What is it about?
Let me tell you, completing a doctoral degree is hard. Doing it online? Even harder. Beyond the difficulty of coursework, loneliness can creep it. Luckily, I joined a WhatsApp group with some of my classmates which positively transformed my doctoral journey. In this chapter, I explored my participation in an informal peer group, and how it affected my doctoral experience and contributed to my success. Stress relief, support, and increased accountability are only a few benefits I reaped from participating in the WhatsApp group. My story exemplifies how belonging to a peer group can contribute to the success of doctoral students, through self-discovery, support, and belongingness.
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Photo by Domingo Alvarez E on Unsplash
Why is it important?
An account of my personal experience can hopefully guide future graduate students in their academic journeys by highlighting the importance of peer support.
Perspectives
This chapter is a highly personal account of my experience, and a tribute to my fellow classmates who walked the doctoral path alongside me. It is for me, as well as for them, and for all the future doctors out there.
Natalie Thibault
Wonkwang University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Send Me a Screenshot, Send Me a Hug, December 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004720336_012.
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