Steve Tippins Ph.D.Helping doctoral students get their dissertation accepted, succeed in their careers, & change the world | Academic Career Advisor | Dissertation Chair & Founder, Beyond PhD Coaching | 35 + years of experience.

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18 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief advisory video, Steve Tippins Ph.D. cautions undergraduate students against submitting their dissertations simply because they feel exhausted with the process. He argues that effort and time invested do not automatically guarantee a high-quality, grade‑worthy product. Using a personal basketball analogy—playing a lot but not making the NBA—he illustrates that hard work alone isn’t sufficient. Tippins urges students to pause, seek external feedback, and leverage support networks before finalizing their work. He concludes with a call‑to‑action, inviting viewers to comment the word “help” to receive a link to his Free Dissertation Help Community, reinforcing the message that assistance is available and attainable.

Chapters

But just because you're tired of it doesn't mean it's ready to publish. It might mean it needs other eyes to look at it. I had undergraduates over the years who would say things to me like, I worked hard on this. I put a lot of time into it. I should get an A. But putting time into it doesn't ultimately mean it's going to be good or be an A. My response was I played a lot of basketball. I didn't get into the NBA. So you can do this. Just pause, get some help, and move forward. Drop the word help in the comments and I'll send you my link to the Free Dissertation Help Community. Just remember, you can do this.