The Doctoral Student Handbook
As academics, we spend a lot of time focusing on the content of our work, but sometimes we forget to pay attention to the work process, or how we work, think and act. However, the process is important to finish our projects on time and manage our stress level.
This book shifts the focus from the what to the how, giving you strategies and practical techniques to finish your dissertation on time and feel good along the way. You will learn about units, the weekly schedule and the 80/20 principle and apply these tools to your own work situation. These productivity techniques are closely linked to stress management techniques: the demand-control-support model both explains the causes of stress in the academic environment and helps you shift from negative stress to positive stress.
What readers say
This is what some of the doctoral students who have read the book and attended our courses say.
For me, it has had an enormous impact on my everyday life. I get more done in my working hours and no longer have to work evenings or weekends.
Doctoral student, Lund University
Review of The Doctoral Student Handbook
This book provides much-needed techniques to help structure the project, set goals and deadlines, keep stress levels down, and most importantly, finish on time.
Doctoral student, Uppsala University
Review of The Doctoral Student Handbook
Åsa provides a great set of suggestions about how to become a highly effective and less-stressed out dissertation writer.
Doctoral student, University of California, Berkeley
Review of The Doctoral Student Handbook
The dissertation binder is my anchor. Seeing the progress is inspiring and it helps me focus on the most important thing each day. I now have a clearer picture of what is key to finishing my dissertation.
Doctoral student, Stockholm School of Economics
Review of The Doctoral Student Handbook
Finish on time and feel good along the way
Getting a doctorate is a dream for many, but it is also a lonely and stressful job. Among Sweden's 17,000 doctoral students, sick leave rates are high and dissertation work often takes longer than planned.
This handbook for graduate students presents solid techniques and approaches that help with both academic productivity and stress management. By combining productivity techniques from the University of California, Berkeley and the business world with stress research, Åsa Burman wants to give more doctoral students the opportunity to finish their theses on time and feel good along the way.