ABD: The ALL BUT DISSERTATION Curse

I’m an ABD. All But Dissertation. All But Dissertation is a designation given to doctoral students who have completed all of their coursework requirements except the dissertation. Some doctoral students quit because they have decided that they no longer enjoy the student path or that their career goals now do not require the doctorate degree. Others stop attending classes because of personal or financial reasoning.

I will not (as of December 2016) be a student in January because I was unable to obtain enough financial aid. I believe in hard work. I believe in working. I worked part-time and attended school. I borrowed money from my family. I applied to scholarships with private organizations. I was rejected to every loan I applied for. I did everything I could, including focusing on schoolwork, to prevent myself from becoming the stigmatized ABD.

I have a 3.7 GPA. Before I wrote for HonorSociety.org’s Elevate Magazine I wrote for a blog that received viewership from every continent except Antarctica. I know that I’ve done alot of good in the world. I never expected anything because of me putting so much positive energy into the world. I just thought that at least there was one kind soul that would want to help me for being my best; that is what scholarship giveaways are about. That did not happen.

Throughout this semester of fund-searching I started hearing testimonies from people that I know that this is actually a normal occurrence. Some of my relatives and friends know quite a few ABDs. Most of the ABD stories were monetary-related as well. It’s almost as if it has become an acceptable practice in America to not financially support doctoral students from start until finish. Until jobs pay citizens a living wage doctorate students will need forms of monetary support to cover all of their school-related expenses from start until finish. America will never be ‘Great Again’ and students will never ‘Be All They Can Be’ if someone doesn’t pick up the tab.

I did learn of some things along the way that seem obtainable for a graduate student to achieve in order to help cut the costs of a college education.

Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Alot of business owners do not hire college students for fear that the student will not devote the time necessary to complete work tasks with a clear mind. Students, on the other hand, need some form of steady employment. Seek out work through temp agencies and staffing firms that deploy its workers to many different stores for daily assignments within a period of a month. There are also other companies that assign work online that other companies send them to be completed on a per diem basis. These kinds of companies purposefully look for college students, stay-at-home parents and others with consistently transient lifestyles.

Make friends. Always know people and be friendly with people who are in the direction you want to be in or that you are trying to go with your career. The person may lead you to a stable employment situation or other funding situation.

Check your credit report. Anyone with a busy lifestyle and low pay can rack up expenses that are easily brushed to the side and then placed as a liability on a credit report. If there is something on your credit report that is $100 or under save money and pay it off. Also, apply for student loans as soon as the application for the new school year is available. I make it a habit to apply early. Life presents surprise challenges.

Still ABD? I was ABD after multiple attempts to avoid it. I’m still searching for free money and still praying for a miracle. I’m also going after higher-paying jobs while I have my temporary job. I WILL BE BACK IN SCHOOL IN TWO YEARS OR LESS. I am not the kind of person to finish school ‘whenever’. I set a goal and I will finish it. No ‘what ifs’ here.

Giving up when the world doesn’t want to see their role in helping you will kill the fulfillment of the dream. Belief in yourself is the first step to achieving the dream. The dream will not be fulfilled if you don’t say to yourself that it can be done. Motivation is a thought process that begins with you saying that you can do something.

Keep hope. All is not lost. Yes, it happened. How are you going to get back in school?