Weirdest Places I’ve Written My Dissertation

By Delaney Couri

My advisor loves Microsoft Word. She has a convertible standing desk, a massive set of dual monitors, and enough spreadsheets open to rule the world.

While my advisor and I agree on most things, our preferred way to write is not one of them.

Much to her chagrin, I do not have massive dual monitors, nor do I always have access to a standing desk. Google Documents is my best friend, and it is incredibly compatible with my iPhone, iPad, and Chromebook.

When I told her I had written pieces of my dissertation on my phone, she simply put her head in her hands. Every time I turn a draft in to her, I convert it to Word to make her happy.

However, with my writing process nearly complete, I think it’s time to come clean about my unconventional writing habits. Here is just a short list of some of the wildest places I have written my dissertation:

On my iPad, stuck on the tarmac at IAH for two hours.

On my iPad, placed precariously on a building ledge four floors up on a balcony at a conference hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.

On dual monitors, at my advisor’s house while cat sitting for her.

On my phone, walking around a park, to campus, and from campus.

On my phone, in the back of a car while my advisor’s son drove me home.

On my Chromebook, at someone’s home that they rented out on Airbnb.

On my iPad, on my advisor's backyard patio.

On my iPad, in my best friend's office.

On my Chromebook, at DFW and IAH airport.

On my iPad, sitting on a bench overlooking a cruise boat departing in the tidewater area of Norfolk.

On my phone, in the back of a shuttle bus on Aggie Expressway.

Reviewing the list above, it seems to me that I have written in at least four cities and two states. I have written on at least five devices and used Google documents, Microsoft Word, my Notes app, and two other writing applications to do so.

When I look back on my dissertation years from now, these moments are the ones I want to remember. The unconventional times where I simply made it work, churning out one word at a time. Writing a dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint, so why not make it a scenic one? 

However, wherever, or whenever you choose to write, I hope it works for you. And also… it never hurts to find dual monitors when you can.