My last final exam was last Friday. I dropped Spanish, and German and hydrology were uninspiring. I made it to the end of my "at least one more semester" semester. I'm hanging in here. It's a job, it pays, and I'll get a fancy piece of paper at the end.
I've also found a reason to stay in Grad School Town. Yes, it's a man. A sweet, sensual, stable man. He's the saving grace of this town right now, and a major reason I'm still in school. He also runs my jujitsu dojo. (If we do leave, the head of the dojo comes with me and I effectively don't have to leave the dojo--bonus!)
If J-man wasn't here, I'd probably keep looking for jobs around DC. I still think about DC often. I'd love to live in that area, but instant gratification in where I live is not worth giving up what I have here. I can make do in this little town for a while longer and see what the future brings.
Since I seem to be staying, my adviser wants me to finish by the end of 2012. That leaves me two summers and three semesters, the same amount of time I have left on my fellowship. He wants me to defend my prelim in late June or early July. Sure, why not? I've pulled off crazier things. My approach to school and my degree has changed enough that I think I can do it. My frame of mind regarding school gets a little shaky here and there, but J-man helps me stay on track.
Okay, back to work. My prelim is nearly upon me and J-man's and my schedule keep us running, engaged in the world, and happy. I'll tell y'all more details from this past semester sometime in the next week.
I'm glad the semester went well. At least it's almost over. To cope with the stress of a PhD, I bury myself in work and don't think about whether I am capable of doing it because I don't have time to do anything except get it done... The advisor definitely helps with this...
ReplyDeleteHere's a new opportunity in DC:
http://www.conbio.org/jobs/jordanfellow.cfm
I haven't been able to avoid wondering if I'm capable because I've spent so much time convincing myself to do the work. If I like the work, any doubt of my capabilities is irrelevant because I'll try anyhow. My adviser's help with this is inconsistent, so I can't rely on that. That's where J-man helps :).
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