The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning doctoral candidates ascribed to their persistence in doctoral programs despite challenges they experienced impeding a timely completion of their dissertations. Participants were six doctoral candidates (four women, two men) who had not yet completed a dissertation research proposal. This phenomenological study was situated in the theoretical framework of legitimate peripheral participation (Herzig, 2002) and a model of doctoral persistence (Tinto, 1993). The data sources were a demographic questionnaire and interviews (Seidman, 1998). Using thematic content analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) the following recurrent themes emerged: (a) "community lacking," which exposes a lack of perceived sense of community in the candidates' academic programs; (b) "inert relationships," which exposes a lack of meaningful relationships with academic advisors; and (c) "loss of momentum" in completing their dissertations. The findings highlight the need for programmatic initiatives that enhance future doctoral preparation.