A dissertation isn't a paper. Papers summarize existing research; dissertations require you to create original knowledge through new research questions, studies, and data analysis. You also need approval from a committee of three to five people with different standards, which takes much longer.
I wrote a 20-page paper in a weekend in grad school. Why is your dissertation taking so long? Because you're not writing a paper. You're not summarizing existing knowledge or connecting dots from library sources. You're creating knowledge from nothing, asking questions no one has asked, designing a study, collecting data, analyzing it, and defending every choice. Then you have to get 3 to 5 people to agree. People who don't always agree with each other, who have different standards, and might change their minds in between drafts. Your friends wrote papers quickly because they just organized knowledge that already existed. You are building knowledge from scratch with a committee who may or may not agree. That's why it takes longer, that's why it's harder, and that's why a dissertation is not just a paper. If you would like support, comment "help" and we will send you the link to our free dissertation help community. You've got this!
