Without doubt, the stakes are higher with this phase of your doctoral degree. If you are not successful with your comprehensive exams or if you do not complete your dissertation, you will not earn your degree - an undesirable outcome. The national percentage of graduate students who do not complete their doctoral degrees because of the dissertation ranges from 30 - 50 %. Quite often, doctoral students underestimate the amount of time writing a dissertation will take or they do not balance well writing the dissertation with their professional and family obligations. Using all of the resources available to you is essential to your success. Taking advantage of these resources will not ensure you complete your comprehensive exam or dissertation because you are the critical part of the equation for success. But the above resources can give you a significant boost at different points in the process.