Signs that an academic interview went well:

1. the committee laughs so hard during your presentation that they can't breathe
2. you drink beers on the rooftop of the science building
3. you arrive home after midnight

Interview Today!

Wish me luck!

Already forgotten

I have been working on my PhD for 5 years now.  And if all goes well, I will "graduate" on Sunday, May 23rd.

For PhD students, "graduation" is actually a Hooding Ceremony in which the advisor hoods the new PhD.  It's very pompy and circumstancey.

I enjoy the champagne.

I realized a few days ago that my advisor was planning to be out of the country that day (starting field work with the rest of my labmates).  The really crazy part is that HE was the one that insisted on his students going to the hooding ceremony!

When I realized his scheduling mistake, I was really upset (perhaps exacerbated by lots of rum & diet coke).  And my wonderful labmate quickly emailed and notified him of the mistake.  And he is working on changing the travel dates. 

But I am still upset about it.  After 5 years of total dedication to working for him, he doesn't even look up the day of my most important event?  Or have one of his 3 secretaries do it?  Or have his RA or TA look it up?

I'll get over it eventually (with more rum and champagne). 

And tack it on to my list of "Things I will never do as an advisor".

A date!

I officially have a defense date!

April 16th!

Yay!

A chance!!!!

YAY!!!!!

I got a job interview!!!

Yay!!!!!

Wearing of the green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Or, as it should be known, Happy Sneks' Day!

I mean, a whole day devoted to wearing green and drinking beer.  Might as well be my day!

Hope you enjoy your day!

Getting there!

I finally had a meeting with my advisor and things are looking good! 

We actually talked about science.  Eventually.  After I said "Fine, I will answer your personal questions about the other miserable grad students in your lab.  But then you will answer my questions about science."  The compromises that fill my life!

The dissertation is growing (pretty much exponentially) and I am hopeful that I will get a full draft out to the committee by the end of next week.  I hope!

I've been pretty cranky with grad school this year, but now that I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I am almost enjoying it again. 

Of course, that light at the end of the tunnel is unemployment.  But I'm not going to think about that for now ....

Lockdown!!!

I am in the final stretch of this whole PhD thing.

I hope.

I don't actually know for sure, because I have had little feedback from my advisor.

But I am just in the mind set that I will be graduating come May!  As I have been for the last year!

If I just keep saying it, it will eventually be true, right?

Anyway ... this finally push has led me to be on "lockdown" to get all of the writing done.  I decide that this Wednesday - Sunday would be solely dedicated to dissertation stuff. 

It's Day 4 and I am starting to go crazy, but it's getting done!

I spent Day 3 at Panera, in a quasi-old-school writing day scenario.  It went pretty well, so I am thinking I will be spending Day 5 there too.  Despite the fact that I know RyGuy will be a little annoyed that I will go there and leave him alone all day.  But I just need to be DONE and am willing to do what I need to in order to finish!

Wish me luck!!