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.

The hardest part of writing a dissertation

3 Jan 2026 · 0 min

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In this brief monologue, Steve Tippins Ph.D. identifies the primary obstacle in dissertation work as the difficulty of getting started, which is tied to a lack of confidence and the uncertainty of the process. He describes the dissertation journey as long, solitary, and often unsupported by academic institutions, emphasizing that the initial path may need adjustment. He advises keeping the ultimate goal of completion in mind as a guiding focus throughout the endeavor.

The hardest part about writing a dissertation is starting and having the confidence to know that you can complete this. It's a complete unknown. It's long, lonely journey. You don't get a lot of support from most schools, so it's hard to just start and stake out a path. And understand, though, that that path may be adjusted a little bit along the way. You want to finish, and if you keep that in mind, that's going to be your goal.