Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow, in 1943, wrote a paper that addressed human motivation that became “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” The five stages are Physiological needs, Safety needs, Esteem, Self-actualization, and Self-transcendence. While most of us in the US have our physiological needs met (e.g., food, water, shelter), safety needs may not be so obvious a deficit. By safety needs Maslow referred to emotional security, financial security, personal security, and health and well-being. I’d like to talk about emotional security and financial security—both of which can be taxing during the doctorate and dissertation process.

Emotionally, grad school can take a lot out of us. Most of us have families and responsibilities, full-time jobs, and social needs, then we add the stress of getting papers in on time, staying up late, and when the dissertation comes, an ill-defined process with committees that sometimes have idiosyncratic requirements. Pile on the uncertainty of seemingly endless revisions, committee members departing, and sometimes personal issues like health arise, and we can feel depleted.

Grad school is expensive. The average cost for a professional program is $48,900 (and often 6% interest too). For 15 years at $413/month, the cost is $74,276. That makes most people a little financially insecure taking on that debt. The thought of this debt, on top of a mortgage, credit cards, food, and other expenses, can weigh on even the most secure of us.
So what can we do? We can minimize the amount of time (and tuition) in school, and we can get support with seasoned professionals. By getting support with difficult areas, we can minimize revisions, enlist a mentor who knows what your going through, and get the security that we all need.

How can Complete Dissertation help you?

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In closing, I wish you all esteem and respect, the self-actualization to reach your potential, and the altruism and spirituality of self-transcendence that you deserve. Remember, safety needs precede these latter needs.

Best,
James Lani, PhD
(877) 437-8622