A Ph.D. is considered an accomplishment, a source of envy for those pursuing it, and a wonder for those yet to begin. It serves as a “union card” for higher education, a status symbol, a stepping stone, and a source of personal satisfaction.
The Ph.D. program at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, specifically the Ph.D. (Technical Education Technology) program in the Department of Industrial Education, Faculty of Industrial Education, encompasses:
Two or more years of concentrated effort.
A retreat from social life.
A kindred spirit with other graduates.
A transition in the classroom from one side of the desk to the other.
An adjustment in study habits and concentration span.
A compromise on material goods.
A dedication of purpose and intent.
The “duration” of a Ph.D. involves:
Last year’s fashions.
Mended underwear.
Walking shoes.
A worn-out car.
A tired typewriter or printers.
A deflated savings account.
Classwork for a Ph.D. includes:
Many hours of study and few hours of sleep.
Long periods of work and short periods of relaxation.
Lengthy conferences and brief coffee breaks.
Sixty-four term papers, 640 references, and 6400 footnotes.
Research and data collection in a Ph.D. program involve:
The sum of theories, hypotheses, conclusions, interviews, questionnaires, surveys, scales, texts, scoring, coding, deviation, correlation, mean, median, mode, validity, reliability, and significance.
A graduate student’s friends and resources for reliance include:
His/her adviser.
The reference librarian.
A statistician.
A good typist or her/his own typewriter/computer.
A dictionary.
A thesaurus.
A close friend pursuing the same goal.
Recreation for a Ph.D. student typically includes:
Daily walks across the campus.
A weekly journey to the supermarket or shopping center and Laundromat.
A monthly visit to the bank.
Ultimately, a Ph.D. is defined by perseverance, endurance, challenge, and a sense of humor. It requires concentration, inspiration, and culminates in jubilation.
