thinkPhD

From time to time, colleagues at work and students at school will ask for a letter of recommendation. I am always happy to accomodate these types of requests. Having been on the “asking” end of these letters, I know that it is sometimes difficult to decide who in my circle of influence can provide the most effective letter.

If you are a student, do not assume that your professor is always the best source. Unfortunately, sometimes this person may not know you as well as others! Pick someone who has seen you perform as a student. Have you considered your academic counselor or your dean? Provide some information so that the person can write an effective letter. To be honest, I have a one-size-fits-all generic letter that I can write for you, but if you tell me what masters or doctoral program or school you are applying to, I can tailor my letter to increase its impact.

If you are looking for a work-related recommendation, consider asking those in other departments or work groups that have been on the receiving end of your work. For example, suppose you work in the billing department; consider asking a credit manager or account manager to write a letter. Your boss is sometimes too obvious; of course you let your boss see how hard you work - but what about people you are not obligated to? A powerful recommendation can come from someone who is on the receiving end of your work!

When I write a letter of recommendation, I turn it into a pdf file; I do not give out an easily editable MS Word document. I always include my contact information and date the letter. I also date the information (such as “I worked with John from 2008-2009…” or “Trish was a student in my GEN/300 class in the fall of 2009…”).

Remember, pick your letter writer carefully and be specific as to the purpose or recipient of the letter.

Happy New Year!

I am a member of a writers’ group and found out about a Homeland Security Essay Contest offered by the Navy Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Security Defense and Security. If you are enrolled in NCU’s HS coursework, this may be an opportunity to share some of your work. However, the competition is open to everyone - you do not have to work in the field. There is no entry fee, the award is $1500, and the winning essay will be considered for online journal publication. Submission deadline is January 31.

Here is the link: Homeland Security Essay Contest.

You can also read previous winning entries at that link. Good luck!

For all you PhD students out there, this is a fun joke that was shared recently:

Why God Never Received a PhD
1. He had only one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn’t published in a refereed journal.
5. Some even doubt he wrote it by himself.
6. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
9. He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it by drowning his subjects.
11. When subjects didn’t behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say he had his son teach the class.
14. He expelled his first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only 10 requirements, most of his students failed his tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.
17. No record of working well with colleagues.

I stumbled upon a list of 100 University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access. This is a great list which includes Digital Libraries, Texts, Medical Libraries, Legal Libraries, National Libraries of Europe, Religious Studies, Specialized Selections, Academic Research, American Universities, and International Universities. We have a great library at NCU, but this opens up some very interesting opportunities to a librariaholic like me.

I suggest that you bookmark this page and return to it often!

This is a great video - it’s so fun to watch and reminds us all about the importance of Breast Cancer Research. I have a friend recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer - thank you to all those who are taking care of my friend!

Are you looking for posts referencing a certain class at NCU or a certain subject like “education”? Here are THREE quick ways to find what you are looking for.

Use the white search box in the right column. Type in your search term and press enter.

OR…. 

Click on archives in the menu bar. You can find posts by month or by subject/category this way.

OR….

In the address bar, type category/coursename after the domain and press enter. So if you are looking for posts regarding RSH9102B, type this:

http://thinkphd.com/category/rsh9102b/

Taking MGT5031?

http://thinkphd.com/category/mgt5031/

Looking for posts about education?

http://thinkphd.com/category/education/

I just entered a contest to win a free Kindle from Noobie (worth $259!) and I wanted you to have a chance to win one too! All you need to do to enter is to click the link below or copy and paste it into your favorite Internet browser:

http://www.noobie.com/kindle-giveaway?ref=15682172

Be sure to read the email you get from Noobie after you register. You’ll get your own unique link that you can use to earn even more entries in the drawing!

Every night this little guy comes and eats the cat food. He isn’t afraid of us at all!

I joined Mahalo this week, a human-powered search engine. Be sure to look at the Mahalo box to the right and click on my profile. You can see my activity on the site, including answers to questions.

Mahalo launched in 2007. The public creates short topical search pages, asks and answers questions, and can suggest links. Each activity the user participates in earns Mahalo dollars; if you cash out, Mahalo keeps $0.25 of every $1.00. The site earns revenue by using Google Adsense and other affiliate links such as those from Amazon. Each search or click earns the “page manager” Mahalo dollars.

Here’s the links to the Mahalo pages I manage: Northcentral University and online learning

You can also set up Friends and become a Fan of other users, making the site somewhat of a social networking site. It’s very easy to manage a search page or answer questions.

I like the formatting of the clean and easy-to-read pages.  However, Mahalo works like a Wiki, so there is no significant peer review. For the casual web search, Mahalo may fill a need. For the academic, Mahalo is not trustworthy enough. If you have some time today, go take a look at Mahalo.

I downloaded The Ultimate Steal for a third time - this time not from my home (and HughesNet) - and then installed the program after transferring to my home computer. I am pleased to say that the third time was the charm and I now have Office 2007 installed. This particular set of programs includes Excel, Word, Groove, Access, InfoPath, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Tools. I use StyleEase APA software and also moved it over to this new computer. I think I am all ready to work on the next paper, after these delays.

It is very easy to get frustrated when things do not work properly. I remind myself that this is the nature of software and computers, but nonetheless my schedule is so very busy I have no room for things llike this to interfere. I have been considering setting up a school work schedule to help me feel less under pressure. Tomorrow I am going to map out the days-per-assignment, including research and writing and see how effective it would be.

I took advantage of The Ultimate Steal, the discounted-for-students opportunity to purchase the MS Office 2007 suite for $59.95.  I downloaded the program and exceeded the HughesNet FAP (Fair Access Policy), which put my internet speed on S-L-O-W for 24 hours. So I click install and get the message “The installation of this package failed.” Hmmm.

I tried a second time. Same “The installation of this package failed” message. I am really upset by now. Not only have I messed up my ability to access the NCU library this weekend by exceeding the FAP, I paid for something that I haven’t gotten yet. I worked through the help files and FAQs, and sent a note to Digital River, the company handling the sale. I read through the KB reading this problem, and if you are wondering, I have plenty of space on the computer.

There is no customer service number anywhere on the Ultimate Steal site. I did buy the back up CD and so I am hoping that the CD has all the files that I need to install the full program. In the meantime, I fell gypped - I paid good, hard-earned money for a product and haven’t been able to use it. I wasted a lot of time working through this tech issue, and so did not get as far along on my assignments this weekend.

So until Microsoft and Mr. Gates provide me with a little bit of customer and technical service to get this download installed, I say the The Ultimate Steal is an excellent name for the product.

• You’re broke, hungry, stranded and stuck in one giant mystery
• The view never changes
• Sometimes your life depends on finding a constant
• Somehow you end up working for the guy you hate the most
• There is a crazy woman who has been here for 16 years
• If you’re in the lab long enough, taller ghost walt materializes out of nowhere and says “you’ve got work to do”
• Every problem that you solve brings up 10 new problems
• When (if) you leave, all you want to do is go back
• You’re pretty sure you’re in hell

                                   —- copied 

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Feel free to post a comment or ask a question. If you would like to contact me directly, email me at thinkPhD@yahoo.com

After a gorgeous day yesterday, today is utterly rainy. In yesterday’s Virgina sunshine, Husband and I floated carelessly in the pool and chatted about life and love and anything else that came to mind. I held onto his float with mine side-by-side and we drifted together around and around. I lead a very busy life as a wife, mother, manager, student, and professor, so these mini-vacations keep me refreshed and centered on the important things in life.

Today is different - I am working. I am taking this rainy-day opportunity to catch up on some paperwork. I track my sales and earnings for my Avon business, but got behind a little bit working on assignments for RSH9101B. Friday was payday and I’m parcelling out those funds/paying bills. In addition, I had several student questions to answer regarding the class I am teaching at the University of Phoenix, GEN200. Last Wednesday was their first night of class.

This group is a mixture of adults returning to school to earn credits to graduate and those who have never been to college. Learning how to navigate the Online Learning System (OLS) can be a challenge for those not familiar with computers. Figuring out how to upload an attachment may sound easy to you - but if you have never done it, it can be difficult. In GEN200, we work on basic skills such as how to study, navigate the OLS including posting assignments, setting goals, writing essays, and basic APA. I love working with students that are excited about learning and growing. I wish I could condense all of my tips, tricks, and advice on how to succeed in school! It is certainly overwhelming to new students to step into a college classroom where you are now responsible for your own success.

I wonder if those who have walked the PhD path ahead of me feel the same way about me. Am I fresh-faced and eager like my students in GEN200? Is there a feeling of familial companionship, shadowing and guiding my steps to my goal? Do the seasoned PhD vets nod their heads and smile knowingly when I am puzzled by an assignment or fail to interpret its purpose? Over the years I have answered tons of questions from readers and co-learners. Will I be able to encourage those walking this trail after I have reached my goal? How many others will I be able to pull along with me to success?

Are you considering a terminal degree or just if you should return to school at all? The answer is consider life without this particular challenge…is that acceptable to you? If not, then jump onto the path and follow me. And everyone who has gone before us.

Welcome to new readers of my thinkPhD blog! Thanks for all the emails from everyone encouraging me in my quest and asking about earning a degree!

This blog traces my path to a PhD. I am currently in my first research class, RSH9101B at Northcentral University (NCU). I work full time, teach as an adjunct, and write articles for a few different websites. My writing specialty is distance learning, and I am the Richmond Distance Learning Examiner. I earned my BS in Environmental Science at Troy University, Troy, Alabama in 1980. I graduated from Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama with an MBA, which I earned attending classes in the evenings after work at the paper mill.

I love to teach and to learn. I am earning a terminal degree so that I can work through retirement from my company. Teaching keeps me fresh on current business topics, which make me a better informed employee. My work at the paper company keeps me up on how business works, making my teaching relevant in today’s business workplace. The two sides of me compliment each other.

Our three children are all grown and we’ve replaced them with a poodle named Tucker and a chihuahua named Charlie!

Here are the boys looking through the gate:

So if you are new reader or just dropping in from a link or search engine, make yourself at home. Comment on a post if you like or contact me directly with suggestions or questions.

And remember…think learning, think success, think PhD!