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Dec. 12, 2006 Many of you that know me from useless knowledge also know that this past spring I obtained my Masters degree in Organizational Management. This was a two year journey into management thought and philosophy that can be a springboard for any number of upper management posts. Was this necessary for my job in our little real estate firm? No, but I really enjoy learning and had a great time in this program regardless of having the ability to actually use that degree for something concrete. That said, what would I do next? I flip flopped for a few months following my graduation from the Masters program regarding continuing on toward obtaining my Ph.D.. I spoke to friends, family, and academic advisors before ultimately stating that I would go for it. I applied and received the required number of professional and academic referrals to be considered for this honorable journey. A few weeks later I received my official letter of acceptance into the Doctoral level Leadership and Organizational Management program that I had applied to. I was extremely pleased and celebrated with some very close friends and family members. The week or two between acceptance and actually beginning work on this program was filled with conferences between me, my financial advisor and academic advisors. The coming three years of doctoral classroom work came at a cost of $138,000 plus expenses for residency requirements (one each year for three consecutive years), books, travel, and research work related to ones dissertation topic. Depending on your topic and the research required to defend it you can rack up costs in excess of $200,000 (the original cost of $138,000 plus, plus) to obtain your Ph.D.. Professors will tell you that this degree is the top of the line, there are none higher in the world of academia. And this is true! For most this cost in not out of line for such a prestigious degree/professional accomplishment that few have the dogged persistence required to pursue. Admittedly, at first I was unfazed by the cost because I was breathing the ether of being accepted into this prestigious and honorable program. Reality set in a few months later when I began the first year residency requirement. A couple of weeks following acceptance I began my first class which was a qualifying class for formal entrance into the program. This class was a writing communication class that focused on format and content of scholarly writing. Writing at this level is standardized, scrutinized, and compartmentalized if one hopes to pass and enter into the hallowed life of research and publishing. Each student was required to pass this course with no less than 3.5 out of 4. I had nearly a 4.0 (GPA 3.78) average throughout the Masters program and thought this particular requirement would be no problem. This course was a difficult learning process for me with regard to mastering and adhering to the APA format because I had more expertise in the creative writing area than academic field, but one which I passed with flying colors that allowed me to take the next step. The following course was based on historic leaders and leadership schools of thought that have shaped leadership training and thought today. Each course brought new and interesting twists to my background knowledge and pool of potential information which was the intention of this quest. My grades were between the A-, B level and that was enough to allow me to proceed into a two-part residency program. The first week of this residency requirement was to be fulfilled on line per our regular classroom format. The second week was to be in person at a hotel of the universities choosing. My advisors began to prep me as to what would be required of us during this intensive week of residency worth 3 credit hours. I made the required hotel reservations (early on) at a discounted rate allotted for students in the doctoral program at a rate of $110 per night (for seven nights or more depending) at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in Atlanta, GA., plus $16 tax, plus whatever else you may add to it. I bought my books in hard copy (at an additional cost of $150) instead of relying on the resources we have on line (which are included in tuition, etc., costs) so I could highlight and take copious notes on the various topics that we to be discussed. I planned my outfits (and bought a few new ones at a cost of $300) to be worn on which days to coincide with our classroom assignments. I bought a special program (a bargain price of only $30) to help me perfect the APA format required in this level of writing and research. Thus far this week of residency (hotel only) would cost approximately $1,500 plus dinners (add on $40 per night for room service) each night that were not covered in our special rate plans and travel costs (time and gas to drive from Apalachicola, FL. to Atlanta, GA. Approximately $100 each way) to get to this fete. All in all this week ran about $2,500 on top of the tuition. Residency prepared us for what was to come. Administrative staff spoke about costs of tuition and how to arrange the costs of loans and/or grants to help each of us continue in this program if one did not have the financial reserves to do so. Financial advisors were on hand to help each person to fill in paperwork toward obtaining loans or grants. Professors talked about the dissertation topic selection and each step along the way toward honing that dissertation for the oral defense that comes at program close. Professors spoke in-depth about the amount and quality of the research that each person would have to conquer in order that one could adequately defend their topics of dissertation. They outlined special mentors and critical friends that would help us to shape this dissertation along the way and how best to select these persons for a pool of potentials. These topics were enlightening, necessary, and critical to how we would each proceed. I came away from this week with the feeling that I did not need this degree to obtain the next promotion or position within a large organization and therefore did not really need to continue onward at this time. Perhaps if I was in my 20's or early to mid 30's this would be a better tact than at this particular time in my life. I had very mixed feelings in coming to this conclusion because I really hate to quit something that I put so much time and energy into. However, this program requires one to dedicate the coming three to five years of their life to nothing more that more education. Pursuing ones doctorate is the ultimate commitment in terms of time, money, resources, and personal sacrifice. This means that you need to full backing of family and fiends because you will not see much of them during this journey. It is a commitment and sacrifice that not all people are prepared to make and that is why only 2% of the world population obtains their PhD's. Could I do it? Of course, but did I want to make the required sacrifices at this time in my life (I am 45 years old)? I was and still am unsure. This does not mean that I will not continue. However, it means that I am taking some necessary time to reflect on the things that are of import to me and considering how best to achieve all that I want to. I highly suggest that anyone else about to embark on such lifelong learning projects do the same. ------------ About the author: Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. Currently she resides in Florida. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and a Masters Degree in Business Management. She has just been accepted into Doctoral College and will begin that three year journey in the fall of 2006. She plans to write her dissertation on "The Economic Feasibility and Sustainability of Alternative Fuel Sources". Travels have taken her from Europe through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and across much of the United States. She is joint founder of the Apalachicola Yacht Club (AYC) and holds the post of secretary/treasurer. For the AYC she drafted the Constitution and Bylaws outlining membership rules, regulations, and guidelines. She enjoys outdoor activities like sailing, water-skiing, hiking, bike riding, working out, and fishing as well as reading, music, theatre, playing with her two amusing pets (Abu Chez, her 7.5 year old Australian Blue Heeler and Zack, her three year old yellow tabby cat) and writing. "Three Years With Adonis" is the first to be published of several books that she has written. It is now available in all the better bookstores, but can also be found and ordered at Amazon.com, Booksamillion.com, Barnesandnoble.com, or ordered directly from her web sites, www.3yearswithadonis.com, www.threeyearswithadonis.com, or www.MichelleMalsbury.com. In addition to "Three Years With Adonis", she has authored four other books and three screenplays while continuing to explore all that life hands her. Email Michelle Malsbury: zackywacks@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. 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