Nearing the finish line: an inventory of my sources of stress

Earlier this month, I formed my PhD dissertation committee and am now officially a PhD candidate as per the University of Tennessee registrar. I also had to fill out some paperwork, including signatures from my committee members and a list of all the courses I’ve taken to fulfill my degree program’s requirements. My student portal now labels me as a “late-stage doctoral candidate,” which is exciting to say the least.

But, as I feel like I keep saying, “that was the easy part.” I still have roughly a year before I defend and…