Subject of Investigation/Problem: Students in doctoral programs report high levels of anxiety in time management issues while attempting to attain the degree.
Study: Examine the life activities of students in doctoral programs, isolating problematic areas of time management issues.
Participant:
Female
31 years old
Single
No children
Occupation:
Adjunct Instructor (Religion, Humanities) at multiple locations
Artist
Paranormalist (self-classified)
Interview:
In which doctoral program are you currently enrolled?
Educational Leadership.
How many semesters have you spent in this program?
This is my second.
What other academic degrees do you have?
I have a double major undergrad, a MA in Religious Studies, and I am 2 courses and a thesis away from the second MA. I am working on the MA degree around the PhD program as I can.
How many hours a week do you spend in class?
Six hours for the PhD program, three hours a night for a class Tuesday and three hours a night for a class on Thursday. This semester, I am spending an additional 2 hours every Monday and Wednesday for a required class that is applied towards the MA degree.
How many hours a week do you spend working on class projects outside of the classroom?
I really don’t know. I find myself really working long hours over the weekend trying to keep up with everything. I had to cancel plans with friends and with my mother to try to keep up. I have incorporated my exercise regime to work on reading books and grading student papers – multitasking.
What is your regular work schedule?
This semester, I am signed up to teach 9 classes. I take a class 10 –12 on M/W, then teach from 2 – 8 p.m. (after I take a class), then Tuesday/Thursday I teach 9 – 1 and I take classes each of those nights. I also teach 9 – 1 on Saturday. I have two online courses that I work on between classes, at night, and over the weekends. The Saturday class is sort of an express session. The first part ends in March, then that is when the 9th class starts. I have to add driving time into each day because I commute to N. Tampa M/W, then go to Ybor, then S. Tampa, then home. T/Th, I work in St. Pete then take classes in the northern part of the county. The Saturday class is in Tampa. Overall, I probably drive at least 12 or more hours a week.
I am also an artist and I have been selling works. I love that, but it’s also a stressor for me because I have no time to work on new pieces. Art is a stress relief for me, it is a passion, and I have fought very hard to get to where this point. I have found the art world to be very competitive so I do not want to let that go at this time. I show in 2 – 4 shows a month. I am also a member of 4 art organizations and I do the newsletter for 1. I was recently invited to be on the board of another, but I’m not sure I can add that to my schedule at this time.
Lastly, I am the managing member, senior investigator, founder, and media person for an LLC called the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg. We do investigations into liminal beings. I do the website for the group as well as manage the bank account (we are voluntary as a group with no charge for our services, so this is not a heavy task). I help set up investigations, run meetings, and train new members. I go on pretty much all investigations and try to keep the group on track. I do all public speaking engagements for the group, which ranges in intensity depending on the season, though I do enjoy that.
How do you manage your time?
With a calendar by my phone. I block out all teaching times and will not compromise those times. I also block out dates that I am teaching. The remaining time I try to work in everything else to the best of my ability.
How well do you feel that you manage your time?
I’m not sure. I know that I do a lot, but I am constantly tired. I also have found that minor ailments are acting up (migraines, TMJ) and these are causing me additional fatigue.
I worry about my pets. I have 4 pugs, 2 older and 2 younger. One of my pugs was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I worry about him all the time. The two older pugs are really starting to age and I feel I need to spend time with them. The younger pugs want a lot of attention as well. I have a neighbor and my mother who helps me care for them so they have a lot of interaction.
Additional directions: Photovoice. Take pictures of daily events, images, and themes that are important to you. Think of how they interact with your schedule and the topic of this research when you take the images.
