PATIENCE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL

  What drew you to your current field and what interests you most about this field?

A.K.E. I chose the field because of my educational background and the match between my research interest and my supervisors’ research interest and expertise. Self-regulation is an interesting research area that focuses on the benefits of managing one’s own cognitive, emotional and behavioral resource to meet various life goals. And, examining how children develop this important skill to translate their potential into academic success is a fascinating research area — as it primarily focuses on children’s will power instead of external factors.

  What was an important lesson you learned in the process of your research and writing your dissertation?

A.K.E. One has to handle the challenges related to the academic tasks, teamwork (with co-authors), and project management to transform the pieces of initial ideas into papers and a dissertation, and the processes of writing the dissertation has taught me how patience is the most important tool to cope with these challenges.

  What are your plans after successfully defending your thesis?

A.K.E. I will go back to Ethiopia and see opportunities to extend my career and to contribute to the field based on the knowledge and skills acquired. I am interested in a career path that combines the academia with real life practices.