I always pictured it would be like a fairytale. Me, sailing through with the ease and grace of an angel. Considering the fact that school has always come easy to me, I assumed it would take minimal effort for a Doctor of Philosophy to be conferred on me. That was until I met Qual 1.

Qual 1, you ask? Yes. Qualifying Paper One—also known as the first qualifying or first comprehensive examination.  If there was ever a deterrent in continuing my education, I certainly met it with the assignment of this project.

At Benedictine University, our first qualifying paper explores the foremost journals relevant to our field and requires our mastery of its subject matter, writing style, and qualifications. Although the page requirement does not extend beyond a normal final assignment, the breadth and depth of the subject matter caused each and every one of my classmates and I to at least double that requirement.

In addition, this qualifier is legendary. It has been passed down through generations as the dividing factor between the “haves” and the “have nots”—those who have what it takes to make it through this program and those who have not a chance and should see their own way out.

I won’t lie. When I found out this was a requirement, I was a tad concerned that I may get thrown into the latter category. But what I found later would truly surprise me. Turns out, I liked it.

As I sat down to work on this assignment and pull articles to expound upon in my paper, I found that I really enjoyed the research. It was astounding to learn about how long these journals had been in existence and the significant contribution they’d made to the field of business. In digging even further into the journals, I found the seminal works of great authors and scholars I remember hearing and learning about when I started my learning journey in business school.

It was truly one of the most life-changing academic experiences I have ever encountered. It was almost as if I was a scuba diver, and I’d been given the best and most expensive equipment to dive into one of the world’s greatest bodies of water and discover the amazing life below. It sounds “cheesy,” but that’s exactly what it represented for me.

As I now embark upon Qualifying Paper Two, which requires me to explore 2 or 3 proposed dissertation topics at length, I marvel at how better prepared I feel from conducting this first exercise. To my fellow ASTDers considering a terminal degree, don’t shy away because the work may seem overwhelming. Personal experience has taught me that you are more than able to accomplish such a feat. All it takes is faith in yourself, the willingness to invest, and the desire to take a deep dive.