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This blog answers common and overlooked questions from graduate students navigating their dissertations. If you don’t see your question addressed here, please fill out the contact form and submit it; your inquiry could inspire our next post! 

  • A woman writes in a notebook at a café table, with a laptop and a cup of tea beside her, focusing on her notes.

    Remember, It Isn’t Always All About You

    By Susan Corbin | April 16, 2026

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I was not accepted to my top school’s graduate program. What is wrong with me that they didn’t want…
  • Young woman in a cozy café smiles while using a laptop with headphones. A coffee cup is visible, highlighting a relaxed work or study atmosphere.

    Help! I need a dissertation question

    By Susan Corbin | August 11, 2025

    Dear Dissertation Coach, EEK! It is the beginning of the Fall semester, and I don’t know what question my dissertation is supposed…
  • A person types on a laptop at a wooden desk, with a smartphone and shipping label nearby, suggesting an online business or retail setup.

    Anxious Writer

    By Susan Corbin | January 15, 2024

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I find that sometimes I sit down to write my dissertation and I get antsy, like I can’t sit still. All the…
  • A woman sitting at a desk operates a laptop while feeding paper into a printer. A television is mounted on the wall behind her.

    Except When It Is Your Application

    By Susan Corbin | February 25, 2022

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I was not accepted to my top school’s graduate program. What is wrong with me that they didn’t want…
  • Vibrant fireworks illuminate the night sky above a city skyline, reflecting in the water below, celebrating a festive occasion.

    Happy New Year!

    By Susan Corbin | January 3, 2022

    Trigger warning! Hard questions for doctoral students ahead. Did you finish your dissertation last year? Are you behind your cohort in finishing?…
  • Smiling woman in a polka dot shirt works on a laptop, surrounded by colorful sticky notes, in a modern office setting.

    The Client Knows

    By Susan Corbin | November 29, 2021

    The following is a chapter I wrote for the Greater Austin International Coaching Federation chapter’s 25th-anniversary book called Explorations into the Being and…
  • A person types on a laptop in a bright setting, with a coffee cup nearby, suggesting a casual work or study environment.

    Dear Dissertation Writer Is Done!

    By Susan Corbin | October 6, 2021

    Dear Dissertation Writer,  Well, I did it. I loaded the dissertation book to both Amazon Kindle and IngramSpark. Self-publishing at its…
  • A person in a gray sweater writes in a notebook while seated at a wooden table, with a laptop and a red mug nearby. This reflects a focused, creative workspace.

    Suggestions for Applying to Graduate School 

    By Susan Corbin | August 10, 2021

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I’m thinking of going to graduate school, but I don’t even know where to start. Do you have any suggestions? …
  • Two people collaborate over a laptop on a desk scattered with colorful stationery. One points at the screen, emphasizing a shared task or idea.

    Others Look Like They Know What They are Doing

    By Susan Corbin | July 26, 2021

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I feel like everyone in my cohort knows exactly what they are doing while they are writing their dissertations, and…
  • Woman writing in a notebook while working on a laptop at an outdoor table, surrounded by papers and a coffee cup. Ideal for illustrating a productive workspace.

    Question About an Admission Writing Sample

    By Susan Corbin | July 12, 2021

    Dear Dissertation Coach, I am applying to doctoral programs, and many of the programs ask for a writing sample. I have…