I was asked again today about what to wear for graduations from someone who would like to wear a dress. I’m now going to expand on what I’ve learnt over 3 (almost 4) University grads and working at a uni. I actually wrote some of this up ages ago as a blog post and a linked in post and it gets a fair bit of traction. I’m going to update it!

This is my advice:

Okay – so the most important Q is what colour is the gown and sash! That’s your starting point.

1. In Australia our gowns are generally black and open at the front, very different to other countries. So your dress or clothing will be visible.
2. The gowns usually come to midi dress length. This adjusts based on how tall you are but generally halfway between knees and ankles is about right
3. With that in mind, I recommend a plain coloured dress that does not clash with your sash colour. Here’s what I wore for mine:

• undergrad light blue sash: patterned blue top and long pants NO NO NO! Wish I could redo this one. Plain colours! And my pants were dark so blended into my gown and it just didn’t work so well. I looked very stumpy. This is also why I don’t recommend ankle length skirts or dresses if you have an option – they don’t seem to work as well with the length of our gowns. If you are wearing longer pants or a longer dress because that’s your style, I actually encourage patterned pants/skirt with a plain top. This will give definition between the gown/legs but also allow the sash/bonnet to stand out.
• masters 1 – dark blue bonnet style sash: black fitted dress to just above my knees and bright red flat shoes. I also had bright red hair. This look was a good one! I love my photos from this event.
• masters 2: bright yellow sash: would have reworn a variation of the black dress style to my knees I think, ended up cancelling as it was interstate and I was in hospital. Alternatively I would have gone with something that matches yellow. What matches yellow? Maybe purple?
• Doctorate: this is coming up soon and I attend the uni know as “the parrot gown”. It’s the brightest in Australia – blue, green, gold and red! Bonkers! I also get a beautiful bright green doctoral bonnet!! I have had a few style thoughts rotate through for this one. I had a lovely purple dress which was winning for awhile (embrace the colour!) but I believe I’m going to go a black, flared sequin dress to just above my knees and nice black shoes for this one. Let the coloured gown and glorious hat do the talking.

A few other notes.

Hair – if you have a standard cap wear your hair down or partially down. The second time my hair was up and it did not occur to me how hard it would be to get the hat on! Friends ended up having to take down part of my lovely up-do I had paid $100 for so we could get the hat on. Did not think that one through.

Shoes – please, reconsider if you want to be a baby giraffe. Wear sensible shoes you are confident and comfortable walking in. You’re probably gonna have to go up a couple of stairs and walk over a stage…don’t be the person who trips!

Dress length – I know mini dresses are the style now and if you’ve got the legs friend, I envy you! Not saying don’t do it BUT be aware the gown will make a short dress look even shorter. Kinda like a dressing gown? So I would really suggest mid thigh at least and closer to knees if you can find one you love.

Pockets – omg pockets in dresses are amazing and also mean you’re not carrying around a bag, your award, possible flowers etc. Pockets!!! My sequin dress does not have pockets so I will wear bike shorts under it with deep side pockets and stick my phone and my makeup touch up tools in each side. My dress flares out so they won’t be visible.

Stockings – I didn’t mention this initially but am adding it in. I’ve gone up and down in weight in my life (as you can see in the below photos) and I always wear stockings with short dresses. It covers up my chunky knees, my varicose veins and makes me feel way less self conscious. Even with the bike shorts I’ll likely have stockings! So you do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable.

————- other countries ———-

If your gown doesn’t open at the front (more common in the US/UK), I still recommend a knee-length dress – your gown should ideally be longer than the dress unless you have reasons otherwise. Avoid full-length boots; ankle boots or heels/flats look better for this style of gown.

Most importantly – regardless of what you wear – take lots of photos! At my undergrad, I gave my guest tickets to a friend (no regrets – it meant her whole family came), but as a result I only have two photos….and that I do regret.

Examples of the gown that will be mine when I eventually get that doctorate…..

**note: originally published 25 Jan 2025, updated 12 March 2026

In the interests of continuing my transparent doctoral journey, I recently received the examination outcome for my Doctor of Education thesis. I want to share my result because I’ve felt very lonely experiencing this the past few months…we often share about the minor and no revision outcomes (as we should!) but don’t talk about the other outcomes and the process that happens after that.

The result was major revisions – internal review, which means the thesis has successfully passed the external examination and now moves towards an “extra” final revision stage. The next step is to address the (detailed) examiner feedback before submitting the corrected thesis to an internal university panel for final approval.

This outcome took a little longer than expected. The first two examiner reports returned very different recommendations, so a third examiner was appointed. With that process unfolding over the Christmas period, the timeline stretched out more than originally planned. The thesis was submitted in October, and the reports arrived last week.

People don’t really talk about these delays or this aspect of the process and I’ve met a few people recently experiencing similar delays and feeling a bit lost – I was happy to be able to share my experience and reassure them! But also to tell them IT IS OKAY TO FEEL THE FEELS. People kept telling me to focus on something else and while I know they were trying to help, I really wish I’d been able to talk to someone who had been through this.

My three examiners have asked for a number of revisions to strengthen the presentation of the evidence and clarify aspects of the methodology. It’s a substantial amount of work, but it doesn’t change the core of the research. One thing that has really stood out to me is how much the revision stage is about refining and strengthening the work, not tearing it down.

So the next few months will be spent editing, clarifying, and polishing the final version of the thesis before it goes off to that internal panel for a final outcome.

The finish line is getting closer, and I’m incredibly grateful to my supervisors and to the many people who continue to support me along the way.

As part of my temporary role at Edith Cowan University, I facilitated a hands-on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) workshop that blended practical modelling with the theory behind inclusive design. It was a lively, engaging session – full of conversation, connection, and “aha” moments about how small design shifts can make learning work better for everyone (including us as educators!).

It’s exciting to see such genuine enthusiasm for UDL in the nursing schoo…the energy in the room today was a great reminder of why I love this work.

After winning the CQUniversity 2025 Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competition, my claymation video on reading-to-dog programs as literacy interventions has now entered the international round. It’s been such a joy seeing my little clay dog take on a life of his own and help share my research story with a wider audience.

This week, I’ve been working my networks across Facebook and LinkedIn to spread the word and encourage people to watch the video – because in the international competition, the Trending Prize is decided by views! The response has been heartwarming. Friends, colleagues, and even strangers have shared, commented, and sent messages of support.

One of the highlights was seeing the Dean of Graduate Research at my uni resharing my post to help boost visibility. It’s a small gesture that means a lot…a reminder of how supportive academic communities can be when it comes to celebrating research communication and creativity.

I was also featured in the CQU Review newsletter as well.

You can still watch (and rewatch!) the video here:

🎥 https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30134638.v1

I’m so grateful for everyone who’s taken the time to click, view, and share. Every view not only helps in the competition but also helps raise awareness of how dogs can support reading and wellbeing in schools.

As I have been updating my progress recently I have been asked what different milestones actually mean? What is a doctoral degree? It’s not just “writing a really long book” although that’s definitely part of it. It also differs from country to country. So heres a summary in Mel-speak for you.

Here’s what the journey looks like at my university (CQU) in Australia. About I’m an EdD student, this is the same for PhD students in all faculties. The only minor difference is in Business and Law they verbally present their CoC as well as submit the written version.

👉 The early days – You start with a rough idea and spend the first months figuring out what on earth you’re actually researching. At this point it’s normal to have a lot of changes. You put together a proposal to prove the project is doable and sometimes there is compulsory coursework as well at this stage to build your skills. CQU has one self paced unit that directly leads into the CoC submission below

👉 Confirmation of Candidature – or CoC – is 6-12 months in. This is the first big hurdle. You hand over a chunky plan (mine was 16k words at the end), present it to a panel either verbally or just in writing, and basically convince them your project deserves to exist. Once you pass, you’re officially “confirmed” as a doctoral candidate. 🎉

👉 Ethics (straight after confirmation of candidature) – I have included this as a milestone because for me it was absolutely bonkers. Some people only need a uni ethics approval which can take a couple of months and then be done. I needed the uni approval first, then three different state education departments….then sector approval in each of those states (public, Catholic, independent) and then individual school and principal approval. Then each participant had to give their consent! I also hit lots of rejections here (because my research isn’t about phonics or science of reading) and had to pivot a few times.

👉 The messy middle – Data collection, fieldwork, experiments, interviews, analysing data using specific programs, writing, rewriting, doubting yourself, editing, applying feedback, more editing and then doing it all again. This is the part that can take years.

👉 The final writing stretch – Drafts, more drafts, and the dreaded “pre-submission review” where you prove the thesis is nearly ready to go to your supervisors. In my case this part was really overwhelming and I fell over a few times….but I got back up. Caffeine becomes a food group at this point.

👉 Professional proofreading – at my uni, we are allowed to use some of our funding to send our final draft to a professional proofreader approved by the university. They edit (no content review) and send it back to ensure grammar, punctuation, flow etc are up to standard.

👉 Submission day – You hand in approximately 65000 – 80000 words of your blood, sweat, and tears. Feels surreal.

👉 Examination – Experts read it (2-3 examiners usually) and send back their feedback, and you make corrections. This can take a few months. Examiners can be in Australia and international. Unlike some countries, there is no live exam or “defence” for me…just extensive written reports. Results at this stage can be:

• Pass with no revisions (unusual but it happens!)
• Pass with minor revisions (make changes within a few months and senior school of graduate research academic checks them – then you’re done!)
• Pass with major revisions (significant changes that can take up to another 6-12 months before being reviewed again by your uni staff)
• Re-examine with major revisions (significant changes that are expected to take 12 months and then need to go out to two external examiners again)
• Fail (not common in Australia and especially not at my uni which has a lot of systems in place to avoid this)

My goal? Minor revisions!!

👉 Conferral and Graduation – Conferral comes first and means you have made all your changes and they have been approved by the uni. You then get a magic email addressed to “Doctor” and the title is officially yours! Graduation can come anytime in the year or two after that if you choose to attend. I’ll be travelling interstate for mine and you can bet I’ll be wearing my wanky hat for days 😂

FYI: my thesis length was approx 70000 words and 334 pages.

Let’s talk about Stan Smith, my 98yo Grandad and my favourite person.

Aside from being an excellent grandparent (and stand in parent at various times in my turbulent childhood) he was also an accomplished glass blower and TAFE teacher.

He has always been a prolific reader and writer and my passion for storytelling and teaching definitely comes from him. Ten years ago I made him a blog and he continues to publish his short stories and poems on it today https://lnkd.in/ggScRNwC

And as part of being an amazing Grandad, he hand drew me some dog themed cartoons for each of the chapter headings in my thesis. He was very chuffed today to receive a printed copy of my thesis submission and to go through and look at each of his drawings.

He also assures me he will read the whole 334 page thesis….

Last week I hit a big milestone: I submitted my thesis for examination! After 3 years of writing, revising, and living with this project, it’s finally out of my hands. Now comes the strange in-between space – the waiting. As I’m in Australia, the next steps for me are two external examiners review it over a few months → I make any required changes → final submission → Conferral (Dr title time!) → graduation

The waiting is both a relief and a challenge. On one hand, I no longer need to wrangle chapters or chase down references. On the other, I can’t do anything to speed up the review process. So how do you stay grounded, motivated, and (dare I say it) even enjoy this period?

Here’s what’s in my personal “Thesis Submitters’ Toolkit” right now.

1. Writing… but differently

I’m giving myself space to write in ways that feel lighter and more creative. I’m drafting an article that grows out of my research, but the tone is different….more exploratory, less pressured. I’m also shaping an abstract for an upcoming conference. These smaller, bounded writing tasks keep me connected to my academic voice without dragging me back into thesis-mode.

2. Play as recovery

After months of serious, weighty writing, I’m deliberately making time for play. For me, that looks like building Lego botanical sets to add to my extensive collection. There’s something wonderfully grounding about following instructions, clicking pieces into place, and seeing progress in colour and shape rather than paragraphs. It’s productivity of another kind…creative, tactile, and completely non-academic.

3. Quiet space for myself

Submitting a thesis doesn’t just use brainpower; it takes an emotional toll too. I’m carving out time for walks, long cups of herbal tea, and catching up on books that have nothing to do with literacy, research methods, or thematic analysis. These pauses are as important as the projects. They remind me that rest isn’t wasted time, it’s a resource.

4. Looking ahead

Finally, I’m gently planning. I’m not diving into a huge new project, but I am sketching out what might come next eg papers, presentations, and the small seeds of new ideas. Having a loose plan helps channel the energy that used to go into the thesis, while still honouring the fact that right now is a time to wait.

Why share a toolkit?

If you’re in the post-submission limbo too, know that the waiting doesn’t have to feel like a void. Filling it with small, meaningful activities can make the weeks ahead feel less like “time lost” and more like part of the journey.

And if you’ve been through this stage, I’d love to know: what was in your toolkit while you waited?

My Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) 2025 entry is now live in the international gallery!

The competition showcases graduate researchers around the world, each sharing their work in short, engaging videos. My entry was the CQUniversity winner in 2025 and uses claymation to share my doctoral research on reading-to-dog programs as reading interventions 🐶📚.

You can find my video here: https://youtu.be/LCKdJK4BLo4

My Top VYT Tips:

1. Start with your story, not your data

Your audience doesn’t need every detail of your thesis….they need the heart of it. Ask: What’s the one big idea I want people to remember?

2. Think visually, not text-heavy

Use images, animation, or symbols that capture your research message. Less text = more impact. If you can say it in 3 words and a strong visual, do that instead of a paragraph. If you compare my 2024 attempt to my 2025 one you’ll see I removed nearly all text for 2025.

3. Keep it simple and engaging

Imagine explaining your work to a curious 12-year-old or a friend outside academia. That clarity will help both judges and the public connect with your entry.

4. Focus on flow

Your 60-second video should feel like a smooth journey – beginning (the problem), middle (your approach), and end (why it matters). Storyboarding helps a lot.

5. Use sound strategically

Background music or narration can lift your message, but only if it complements the visuals. Test with and without sound to make sure it still works. I also had to record-record my voiceover quite a few times to ensure the correct sections were aligned for impact.

6. Prototype and get feedback

Show your draft to people who aren’t in your field. If they “get it” quickly, you’re on the right track. If not, refine.

7. Don’t forget accessibility

Use high-contrast visuals, clear fonts, and subtitles. This not only helps reach more people, but also shows thoughtfulness in presentation. Make sure to submit a transcript as well.

8. Have fun with it

Play, experiment, and let your personality come through. A memorable creative hook (like a claymation doggo 🦮) can make your research unforgettable.

I didn’t get the job.

And I want to say it out loud, because we don’t often share the “no.” And we especially don’t do it on that shiny FB self promotion site we all use to try and get work.
We share new titles, promotions, opportunities. We rarely share the rejection email that makes your heart sink after weeks of hope.

For most of my career, I’ve been good at getting jobs. I’ve built a reputation as a highly accomplished teacher and leader, and I know my field inside out. In fact, the last few roles I had in schools I was the preferred applicant from the get go. In fact, I built a small business helping teachers to get their dream jobs – that’s how good I was at it!

But stepping into academia as a new “almost a Doctor” feels like starting over. It means new rules, new benchmarks, and sometimes, new rejections.

Not getting these new, “starting out” academic jobs doesn’t mean failure.
It means:

• I was brave enough to apply.
• I learned (and practiced) how to shape my story and skills.
• I gained feedback I can use next time.
• I kept moving forward, even when the outcome wasn’t what I hoped for.

For anyone else navigating new career chapters: the “no” doesn’t erase everything you’ve achieved. It’s simply part of the path.

So today I’m choosing to name it, share it, and keep going.
Because the right “yes” will come.

There’s a strange mix of relief and panic that comes with the final months of a doctorate. Submission suddenly feels real and within reach, but so does the long list of edits, formatting tweaks, and final checks. It’s a season of tying loose ends, trusting the work I’ve put in, and finding small ways to keep momentum.

Here are some of the things keeping me on track as I head toward submission.

Mindset Rituals

I’ve learned that little daily rituals matter more than heroic bursts of productivity. For me, it starts with a morning beverage routine (not coffee…..but still caffeine. Done come for me!) where I set just one clear goal for the day. Sometimes that’s a big one (rewriting a section), and sometimes it’s tiny (checking two references). Naming the task helps me avoid spiralling into overwhelm and keeps progress tangible.

I also try to end each work session by noting what’s left undone – not as a failure, but as a marker of where to begin next time. It’s like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for my future self.

Practical Tools

The checklist is my lifeline right now. Mine covers everything from double-checking APA referencing to ensuring figure captions match formatting requirements. I’ve also broken submission down into mini-milestones: proofreading one chapter at a time, running Turnitin checks, and cross-checking appendices.

I’ve found that sub-tasks make the mountain feel less intimidating. “Revise Chapter 7” is daunting. “Check headings and transitions in Chapter 7” is achievable. This one was key for me as I was getting so overwhelmed I was getting myself stuck and doing nothing.

Anchors for Well-Being

It’s easy to forget that this stage is just as draining as data collection or analysis. So I’ve given myself some anchors: walking the dogs, leaving weekends free where I can, and keeping evenings as screen-free as possible. These small pauses help reset my energy so I can return to the work with more clarity.

I also love flowers and have been making sure I have fresh and visible flowers at the moment while I am struggling a bit. It really improves how I feel when writing at home.

Accountability and Support

I’ve been leaning more than ever on my supervisory team, but also on peers who understand the strange push-pull of these final weeks. Sometimes it’s about feedback, but often it’s just about encouragement: a quick message that says, “You’re nearly there. Keep going.”

That reminder…that I’m not doing this alone…has been one of the most valuable supports of all.

Closing Thought

The finishing line is in sight, and while the list feels endless some days, I’m reminded that every ticked box is progress. If you’re in the same stage of your doctorate, take one sub-task at a time. Submission isn’t a single giant leap as much as it’s a series of steady steps.

And step by step, we’ll get there.