A PhD is, in large part, a degree in working the system properly. Mazigh also notes that the challenge of finding a good supervisor can be as difficult as the writing itself. Of course, supervisors once battled the dissertation themselves. What students produce today is much better. We encourage students to write the dissertation as a series of publishable papers rather than as one entity.
Some programs also have a greater emphasis on professional participation than in the past.
Brawley and Williams-Jones note that students today spend more time at conferences and publishing papers, in order to develop professional skills. And, says English doctoral candidate Chris Holmes, this push to professionalize also means more work for the student. And no less daunting. It will only give you options that you have to exercise. So the struggle continues, and the passion, nerves and courage needed to finish the dissertation will be called on again.