Category: PhD
PASSED
Finally. . . *finally!!* my exams are over. Here, comprehensive exams incorporate two steps, a written section and an oral section. The written section involves three four-hour test sessions, one for each of three historical fields, and the oral section is one two-hour session that must take place after the written section has been completed …
Written Exams, Done
I call this photo "the struggle is real." I think the reality set in after Stephen and I came back to Miami after we visited our families for Christmas. I still had several books to go through, I had to send a final revision of the Prospectus for my dissertation to my advisor, and …
Countdown
This evening, I was taking notes on one of the books on my comprehensive exam list, and I thought to myself: "You know, it would be great just to get away. I could go to York for a few days, maybe. Or, California. Or anywhere but here right now." And then, came the sobering reality. …
Battle for the Desk Chair
Reading for comprehensive exams has had, thus far, two main components: reading the books (or the parts of them that are the most relevant for this purpose) and typing up notes on them. Granted, I have most of the books checked out from the library, and only a handful have ever been recalled since I …
The Last Epic Library Trip
In two weeks, the school year will begin. For the second year, I am amazed by how quickly the summer, which always appears to stretch out endlessly when classes end in May, slips by. There's no question that this was a very good summer in a number of ways. I criticize myself for taking vacation …
The Verdict
And, the verdict is: All books read -2.5 (I did read half of one book in the "incomplete" pile). Whew. This was not without challenges. In fact, I think that this whole process was one big learning curve. To even come close to finishing this list, I had to read at least 2 books …
The First Hurdle
I've heard more than one person say that taking some time off at the end of the semester is important. I acknolwedge the wisdom of this recommendation, but it is hard for me to conquer the feeling that I should be accomplishing something, literally, all the time. Last week, I visited my parents in …
What happens when. . .
. . . I attempt to study.
Here It Starts: books, exams, and, of course, cats
And so it begins. Last week, it finally had to happen. I spent hours looking up call numbers on the university library website. I dragged out the rollerboard luggage (and my partner, Stephen). And, together, we went to pick up the first batch of comprehensive exam books. I think I underestimated the amount of time …
Continue reading Here It Starts: books, exams, and, of course, cats
Medievalist in the Making 