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[merce]

I have a dissertation advisee whose work borders on the inadequate.  She wants to graduate this year and has been working on revisions for a long time.  We have had several very frank conversations about what she needs to do to make improvements, and she never seems to do anything but the most minimal work.  She's actually a victim of the advice "the best diss is a finished diss," in the sense that she tried to rush through her work just to get it finished (against all advice) and now is stuck with something less than adequate.  She appears not to know how to revise her own work.  Her performance during the diss-writing stage does make me think that she is not cut out for any place with publication expectations, even though she would make an *excellent* instructor at a teaching-oriented college.  I say all this not because I think this is your situation -- it probably is not -- but you need to find out 1) what you need to do to finish; 2) why your advisor has told you your work is just adequate; and 2) what you can do to make sure your advisor can write you a positive letter in the end.

Are you my advisor?

No, he's mine.
Snif snif.

And, actually, it's true.
At some point I realized that my work method is to do everything perfectly the first time around instead of doing the "s***tee" draft that is recommended by someone guides to writing out there.  I went with getting something fast done and now have a mess I'm not happy with and well, you just read what my advisor thought.

So, Done but to the advisor's satisfaction, as best and quickly as you can get it there, that's the goal.

[jonesey]

The advice I've been given is that a "good" diss you can finish now (or relatively soon) is better than an "outstanding" one that keeps you ABD for a decade or so.

[dr_seuss]

I have a dissertation advisee whose work borders on the inadequate.  She wants to graduate this year and has been working on revisions for a long time.  We have had several very frank conversations about what she needs to do to make improvements, and she never seems to do anything but the most minimal work.  She's actually a victim of the advice "the best diss is a finished diss," in the sense that she tried to rush through her work just to get it finished (against all advice) and now is stuck with something less than adequate.  She appears not to know how to revise her own work.  Her performance during the diss-writing stage does make me think that she is not cut out for any place with publication expectations, even though she would make an *excellent* instructor at a teaching-oriented college.  I say all this not because I think this is your situation -- it probably is not -- but you need to find out 1) what you need to do to finish; 2) why your advisor has told you your work is just adequate; and 2) what you can do to make sure your advisor can write you a positive letter in the end.

Are you my advisor?

No, I promise I'm not!  :)

[t_r_b]

2) what you can do to make sure your advisor can write you a positive letter in the end.

That may be the single most important bit of advice this thread has produced. The average hiring committee may not read your diss very closely (if at all) but they will pay very close attention to what your advisor says about the diss in their letter.

[goingcrazy]

To answer the original post --- the dissertation CAN ruin your life if you allow it to. You will have moments where you feel that it is ruining your life, but stay focused on the "prize" and you will be fine. I just went through a phase and I am still dealing with the remnants of a committee in conflict. Sometimes if you just walk away from it for a week you will be able to look at it with new eyes. Do whatever your advisor asks in order to finish. You will finish!

[barrelofmonkeys]

Was it Sugaree who said the "only "great" dissertation is a done dissertation?"

I agree wholeheartedly--get it to a defend-able stage and (with sincere apologies to Dan Savage) DTMFA!

BoM

[zarathustra]

Who's Howie999?

Use your research powers and figure it out.  ;)

[prof_mom]

The best dissertation is a done dissertation is something people say to those who need to stop editing, stop worrying about perfection and just finish the damn thing. It is not something we say to students who are about to submit something that is not up to par.

Your advisor is telling you that this dissertation could be great. This must mean that there are things you can do to make this happen. Tell your advisor you want to do a great dissertation. Ask for some specific things you can do to improve it. Sit down with a printed version of your dissertation and ask the advisor to tell you where the weaknesses are and what you can do at this point to fix them.

Ask for a list of things and write them down. It could be as simple as revising a few pages, deleting a section, or defending an argument. It could be as complicated as revising your connection to theory. Put it on a list and make sure you do it.

Ask your advisor if these are things hu thinks you can do in the time left before you graduate, or if some of these things can be left for the book chapter.

If you get specific comments that outline an action plan, you will feel better.