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INSIDE THIS ISSUE - October 29, 2007
3. Perform Your Best at Your Orals
Judith Schweiger Levy, Ph.D.
October 29, 2007
A Note from the Editor
Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
It's nature's transition time in my part of the country, signaled by cooler nights and brisk mornings, falling leaves and shorter days. And nature's transition into autumn demands a personal transition within my closet. Sandals move to the dark recesses; boots retake the fore. Sweaters replace cottons, and even the sock drawer--unopened for months--resumes its prominent status.
Socks may seem a rather insignificant item, but that which keeps me warm will be of great consequence when the cold winds blow. In September, it was enough just to add fall color to the wardrobe; but in October, it's time to get ready for the chill.
If you're feeling gently lulled into the thought that this issue offers nothing but soft talk about fall fashion, you should know better. Here's the ABD connection and some sound dissertation advice: Prepare your sock drawer if you want to avoid cold feet when walking on icy sidewalks, but prepare well in your dissertation process if you want to avoid cold feet when standing before your committee!
When your doctoral committee gathers for a command performance (your dissertation defense) you will be ready. A recent issue of ABDSG focused on preparation for the defense, and Dr. Judith Schweiger Levy addresses a similar topic with a somewhat different approach in this issue's guest article, "Perform Your Best at Your Orals." When it comes to orals, as is true throughout the entire dissertation process, preparation is key.
For a few more thoughts on preparation, take note of this issue's Inspirational Quotes. Whether in small things (socks on a cold day) or big ones like the dissertation process, you are shaping the consequence of future events through your preparation. Let's have no cause for cold feet, literally or figuratively!
Inspirational Quotes
Abraham Lincoln
If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first hour sharpening
the ax.
George Washington Carver
There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation--veneer
isn't worth anything.
Emmitt Smith
For me, winning isn't something that happens suddenly on the field when the
whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically
and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream.
Perform Your Best at Your Orals
Judith Schweiger Levy, Ph.D.
Orals! They are the final leg on your long journey to the doctorate. At times you may not believe that you will actually go the distance to reach that point, but perseverance, optimism and a good support system will get you there. If you are already there, congratulations!
You are about to engage in one of the most important and exciting performances of your life! Do you feel wonderful? Or do you feel terrified that you'll succumb to stage fright and clam up, go blank, have racing thoughts, clammy hands, a sick stomach or pounding heart during your orals? Are you preparing for the fight/flight response?
Needless to say, you must be prepared for your oral defense, but gearing up for an attack won't help. It will only make you tenser. Here are some suggestions for how to prepare and deal with the final hurdle. Athletes, musicians and other performers who operate at their peak know and practice these tips with great success, and so can you.
1. Get ready. Practice! Re-read your dissertation several times (even
if you're sick of it!). Have mock orals with friends or other students. Anticipate
possible questions from your committee, and prepare your answers.
Ask yourself what is incomplete. What do you need to do to complete it? What will you wear? How will the room look? (Go there in advance and check it out.) What props/ materials will you need?
Decide what you will do if you don't know an answer. Use the practice session to see if instead of fearing failure, you can re-frame a difficult question into an interesting learning opportunity for the group. Then, declare your preparation complete, and stop practicing. Do not stay up all night before your defense!
2. Get set. Clarify your intention and decide in advance the image you want to create in this performance. Practice focusing and attention control. Learn relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and positive visualizations.
Visualize your most successful moments in the past. What did you feel like? Recall that experience using all of your senses. Imagine and visualize the kind of atmosphere you want to create. Think of your strengths (e.g., creativity, sense of humor, curiosity) and how you will use them in the room. Pick a few "trigger words" to describe how you intend to be (e.g., confident, expert, flexible, powerful). Set aside 15-30 minutes every day to practice. The more you practice getting yourself into this state of mind, the easier it will be for you to go there when the big day comes.
Rest, eat well, and get enough sleep the night before the orals.
3. Go! Remember your trigger words. Say them to yourself as you enter the room. Don't fear your anxiety. Expect and acknowledge anxiety as a necessary "activation spike" reflecting the rush of adrenaline coming from your brain's preparedness to work.
Be in the moment. No thoughts of victory. No thoughts of defeat. Aim high but let go of the outcome. Be mindful of your circumstances, but detach from judgment. This strategy is paradoxical and counterintuitive, but it works.
Can you allow yourself to actually consider being playful? Enjoy this moment that is the culmination of months and months of work! Can you silently celebrate it even as you're in it?
Remember that you are not your performance and you are not your dissertation. Think of what you have to give, to contribute, to learn, rather than what you have to fear.
You got this far because you are courageous, intelligent, and tenacious. Give yourself permission to have a good time and savor your success. Good luck!