Dissertating and the Dream Job Pursuit: An Autoethnographic Account of an ABD

• In Event: Scholar to Scholar VII
  In Paper Session: Grad Times, They Are A-Changin’: Narratives of Identity and (In)stability in Graduate School

Abstract

The final year of one’s doctoral program reflects a time of stability, when Ph.D. students become comfortable articulating their scholarly identity and conducting independent research. Nevertheless, imminent and drastic life changes loom overhead. This account describes the excitement and apprehension that characterizes the ABD experience. Relief subsequent to dissertation topic selection will be addressed as well as insecurities associated with economy instability, the job application process, and the perceived shift from student to professor.

Author

• Shannon Johnson, Arizona State University