGU videos on the masters you completed. Im a high school teacher so the pay scale increase was definitely my first motivator. I also want to try and get into an adjunct position teaching education courses part time with my masters!

[@lifebyjustin]

@@Dom-pi1gj Having those reasons in mind will keep you motivated. I enjoy adjunct work in higher education. In Canada, where I live, it pays reasonably well, although I know it might be different in the states.

[@bdjtech3894]

Thank you for sharing the ups and downs of your journey. For me being able to see people like yourself preserver through a journey like this is helpful and inspiring. I also agree that the support system at South, both students and faculty , seems to really be a difference maker for a self-paced/CBE program like South’s. The fact that you’re 60% complete since July should not be understated and is amazing accomplishment. I’m glad that you are able keep pushing on and inspiring others like myself along the way.

[@lifebyjustin]

Thank you! I think a big part of this channel is showing the trajectory of being a grad student, which has its ups and downs. Knowing I inspire others is motivating, so thanks for mentioning it. I appreciate it! I'm glad to be in a more relaxed, positive mental state these days

[@Tyswave]

I would love to hear your reflection on what is going on though your mind when you are on the dissertation phase of this program. You got this!! Just think, other doctorate programs take sometimes up to 2 years to be where you're at now.

[@lifebyjustin]

I'll definitely do one! And compare it to my mindset at other stages in the program.

[@MariaOliveira]

Hi Justin! Thank you for the update, since your last video I have been thinking a lot about it and it made me so glad that I chose not to pursue South College for my DBA. You are much stronger mentally than me! My Ph.D. journey so far at UCA has been a lot more 'relaxed' - since the classes are not self-paced I do have to follow the pace the instructor set and so far we have one assignment due each week, since I am only taking two classes this has been manageable. My classes do not seem to have the number of assignments your classes have. How far along on your journey are you? My pace is pretty slow, so it should take me over three years to finish.

[@lifebyjustin]

No problem :) Thanks for sharing about your experience too. South College is quite demanding; it involves a lot of work. I often mention this, but it's true. I'm up for the challenge, but I want others to know just how much work is involved. It's no joke. Your PhD program sounds really nice. Is it in-person? I bet you're engaging with a lot of interesting people too. Sometimes I wish I had taken the Brick and Mortar route so I wouldn't have to deal with the double challenge of coursework and constant discipline because of self-paced learning. But on the other hand, I like the flexibility of CBE and ability to direct my learning. Pros and cons I guess. Two courses seems manageable, and it seems you're handling them well. How many assignments do you have per course? There's nothing wrong with a slower pace in your program; it might help prevent you from getting overwhelmed (like me lol). One challenge with CBE is that there's a constant feeling that there's always something that needs to be worked on, even during breaks from schoolwork. Here, each course has about 20 assignments, and many of them are papers. I'm currently in course 6 out of 10 but the 10th course will be the dissertation, which will take a while.

[@MariaOliveira]

@@lifebyjustin WOW I can't believe you're already in course 6/10! That is amazing! Congratulations! So in 1 class, I have 15 assignments and 1 paper and on another one, I have 14 Assignments and 1 paper. However, my assignments are not strenuous, they mostly revolve around reading and reflection journals and discussions. So as long as I can keep up with my reading for the week I can basically be done with my assignment for the week in a few hours. The program I am in is fully remote, it is designed for 'working people' so we only have 'live zoom classes' once every other week per class and they are usually only one hour. I have enjoyed these live classes because they kind of respark my interest in what I am studying and I have to say my instructors are really high caliber. I completed by Bachelors and Masters at self paced schools so really never had that live experience with a teacher/professor - so that has been really nice. In the zoom classes I have been put into breakout rooms with other students so it is nice to chat with someone else in the program, makes me feel not so isolated. Part of me still has that wish for the self paced style because I like to achieve and run through my studies at a faster pace, but recently I have been dealing with a lot in my life (nothing bad just a lot of random things) and I think this pace has kept me from being overwhelmed. Sending you all of the best of luck to finish your program in a more stress free way! You are doing amazing and thank you for sharing your journey.

[@lifebyjustin]

@@MariaOliveira It was interesting to read all that Maria, thank you for sharing! And thanks for your encouragement. Wishing you positivity along your path as well :)

[@bluevase8799]

Can you complete the assignments without a deadline? I was thinking about this because I don't think I could complete more than two assignments a week. I wanted to thank you for discussing competency-based classes and programs at the doctoral level.😊

[@bluevase8799]

I have a question. Are the classes self-paced? In other words, you don’t have to complete weekly discussion postings or interact with other students, do you? Thank you for sharing.

[@mickeykozzi]

look at this fruit lol