The question on discussion board is : How can self-schemata help prepare you for the rigors and high expectations of being a doctoral learner? Explain. The first student posted this in response to the above question: One should not attempt doctoral studies unless he or she is prepared for both the enormous financial costs and the emotional and intellectual rigor that accompanies it. A program such as this will be a challenge unlike any of us has ever faced academically. We probably each consider ourselves proficient writers or we would not be attempting this challenge. This program will stretch our writing to new heights and demand more from us than any other degree or endeavor ever has. This, in turn, will cause us to sacrifice free time, time spent with our families and friends, as well as forcing each of us to learn to manage our time best. I already consider myself a multi-tasker but I know that my schedule is already demanding. This will add to that burden but in the sweetest way possible, for this is a fulfillment of a lifelong dream. According to Hazel Markus, a published author writing for the American Psychological Association, "Attempts to organize, summarize, or explain one's own behavior in a particular domain result in the formation of cognitive structures about the self of self-schemata" (2015, Abstract). Do I possess a self-schemata that will help prepare me for the rigors and high expectations of a doctoral program? Yes, I believe that I do. I believe so much, in fact, that I am willing to go into debt with student loans and sacrifice free time to pursue this dream. I know that I can effectively juggle the demands of work, college courses, and my family. I know that I have autonomy in my current job and can navigate and arrange deadlines that can free up time for me to work on assignments. I love research and consider it a passion of mine. Anything research related will be a labor of love and much more fun than a menial task would be. I can do this. I will do this. Reference: Markus, Hazel. (2015). Self-schemata and processing information about the self. [Abstract]. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 35(2), 63-78. The professor posted this in response to the above students posting: My committee always told me... Dianna and class, Thanks for your response. Having experiential knowledge of your research area is considered a positive in many arenas, but it potentially can generate a certain amount bias when approaching your study's research methods, application, and evaluation phases. A researcher must remember to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar. It is important to remain objective as much as possible when interpreting our data. Also, a dissertation usually looks at a very small slice of a specific issue, as opposed to addressing a large-scale trend. My committee always told me to save the extra stuff for the book and focus solely on the data. My narrative is a result of my interpretation of the research. In what ways can you make sure your scope more focused? I would like to participate responding to both the initial post from the student and the comments,advice and question from the professor