I laughed out loud when I saw this quirky little article a few months back, but loved the title, and found some of the tips to be helpful.
However, my experience has definitely been that a PhD can’t be rushed; the job search after can’t be rushed; and as long as you manage in some way to have decent communication with your other half, then 3-5 years (or 8 years in my case!) seems well worth the sacrifice.
What do you think about the article?
-Mandy
the graduate wife 
I like the idea of a dangling carrot reward to get him/her to finish early. As if the pressure (which doesn’t end after a PhD) and financial stress aren’t enough reward. :)
I like the tips, but I don’t like how the intro to the article says, “And now, you want it done! You want to get through with this blasted PhD degree, move on, and have a life, a real life. Maybe you have dreams of more children, more schooling, or your own career.” I agree that we all want it to be done but at the same time I hope we aren’t trying to put life on ‘hold’ and wait to start ‘real life’ once the grad school season is over. :)
Thanks for posting!
I agree with both of your comments! I think tip #7 is interesting too–I always try to listen to my spouse when he shares about his research or things he is learning, just out of love and courtesy (and often, genuine interest ;), but have never thought how much it might be expediting his PhD process in the long run.
The title is a bit quirky, but it was something that I needed to hear today. All of these “steps” are conclusions that we have come to on our own, but the reminder is helpful. And perhaps more helpful is the casual attitude that they are presented.
While I agree with not putting life on hold (we got married and had a baby), it presented unforseen challenges, which have in turn made the process of completing the PhD more difficult. At times, those things get to me, and today the article was a really good reminder to keep everything in perspective.