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

[soliloquy]

@soliloquy, do you have an exit strategy or backup plan in case you feel like jumping ship on this degree program?  I would see if there is an option to "go through" the program to finish.  If that isn't possible due to scenarios or situations with "life or stuff happens", you should finish the courses you're currently working on and see if there are programs you can transfer your courses into.  Some doctoral programs are geared for ABD students, that's if you go that far into the program...

I'm just venting. It's a great program but rigorous because of 8-week sessions and a heavy workload. I guess some people realize it's not for them or change for other reasons. Most of my cohort mates have told me they just had things come up, moves, illness, sick loved ones, death, etc. But, I'll make it work one way or another. I like the institution itself.

---

While I'm sure this is no consolation, your experience with your classmates isn't any different than what goes on at the undergrad level. I teach online for my state university system. When I was asked by administration why I didn't engage students in discussion boards earlier than I do, I replied that it was hard to do so when students only post within 2 hours of the midnight deadline each week. With any deadline there's a flurry of submissions at the deadline threshold because students don't prioritize differently. That's the nature of online higher education. 

You didn't mention where your DPA program was but I know as of a few years ago there were only 6 DPA programs nationwide. I was in one myself in 2016-2017 which was online but required residency weekends twice a year. We had a fair amount of attrition during that time. I'll echo what the others have said; if you're having serious doubts, do some examining of priorities and potential outcomes & weigh that against what the next few years will cost you, both money and time-wise. My program consumed my life outside my full-time job and took a major toll on my health. At the time, I thought it was a short-term sacrifice for a bigger reward a few years down the road. 

Then I began looking around at the job market for DPA graduates, as I was looking to remain in higher education. At most, it would have meant a 15% pay increase if I won the lottery & were hired for a full-time faculty position. In my search I found 2 professors in my state university system that were making the same or less as I already was in my management position at another university, supervising a department of staff and student workers. While my program was covered by employee tuition assistance there were still substantial out-of-pocket costs and given the potential job market and lack of returns financially, I decided to leave my program. In my case, the investment wasn't worth the potential return. 

So carefully weigh what you want your outcomes to be and the likelihood of those occurring. If you've got a clear path to a job you know you'll love, that's great. If you're fine with graduating and possibly never using your doctorate in a full-time job or just for adjuncting on the side, that's fine as well. But know what outcomes will make you satisfied and find out if the expectation of them being fulfilled is realistic. I left my program knowing it was the right thing for me but I still wrestled with the feeling of failure for years, all the while knowing that completion of the program wouldn't have netted me a desirable outcome. (I'm not a quitter, either.) I kept my old job and was later offered an online adjunct position; between the 2 I'm making a little more than I would have with the DPA in a full-time faculty slot. It's not the outcome I wanted but it's the best outcome I could hope for. If you're having doubts this early in the game, I'd suggest you weigh all the factors involved in your return on investment vis a vis your program. You can make up lost money but you'll never recover the time you spend.

While I'm sure this is no consolation, your experience with your classmates isn't any different than what goes on at the undergrad level. I teach online for my state university system. When I was asked by administration why I didn't engage students in discussion boards earlier than I do, I replied that it was hard to do so when students only post within 2 hours of the midnight deadline each week. With any deadline there's a flurry of submissions at the deadline threshold because students don't prioritize differently. That's the nature of online higher education. 

That advice is well-taken. Thank you. Most of this is online, but there is an in-person component as well. 

You didn't mention where your DPA program was but I know as of a few years ago there were only 6 DPA programs nationwide. I was in one myself in 2016-2017 which was online but required residency weekends twice a year. We had a fair amount of attrition during that time. I'll echo what the others have said; if you're having serious doubts, do some examining of priorities and potential outcomes & weigh that against what the next few years will cost you, both money and time-wise. My program consumed my life outside my full-time job and took a major toll on my health. At the time, I thought it was a short-term sacrifice for a bigger reward a few years down the road. 

There were actually a large number of DPA programs a few years ago. I actually listed out every known DPA  program 5 years ago and updated it when I finally pulled the trigger. You can see my sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing.

I will use my doctorate in the area I am working in, and it will be instrumental in affecting public policy on some advocacy projects I'm working on. Thank you!