Some departments, not all departments at Rice, require Ph.D. students who have satisfactorily completed their coursework to write their Ph.D. candidacy or comprehensive exam in their third year to qualify as Ph.D. candidates, ready to write their dissertations. The Ph.D. candidacy exam is considered the most important examination any Ph.D. student can take. Therefore, it is pertinent that they pass it to move to the next level. It is so important that failing to pass it might bring your Ph.D journey to an abrupt end.
Here are a few tips that helped me pass the most important exam of my Ph.D. journey.
- Lock in! Honestly, you cannot afford to fail your candidacy exam. Rewriting an exam is not always easy, even though it always seems to look like you would do better because you are learning from your failure. Just sit down and lock in!
- Check for deadlines. Having your dates in place helps you create a workable plan, and you can reach your goal earlier than expected. Work out a date with your advisor and work towards it.
- Reduce Social Events. There is always time for socials after your exams. It might seem so tempting to be studying while others are having fun. Bear in mind that we are all thriving on different timelines. Reduce social events and focus on all the texts you have to cover. This will help you feel less guilty.
- Prioritize Studying at School. Utilize the quiet spaces at Fondren Library and even your grad spaces in your department to study. There is something about studying in the school premises. It puts you in the mood. Dress like you mean business, put your head down, study as if your life depends on it, and slay that exam.
- Read! Reading is tapping the treasure of ideas. Actually, read! Cover as much as you can. When you have done the work, everyone can really tell.
- Eat More in School. Sign up for the meal plan at the Rice Dining. Thank you. There are also affordable plans for grad students. If you have the time to prepare your meals yourself, you may not have enough time left for that anymore. Just eat more at school if you can and be patient. Once your exams are over, you could continue meal prepping yourself.
- Ask for Help! Are there tough topics you need clarity on? Ask your advisor. Ask the professors you have taken their courses from. Ask professors at other universities whose research interests are similar to yours. All thanks to social media, email as many professors as you can; one professor must be kind enough to assist. Exhaust all your options. Keep asking till you get all the help you need to make it. Take independent studies if you can. Do directed readings with your desired professors. Get all the help you need. Download apps that are easy to read. Apps that convert texts to audio.
- Select supportive committee members that you can easily work with to make your journey seamless.
- Success leaves clues. Study the patterns and excel. Reach out to senior coursemates who have successfully passed their candidacy and learn what they did to excel. Follow their path. Mirror it. Even, perfect it and go for gold!
- Attend Conferences and Workshops. These academic events expose you to professors and colleagues who could help you build your bibliography and give you a better sense of direction in your research area. Take advantage of your departmental conference funds and build networks to ease your academic journey. Do not isolate.
- Reduce your social Media Presence. Except for your PhD comprehensive exam, avoid social media distractions by all means possible.
- Do the hard work and enjoy later. Make sure you are doing the real job and reading the texts, summarizing them, and writing them down. Imagine summarizing over 200 textbooks you need for your comprehensive exam; you will have it for life. You can always pull the annotated bibliography to write publishable articles and conference papers easily. All these processes allow your brain to store data. You speak better academic language effortlessly and have become seasoned.
- Exercise and therapy. Exercising and speaking with a wellness therapist at the Rice Recreation Center helps you maintain your sanity throughout this process. Go as often as you can. But do not let it become a distraction. Passing your exam is the goal. Everything else can wait.
- Hold on to your Beliefs. Whatever or whoever it is you believe in, this is that moment where you hold them tight. Have Faith. That is all you may have left. Do not forget this advice, you will surely need it.
- Practice as often as you can. The candidacy exam often requires an oral presentation in some departments. Practice with your friends, colleagues, and even professionals with the CCL at Fondren. Learn to do summary writing before the D-day, for the written part of the exam, so you do not run out of time, if your exams require writing. Practice like your life depends on it so that you can enjoy later.
- If you follow all these tips, you will surely pass, and when you finally do, send a gratitude note to everyone who helped you pass in flying colors.
- Lastly, go and celebrate yourself! You have done so well for yourself. You have earned it. Visit home! Travel! Hang out with your friends! Do everything you missed out on when you were preparing for the most important examination of your PhD journey.
Best of luck from your favorite big sister, Osy.