Jennifer O’Looney
December 9, 2005

            After listening this semester to an overview of the career path and interests of many of the professors in the School of Education, my thoughts about what it means to be a doctoral student in the field have continued to evolve.  In addition to understanding the importance of being open to new opportunities and realizing that participation in the program is a lifestyle change, I have also begun to appreciate the importance of fit with your research and place of employment.  Furthermore, I continue to notice the importance of having varied career and life experiences from which to draw inspiration to ask new questions.

     Importance of fit is a topic that I have previously considered to be of minimal significance when choosing a career or research interest.  In my master’s programs it was relevant for me that the program have aspects that I had an interest in, for example, an emphasis on young children, but the research activity of the professors was not a priority in choosing my programs.  I was able to select outstanding master’s programs at both George Mason and The College of William and Mary where I participated in different areas of research that were of interest, but not dissertation-level interest, to me.  While this was beneficial at the master’s level to opening my thoughts to different topics, I now understand from listening to the speakers, the vitality of finding mentors and colleagues in your doctoral program that can help guide you in the areas of research that will begin to define your work.  This does not mean that you may continue to work in this focus for your entire career, but it does help you establish vital links to individuals and bodies of work that may be the starting point for brainstorming the next questions that could be beneficial to the field.  The importance of fit also encompasses working with others who have similar theoretical backgrounds about education who can help you reflect and refine your practices.  Later down the road, it will again come into play when we determine where our best fit will be in a professional sense, whether that is working in a university or taking on a leadership role at our current places of employment.  Unlike the master’s program, importance of fit is an issue that must be addressed and reflected upon as you take courses and choose to work with different professionals throughout your time in the doctoral program. 

     Another area that I have begun to appreciate from listening to the speakers is the importance of having varied experiences in your life and career.  When describing their roads to their current positions, many of the presenters discussed personal reasons for developing their topics of research interest.  Knowledge that is gained from life experiences outside the formal education area should not be discarded when reflecting on your current and future areas of research.  These opportunities can provide a wealth of information particularly in the area of practical application of laboratory-based studies.  Using these experiences for inspiration can also make the transition to the lifestyle of being a doctoral student easier. 

  As the semester has evolved, I have continued to learn more about my own perspectives on the field of education and about being a doctoral student from listening to the presentations by professors in the Education department.  I look forward to hearing the experiences and thoughts of next semester’s presenters as I begin to develop my program of studies for the next few years.  

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