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In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her companions tremble with fear as they face the thundering wrath and flames of the Mighty Oz. Undaunted by the blustering bully, Dorothy’s little dog Toto wanders away from the drama and pulls back a tall curtain to reveal an old man operating controls that create the illusion of the ominous Wizard of Oz. Toto exposed the Wizard as nothing to be afraid of, and once the group of friends understood that, they were able to get everything they wanted from the old man. Through this book, my goal is to take on the role of Toto.

In graduate school, students can sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by things that they naively  perceive to be more ominous and unsurmountable than they really are. That’s where this book comes in. As you encounter the wide range of new challenges such as research, APA, and academic writing, I will be right there with you to pull back the curtain and show you that there’s nothing to fear. Together, we will explore real-world strategies for simplifying, focusing, and progressing through the research process..