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.

How to Finish Faster

2 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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0:43

In this brief advisory video, Steve Tippins Ph.D. emphasizes that finishing a Ph.D. within three years is about efficient, purposeful work rather than simply staying busy. He advises students to measure progress by formal approvals rather than activity volume, to strictly follow their university’s dissertation template and requirements, and to be deliberate at each step to avoid costly detours and backtracking. By aligning with institutional guidelines and understanding what is required before moving forward, students can save time and complete their degree faster. He also invites viewers to comment "help" to receive a link to a free dissertation‑help community.

Chapters

Time is a precious commodity, particularly if you're on a Ph.D. studentship and trying to finish in 3 years. Here's my tip on saving time and finishing faster. Some students think that being busy means that they're going to get done faster, but finishing is measured by approval, not how much you get done. So if you're making sure that you have your alignment, you're following the template from your university, that you're really taking the time to make sure you're doing everything right, that will help you finish faster. Often students end up taking too much time going down a different direction and then having to backstep a whole bunch. Be really deliberate every step of the way and understand what is required before you move forward. Comment "help" and we will send you the link to our free dissertation help community. You've got this!