6 Reasons to Finish your Ph.D. Dissertation

There are many great reasons to buck up and finish your dissertation. Here are a few:

Reputation

You told all your friends and family you’re writing a dissertation. It’s harsh to say, but your credibility is on the line. Holiday dinners and high school reunions are awkward enough without having to explain the “Ph.D. situation.” You’ll finally have a good response for that Aunt or Uncle who keeps condescendingly asking when you’re “going to be done with school.”

Positive Psychological Effects

Think of the benefits of finishing: enhanced self-image and confidence; a sense of personal fulfillment; a boost of positive feelings that might last months or years. You’ll enter the next phase of your life beaming with satisfaction and pride at what you’ve accomplished.

First Step in Journey

Your PhD dissertation is just the first of hopefully many large projects that you’ll complete during your career. No matter what you end up doing–running a business, writing a book, teaching yoga–you will be required to initiate, develop, and complete large-scale projects that demand creativity, organizational skill, persistence, and stamina. Think of the dissertation as a dry run.

You’ve gone this far.

If you’re a candidate, you’ve already spent years of your life toiling in the lab or library. Chances are, the remaining work will be less than the labor you’ve already put in, although perhaps not. Either way, think how much time you’ll have wasted if you cut and run now (And, yes, the time spent will mostly be a waste without the degree in-hand).

Options.

The degree will give you many more career options. Enough said.

Zen Life

You’ve made a commitment to yourself, and you’ll never be at peace if you don’t fulfill that commitment. Sure, you may recover and do something else, but you’ll always have regrets that you didn’t finish. Forget regrets–you have to finish.