Cohort mates rants and raves - How's it going?

[smartdegree]

But, my cohort mates are so quiet and I feel like I'm doing this program all by myself. Even with the online discussion boards, they frequently do not respond until the last possible moment,  and I find myself playing catch up in trying to complete the requisite follow-up posts before the deadline. 

I understand many people quit their PhD programs not because they are "quitters" but rather that the PhD experience is not at all what they imagined it to be. I guess it's like a divorce, sometimes it just isn't a good fit no matter how hard you try. If you feel that your DPA experience is exactly what you envisioned, then that's perfect. However, if the experience is far from what you expected, then quitting is actually an admirable thing as you can focus on what you really want to pursue and not waste any more of your time.