Want the Secrets to Completing Your Doctoral Dissertation? (Academic Version)

I was stunned at the response from all of my fellow UOP students. In one day 20 people responded to my post and at least 7 personally emailed me. I sat at work and thought about how I could write a second article, even more powerful, and that had specific tips for accelerating their success. This is what I compiled. Please read the following two quotes slowly and really absorb the words. They are carefully chosen for your success.

 

First I would like you to gain a solid understanding of what a Doctorate is.

"The objective of a doctoral degree is to create high quality research and verifiable findings that are relevant, thought provoking, and constitute a significant contribution to the existing body of research in your desired topic." - Dr. Robert Garcia

 

Next, I would like to offer my opinion as to what constitutes a doctoral student/candidate:

 

"A doctoral student/candidate synthesizes existing knowledge, draws conclusions and interjects their personal research and findings." -Dr. Robert Garcia

 

Now that I have shared what is expected of your work and yourself, I'd like to share several tips to aid your growth as a student/candidate.

 

Mentor/Committee- If you can't find faculty with the UOP resources, there is nothing wrong with politely writing as many faculty members as possible and asking them if they know anyone. I would also use Linkedin and use the search engine to see who pops up.

 

Residency- Take as many business cards as you can, and GET EVERYONE'S CONTACT INFO. These people are your comrades-in-arms and at times, will be your main source of strength after a challenge. The smartest thing I ever did was circulate a contact sheet and kept it close to my desk.

 

When you get to your dissertation, keep it at your level of confidence. This means if you are writing about healthcare, a dissertation involving hospital billing in 10 states will be a lot more complicated than writing about hospital billing in one city. I wrote about Project Based Learning and if I had gone with the original plan of using teen respondents, would have tripled the paperwork and complexity. The key word here is "manageable."

 

Creating powerful content is essential to your evolution as a student. About halfway through the journey, I started to realize that three sentences that were written at a high level could beat out three pages that were written "to get the job done." Think about the impact of statement. Write for content, not completion.

 

When you get to your dissertation, you will be tasked with writing at the highest level of comprehension. Don't let this intimidate you. You have 10 times as many resources as you think for drawing research from. Write with confidence and power. Here are several tactics I used to create a well received and comprehensive dissertation:

 

1. Don't get caught up in "Americanism." Foreign studies, journals, and research can benefit you GREATLY in your doctoral journey. Don't get caught in the trap of only using American resources and articles. Check foreign universities, trade journals, and studies. Has anyone from Oxford ever written a research paper on your topic or field? I used studies from Malaysia, India, and Australia for my work.

 

2. Are there similar organizations that have content or findings that can help? Don't just use Proquest, branch out. If you are writing about law, use articles from a law school, if you are writing about business, what does Wharton say about your topic? Are there trade journals or organizations that have content/research/findings that can strengthen your cause/paper?

 

3. Find relevant sub-topics that strengthen your writing and research. Remember to not create "fluff" but to build a cohesive foundation of knowledge. When I wrote about Project Based Learning, I researched the history of education, PBL practices in early education, the tie in with the ASVAB (military testing) and other schools that used PBL exclusively. This created a wider body of knowledge, and to be honest, made me a better subject matter expert on PBL.

 

4. Who are the pioneers in your topic? Are there people that can be written about? Anyone that has significantly affected the subject with research/achivement/findings?

 

5. Check for documentaries and public groups/organizations. It's perfectly acceptable to cite from media sources if they offer tangible and peer accepted information about your topic. PBS was cited for a documentary they created about early education.

 

6. Trade specific journals in your subject or degree grouping can offer a wealth of studies, articles, and knowledge. Here are a few tips for finding them:

 

Healthcare: Google "healthcare publications," "medical journals," "hospital trade journals"

 

Education: Google "educational journals," "school research magazines," and "education based publications"

 

7. Find real life examples. For my dissertation, I researched actual schools that have been written about that use PBL. Find out how people around the world are using your subject matter and creating results from it. Narrowing your Google search can provide educational gold.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I wanted it to be powerful and concise. If you have questions, don't hesitate to email me: dragonsgold76@gmail.com. My company website is found at www.bluedragonent.com. It has a listing of my books and services. I don't charge for helping students so feel free to write with questions.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Rob

The Next Level: Socratic Method

 

Socratic Method

 

 

(The Next Level series of blogs are a preview from my new book, also titled the Next Level. It contains 10 ways for a person to improve in any skill or career by adapting and combining instructional methods)


Socratic Method is traditionally a tool used in formal law studies. It involves a series of questions that are used to explore a concept. In my own ignorance of this topic, I always just thought it meant asking questions and being super annoying. In further research of the topic, the classic Socratic method goes like this:
1. Ask a general question about a topic.
2. Receive answer.
3. Formulate second question that creates ambiguity or direct contradiction.
4. Subject is forced to engage in deeper thought and clarification on subject.
5. Higher level of thought and subject understanding is created.

In all honesty, if I had a friend that did this every time we went to a bar, I would probably punch them out after a few times. The relevance of this concept remains though. I felt it is a valuable methodology for improvement and self assessment. Too often, we set life goals based on a vague concept of the end result. Once we achieve that end result, we can be ambushed by the REAL results of that goal. I have used this on myself after a conversation with a  friend that stated that my life "was out of equilibrium." He was completely right.

Here is how it would work:

Friend: Why are you getting a PhD?

Me: So I can write books and have credibility.

Friend: So you couldn't write books before? And you don't have life experience to establish credibility?

At this point, the second question creates a desire for me to learn about the many reasons people choose a doctoral program. Among them, increased earning potential, increased self esteem, the struggle of challenge, and a higher degree of research ability.

The third question would make me ponder the fact that MANY people have credibility without education, and they gain this from life experience, practice, recommendations from others, and professional reputation.

So in hindsight, my first answer wasn't wrong, just limited in scope.

Now imagine using Socratic Method in your life, to further yourself in your career, your life, and your goals. It really can help you if done correctly.

Dr. Rob

The Isolation of Doctoral Studies

Recently at Doctoral residency, we had a long discussion about what its like to be a Doctoral student. One topic really hit home. It had never occurred to me that other people were going through the same issues I was. University of Phoenix is mainly online in the Doctoral program. Once a year, you meet for residency with other students around the country.

A Doctorate is considerably more difficult than other degrees. Even a Master's degree does not have the level of analytical complexity. For a Bachelor's degree, most students attend classes, take tests, and are awarded a degree upon the successive completion of all courses. In a Master's program, a student will attend classes for two years, use a formal writing format, such as APA or MLA, and be required to complete a Master's thesis.

A Doctorate requires a long series of classes, the creation of a study, several approvals of the study, then a dissertation usually over a hundred pages, conducting the study, compiling the results, and completing the dissertation with a minimum standard of perfect. Once it is approved, the student must go through a process known as defense, in which they are questioned by several faculty members in an attempt to prove that the candidate is a subject matter expert. To say it is difficult is a gross understatement.

Any Doctoral student will face challenges that they cannot adequately prepare for. They will lose friends, boy/girlfriends, spouses, and life experiences. The longer it takes to complete the program, the more the student has felt that they have given up.

I have now been in the program for six years. I have had to request approval for my proposal four times, I requested 20k for student loans, and received 4k, and had to wait 6 months to receive the funds. APA changed so my dissertation needed major revisions, and UOP completely changed their grading criteria for dissertations, mid program. My dissertation has been rejected and sent back twice. I am now at the stage of waiting for school approval and then defense. As unpleasant as this all sounds, my experiences have been minor compared to other student tales I have heard.

I have heard of students that cannot find a mentor, that have had to search for a committee, or change topics halfway through the program. In comparison, my obstacles have been difficult, but manageable. The topic that hit home at this last residency was loneliness. Doctoral students have to embark on an educational journey that most people cannot understand. Its a lot more than writing a paper, more than researching a newspaper article. Try reading 200 articles, choosing 110, citing and referencing them, and applying them in your dissertation so that it makes sense and is formatted correctly. I had to correct revisions three times. This means taking a 70-95 page document and fixing markups that were on each page. That sound you hear? Three weekends gone.

While your friends are going on vacations, going out to dinner, seeing concerts, or getting family time, you are locked in front of your computer. You have to turn your phone off. You learn that working on your dissertation for 9 hours is not only normal, its expected. The hardest part is that you don't get to work in person with other candidates. Other students can be across the country. Residency is a vital part of this program. It hits home when you get to talk to other people going through the experience.

We discussed methods of dealing with this isolation. Depression and frustration is common amongst Doctoral students. A person receives no recognition until the very end. It feels like the dissertation will never get done, and random setbacks, paperwork issues, family fights, and a feeling of loneliness are normal.

We suggested creating a support group, explaining to family exactly what you will go through, using humor to cope, planning family celebrations to commemorate milestones, and creating a community of Doctoral learners. If you know a Doctoral candidate, support them. Text them that you are proud of them, take them coffee when you know they are studying, ask them how things are going. Chances are, they really need a boost. Sometimes a phone call or supportive text can be all they need to get past a challenging section they are trying to write.

As I near the end of my Doctoral journey, I look back and see how my life has changed since I began. I have fewer friends, I am a more successful writer, I am technically a subject matter expert on Project Based Learning, and soon I will complete one of the highest educational achievements available. It has been a tough journey, but my friends and family provided the map.

To future Doctoral students, I wish you luck and successful studies. I will always be available to help you.

Fast Track Your Life to Success

I sat here after giving up an entire weekend to write seminars. Everyone else was out at the fair or having fun. I was writing business strategies and listening to Fiona Apple with a lemon chiffon candle lit. Not cool, bro.

Anyway, I wanted to give you a gift, the top five practices I have adopted that have opened up a lot of doors in my life. If you are like me, you want your success fast. Well, baby, this will be quicker than a Lindsay Lohan arrest on a Friday night. I cant guarantee these work because everyone has different variables, but Ill apply a fishing analogy. These wont guarantee you a catch, but they WILL give you a bigger net.

1. Use information

You have access to the entire collected works of intelligence for the history of mankind. For Gods sake, self educate. Watch TED talks from celebrities and CEOs, google something new, or read about a topic you have always been interested in. The more you learn, the better conversations you will have, the more you will observe, and you will grow mentally as a person. Stop worrying what athlete Kim Kardashian is dating this week and start learning about how to create a business, or start an empire. Or just go to one of my seminars.

2. Networking will provide EVERYTHING

Talk to everyone you know, and remember that everyone wants something and can offer something. A 30 second conversation can create a new friendship, a romance, an asset, or new resources. Pay attention to the small details of their life and when you see them again, remember their name. As I read in the book "What I Learned in Wharton Business School", assume best friendship. If you go to strangers and have conversations like you have known them for years, you will project happiness, friendship and charisma. This really works. Always have a business card with you and ask people about their goals.

People love talking about themselves and they ALL love a good listener. Read Win Friends and Influence People. Its the best book I have ever read for networking.

If you need an example, watch I Love You Man, and look at the things Sydney does. Hes pretty awesome. If you are a girl, watch Something About Mary, and realize that every guy wants her because she would be a great best friend.

3. Emulate someone great

Find someone that has achieved what you want to do, or someone that you can imitate to find your own greatness. I study Napolean. He was a tremendous leader, a complete megalomaniac, and is a great lesson as to what happens when arrogance takes over humility. Any person that is not ready to accept their success will fail when it arrives. Make sure that you choose good role models and people that have lives that you would want.

4. Create determination of self

A French General said of Napolean, "Promote this man or he will promote himself." Successful, bold people dont wait for the actions of others or life to occur. Think about who you want to be and apply all resources and thinking to get there. I want you to think about this:

Your body type, level of fitness and appearance are a direct result of your choice of what goes in your mouth.

Your income is a direct result of where you chose to work and what passive income you created.

Your relationship is a direct result of who you chose to be in your life.

Your living quarters are a direct result of where you chose and signed paperwork to live.

Since you control your appearance, your income, your job, your relationship, and where you live, shouldnt you have the life of your dreams? Or are you sitting back hoping something good happens?

Determine who you want to be and what you want to achieve. My friend Toms wife once said, "We create our worlds." She was right. Stop complaining about things. You caused them. So cause them to be GOOD.

Imagine a better you. How would they be? Popular? Funny? Attractive?

My best me, is  a PhD living in 1010 Oceanside with a STUNNING girl with a career thats fit and hilarious. Ill have a Porsche Boxster, a G-37 and teach people how to get the lives they dream of.

It can be done.

5. Get fit today.

Exercise and diet will make you feel GOOD. Start running, walking, skateboarding, but GET OUT OF THE HOUSE>

Get tupperware and plan your meals everyday. Eat ONLY the following:
apples, unsalted almonds, white cheese, veggies, fruits, coffee, brown rice, red potatoes, chicken, tuna, and small amounts of pork. Remember that fast food is poison and ANY frozen food is filled with preservatives and sodium. Sundays eat what you want.

If you follow this diet, in two weeks, Ketosis will occur and your liver will start eating fat from the inside. You will get noticeably smaller and if you are running or exercising regularly, you will start to tone. This needs to be followed regularly and it will become a routine. It works. I have been in a shape that makes me happy for two years. I'm not perfect but I'm satisfied, and thats a lot better than most people.

Go to youtube-mp3.org and you can make any youtube song an mp3 for your Ipod. The day I found this out, 500 90s dance songs magically appeared in a running mix called WORK IT GIRL on my Ipod.

Go to www.fitnessinked.com. Katrina is a personal friend and started this company on a whim. When you see the pictures of models youll be inspired to live better. Ive met many of them and they are really nice. Plus, Katrina is hot, funny, and sweet.



There you have it. Your guide to the life you want. Use it and amaze yourself. You deserve it.

Did you become who you should have been?

Ive spent a lot of time lately thinking about innate abilities, the powers that we have that lie dormant. There are two movies that really capture this concept and adequately capture the key points.

Phenomenon- John Travolta is a simplistic mechanic in a small town that gets hit by a ball of light. He gradually realizes that he is getting smarter at an exponential rate. He starts learning new languages, understanding big picture concepts, playing chess, and can see solutions to problems that perplex others. He eventually starts studying engineering and science and gains a symbiosis with the Earth.

Limitless- Bradley Cooper is an unemployed writer that has been trying for a year to finish a novel. His fiance leaves him and he ends up taking a pill that unlocks cerebral receptors and turns him into a hyper genius. He starts exercising, remembering everything he has ever read, and exudes a much higher degree of confidence. He uses his abilities to make some money in the stock market and gets a high paying job on Wall Street.

Both of these movies should be watched by anyone that wants to evolve. To take the next step. You dont need a flash of light or a pill to help develop what may be a very valuable, and in some cases, wealth creating talent.

Our innate abilities can be hidden, or they can come to light from repetitive practice. Some people, like Beethoven, develop them very early,  and go on to improve and amaze the world.

Others will find their gifts later on. Ive been very fortunate to meet and associate with about 6 people that have developed their abilities to another level. I have learned from them quite a bit.

Im going to do something today that will show you how to develop them into a marketable skill. I just thought of this today. Im going to take three people and show you how their experiences and interests have been manipulated into career creating empires.


Joe Mendes
Hobby: Working out
Interest: Social Events
Job:Gym Director
Attributes: Fashionable, Knowledgeable on high end luxury items, Philosophical, Exceedingly confident


Rob Garcia
Hobby: Skating
Interest:Reading and disseminating info
Job:CEO
Attributes: Determined, Voracious Reader, Former Teacher, Perceptive


Katrina Lucero
Hobby: Fitness
Interest: Leading a Team
Job: CEO
Attributes: Well developed comprehension of big picture concepts, ability to conceptualize, Charismatic, Genius IQ


End Result of cultivation of talents:

Joe has an amazing job as a director in an industry he loves. He has an amazing social life and scores of beautiful people flock to him. He is immensely happy and isnt even 30 yet.

Rob owns a skate company, has 12 people that work with him in the development of his projects for FREE because of what he can offer. He released a book for teens that discusses the attributes he developed to survive. He will start seminars soon.

Katrina owns Fitness Inked, an online fitness magazine that celebrates the tattoed and modified fitness community. She has received over 30,000 hits in three months.




By developing their personalities, experiences, and what they love doing, all three examples have gone on to create the lives they desire. Innate abilities can be something as simple as playing an instrument or being a good cook, but it can also have other potential as well. What is interesting to note, is that all three subjects mentioned are all engineers.

Social Engineers.

All three found their greatest success by making others want to be around them. They developed a polarizing presence, the innate ability to attract.

Hang out with Joe and he will make you reflect on the way your life is and show you a whole new perspective on all subjects. Hes observant and fun.

Hang out with Rob, and he will figure you out in six questions, and tell you the best possible course for your life. This is pretty amazing when you realize that he figured this out by reading Sherlock Holmes book and listening to Win Friends and Influence People. He literally went from getting 2 texts a day to about 55 a day in the period of two months, solely from the skills he taught himself.

Be around Katrina and she will make you laugh, captivate the room, and lead from the front.

So what are YOUR gifts? What do people ask you to help them with?

Think about it. And if you need help, email me. dragonsgold76@gmail.com.

Till next time.

RG.

Best work memo ever

There was once a military unit that was created by chance. This unit was an all volunteer regiment. Their leader was well read, and disciplined. He selected volunteer candidates based upon enthusiasm and skill. They were different from mainstream units, because they remained mobile, fast, and deadly. They could finish any operation in record time and with optimal results.

            They won nearly every small scale skirmish they encountered and won their campaign sized battles through the use of strategy, planning, and emphasizing each others strengths. Anyone that dared cross their path was dealt with swiftly and with zero remorse. The mission always came first and this team was devoted. If they were needed, one simply requested help, and operatives would be dispatched with full speed to give assistance.

            Their leader realized that once he had his initial team, that any additional members would only slow them down or cause problems, so he kept it at a manageable size. He focused on training, teamwork, and building rapport among the troops. He led by example, and sacrificed his basic comforts to make sure that the team had decent field conditions. He gave up sleep to read about strategies. He trained in the field obsessively and led from the front. Once his troops realized his nearly fanatical devotion to them, they started bonding as more of a cohesive family, not an impersonal group. They knew their leader's goals, and came up with solutions before he could ask them to do it. They studied on their own time, and developed mentally and physically. They turned to each other for strength and guidance when things were tough.

            Their leader was grateful for the privilege of command, and made a point of training them to be the best light operational unit known to man. They took a sense of pride in belonging to an elite unit that few could enter, and they started to become the thing that legends are created from. They brought their leader solutions, not complaints, or griping when things were strenuous.

            Their leader knew that they needed an organizational name because they were becoming well known. A name that would strike absolute fear in the hearts of their enemies, and elation to their allies. The very thought of this group brought a mental picture of professional warriors, crafted by training, experience, and a resilient attitude that displayed confidence and the unyielding resolve to win. They could not be beaten, bought, negotiated with, or overrun.

So their leader named them the Blue Dragon Army.

Wisdom of the Dragon May 2012

I did it.

I walked out of my job three weeks ago. See the Roy Fokker Veritech with retractable wings I'm holding? This was the only thing I had in my cube to remind me of my creativity and soul while in a windowless cube 11-14 hours a day for no benefits and no vacation time. My bosses even made a former Marine take down his USMC poster.

A funny thing happens when you liberate yourself from an oppressor. You get your powers back. All your dreams and abilities return with a vengeance. In 14 days, i accomplished the following:

1. Got a five year 4 subject teaching credential that lets me teach Engineering at high schools.

2. Paid a down payment on my new school, Blue Dragon Academy. I have no curriculum, projects, students, or even a freaking  key to the place yet. And we open June 10th.

3. Interviewed for 2 jobs that pay QUITE well compared to my old job.

4. Got 95% complete on Teen Juggernaut, my next book.

5. Became VP of a car import company.......that i created from the ground up.

6. Put out a Craigslist ad and nabbed 7-14 interns.

7. Got an Executive Assistant.

8. Got a story in the March Air Reserve Base Paper to be published soon.

9. Got an opportunity to be in the news in the next few weeks.

10. Got affliated with MakerPlace. A factory where I can make my own t shirts, engrave anything, create robotics, and intermingle with genuises.

11. Got my new line of Boonie Hats done.

12. Connected with a homeless vets shelter in Alabama. We are going to start donating food to them. I have an operative on the ground, that is ready to start missions.

I did all this in 14 days after being free and left alone. Management doesnt think Im smart enough to get hired, but thats ok. I dont need anyones approval or validation anymore. Im going to OWN my life and make stuff happen.

You are capable of anything you can dream of if you just learn to self educate, give people more than they ask for, and set BIG GOALS. The money will follow. See you in the winner's circle.