My San Francisco Dissertation Support Group has been meeting for a year and a half and members are making progress, sharing resources, and sometimes co-working together. We also have seen members successfully complete their dissertation and graduate!

There are openings for new members, ongoing, and if you or someone you know is interested, simply contact me for a screening.

Time: Wednesdays, 3:45pm – 4:45pm
Location: San Francisco (220 Montgomery Street, Suite 400)
Cost: $35 per session per person, commit to one month at a time
Contact: Please contact Dr. Keely Kolmes at 415-501-9098 or
drkkolmes at hushmail dot com if interested.

The dissertation process can be challenging. Students struggle with isolation, procrastination, time-management issues, feeling stuck, and moments of low self-esteem. Some lack adequate support from advisers, school, friends, or family.  I offer a weekly support group for graduate students who are in the dissertation phase of their academic career. Learn to structure your time while getting support from others.

This group utilizes co-working and an email list to help extend support beyond our weekly meetings. The group is open to graduate students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations and is open to up to 8 participants at a time.

All members have a free initial interview. Once accepted to the group, you will commit to one month of meetings and pay in advance for each month.

Let me know if you have any questions. Let us help you move through this process!

As members of my dissertation support group already know, I’m a huge fan of co-working. This isn’t only because I’ve seen clients benefit from it. Co-working has also helped me immensely. It’s one thing to have small work projects that can be sprinted through in 30 minutes or so. But I am frequently juggling large work projects which include writing, research, teaching, and putting together presentations. Work of this type takes on more of a marathon-like quality, involving long hours that can be quite isolating. If avoidance or procrastination decide to pay me a visit, working on my own becomes even less appealing. Distractions like to tap me on the shoulder and I am not always the most structured person.

But, I’ve always been able to harness my productivity when I’ve organized work periods with friends. This was how I managed to get unstuck and get rolling on my own dissertation after many months of avoidance. I utilized it again when I was studying for my licensing exams. It is also how I most happily get satisfying chunks of work done now. It’s also a great way to get to see some of my other busy (and productive) friends who I might not otherwise see if we waited until our respective projects were complete. Co-working can give you an opportunity to be accountable to another person which can sometimes be more compelling than keeping commitments to yourself. You also have the built-in reward of socializing.

Some people like co-working so much that they will happily do it with strangers. This may be a good solution for you, if you’re looking to break out of solo-work isolation. If so, you may want to check out this great co-working wiki designed to help folks find others with whom they can work. If you’re in San Francisco, like me, you may find the direct link to the SF resources helpful.

But the way I most prefer to utilize co-working is to do it one-on-one with a friend or a couple of people. If you haven’t done this before, try sending an email out to your pals to see if anyone is up for a work date. Or if you know someone doing any of the following things: taking classes, studying for a big test, working on a book, wrestling with a large project, consider emailing them directly to ask if they want to try a work date. Agree on a set time period. I suggest two hours to start. If you’re both having trouble focusing on your work, set up before you meet just how much time you will spend catching up. It may work to spend the first 20 minutes catching up and then settling in to spend 40 minutes working. Then plan to take a 15-20 minute break to talk a bit more, followed by another 40 minute work period. See how this goes for you, and then fine-tune as necessary.

Be prepared for the reality that not every co-working couple is a match made in heaven. Some people have a much harder time buckling down and getting focused on work, or you may just have different styles and needs when it comes to taking breaks or chatting as you work. Like all relationships, you may need to communicate a bit more about this in order to find a good working arrangement. Sometimes, you may need to accept that a good friend is better as a movie and dinner date than a co-working date. On the other hand, if you’re easily distracted, you may get lucky and find someone who is a good influence on you. Also, one of the dangers of working in public spaces is that other things like unexpected noises may distract you. Consider trying earplugs or using earbuds to play low-level ambient sound as you work.

If you find a good co-working pal, consider making a regular thing out of it. Or you may want to find several good co-working partners and rotate days and times with them so you get to see all of them more often.

Good luck and welcome to the co-working revolution!

My San Francisco Dissertation Support Group has been meeting for two months now and members are making progress, sharing resources, and sometimes co-working together. There are openings for new members in October, and if you or someone you know is interested, now is the time to contact me for a screening.

Time: Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:30pm (October 7, 14, 21, & 28)
Location: San Francisco (2148 Market St. between Church & Sanchez)
Cost: $30 per session per person, $120 for month of October
Contact: Please contact Dr. Keely Kolmes at 415-501-9098 or
drkkolmes at gmail dot com if interested.

The dissertation process can be challenging. Students struggle with
isolation, procrastination, time-management issues, feeling stuck, and
moments of low self-esteem. Some lack adequate support from advisors,
school, friends, or family.  I offer a weekly support group for
graduate students who are in the dissertation phase of their academic
career. Learn to structure your time while getting support from
others.

This group utilizes co-working and an email list to help extend
support beyond our weekly meetings.  Group is open to graduate
students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations and is open to
up to 8 participants at a time.

All members have a free initial interview. I will also maintain a
waiting list in the event that the group is temporarily full.

My San Francisco based Dissertation Support Group had a successful August. The group is continuing and will be temporarily open to new members who want to begin in September. This is a low-fee way to get support and get unlocked from the procrastination cycle.

Days:

September 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30

Time:

Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:30pm

Location:

San Francisco (2148 Market St. between Church and Sanchez)

Cost:

$30 per session per person, $150 for month of September

The dissertation process can be challenging. Students struggle with isolation, procrastination, time-management issues, feeling stuck, and moments of low self-esteem. Some lack adequate support from advisors, school, friends, or family.  I offer a weekly support group for graduate students who are in the dissertation phase of their academic career. Learn to structure your time while getting support from others.

This group utilizes co-working and an email list to help extend support beyond our weekly meetings.  Group is open to graduate students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations and is open to up to 8 participants at a time.

All members have a free initial interview. I will also maintain a waiting list in the event that the group is temporarily full.

Please call or email me for more information.

My ongoing weekly support group for graduate students in the dissertation phase of their academic careers will be meeting this August.

This is an ongoing group which you may sign up for on a monthly basis. The time of the group is Wednesdays, from 4:00pm – 5:30pm.

This group is recommended if you wish to learn how to structure your time while getting support from others who are moving through a similar process.

Students struggle with different aspects of the dissertation. You may experience isolation, procrastination, time-management issues, feeling stuck, or moments of low self-esteem. Some lack adequate support from advisors, school, friends, or family.

This group meets weekly to offer support and utilizes co-working and an email list to help members extend support beyond the weekly meetings.

This is an ongoing group open to graduate students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations. Members will be screened to assess goodness of fit.

Group is open to 6 – 8 participants at a time and is currently accepting new members.

All members will have a free initial interview. The group membership opens up periodically, every couple of months, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested.

You may also find my blog post on Taming Procrastination to be helpful.

I am offering an ongoing weekly support group for graduate students who are in the dissertation phase of their academic career. Learn how to structure your time while getting support from others who are moving through a similar process.

Many students struggle with different aspects of the dissertation. You may be experiencing isolation, procrastination, time-management issues, feeling stuck, or moments of low self-esteem. Some people lack adequate support from advisors, school, friends, or family. This group will meet weekly to offer support and will also utilize co-working and an email list to help members extend support beyond the weekly meetings.

This is an ongoing group open to graduate students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations. Members will be screened to assess goodness of fit.

Group is open to 6 – 8 participants at a time and is currently accepting new members.

All members will have a free initial interview. The group membership opens up periodically, every couple of months, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested.

You may also find my blog post on Taming Procrastination to be helpful.

This is an ongoing group open to graduate students of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations. Members will be screened to assess goodness of fit.

All members will have a free initial interview. I will also maintain a waiting list in the event that the group is temporarily full.

You may also find my blog post on Taming Procrastination to be helpful.