Not just me!

I’m realizing how this PhD journey is not just about me. It’s all the people around me – family and friends. It’s the others who will be in the cohort with me, those who are also attempting to run this marathon of learning. It’s the instructors, supervisors, committee members, openly engaged others and networks who will support and inform my steps along this marathon experience. It’s reviewers and readers, interested connectors and lurkers as learners who will explore this PhD with me.

It’s becoming reality, with each travel plan I’ve made in the past week. Once I got registered to the course I contacted the home where I’ll be spending the month of July while taking the first of two doctoral seminars. Then making travel plans with my husband while booking hotels and flights, and mapping out logistics. So we’re starting this experience together. So, it’s an adventure to begin this PhD adventure.

It’s a cohort experience. I spoke to Jessica (a fellow eCampus fellow) about her first course experiences with her EdD program and she mentioned the group that is part of her cohort experience. In the recent emails about the program, there are several events planned that are social, involve food and gathering together. This nudged this notion of ‘we’ rather than ‘I’ into my awareness. There will be others along side me, as I walk this distance. Just like students heading into a new school, I’m facing this with some ‘wonderment’.

It’s part of my networking – reaching out to others to talk about what I’m doing, getting ideas clarified, talking through my thinking. That’s all about connecting with others who will be drawn into my process and journey. Some have already made an impact. Most recently Catherine Cronin and Lisa Hammershaim have shown me how they prepared for their ‘viva’ otherwise known as the dissertation defence. I’ve also reached out to others to gain some insights and words of wisdom from experience. I’m joined the GO_GN network and hope to build deeper connections, but will also explore the OERHub for insights and research direction.

It’s coming to grips with having a ‘supervisor’ who is part of this process, and a committee who will oversee the steps along the way. These people will become part of the insiders, those with whom I’ll share drafts, ask pointed questions, learn from their experiences, and who will become ‘critical friends’ along this PhD journey. While I’ve not considered the impact of this, it’s something to consider – who will make me a better researcher, reader, writer and storyteller of the work I’m hoping to accomplish.

That’s lots of people who will become circles of support, influence, and potential roadblocks to the course and direction of this PhD marathon. I may be my ‘race to run’ but there will be others around me, behind me, holding me up, supporting me and cheering me on. It’s not just about me.