Calling all PS thesis-tacklers, researchers, and students!

[kcoursolle]

Date: 7/2/2008 7:22:57 PM
Author: katamari
Hi fellow academics and supporters!

This is the best idea for a forum. Like most of us, I am a procrastinator, who should be working on publications instead of being on PS. Yet, I find myself becoming a PS junkie. I am very excited to jump into this community for support.

I am on quarters, so my summer is just getting started. But, I *have* to get two papers in review so that I can have enough pubs when I go on the market to get the job I want. So, that is how I am spending my summer. Or, at least how I should be spending my summer

Some background: I am a sociology PhD candidate. I am writing my dissertation, but I have two years to finish. So, I am working on publications now and will buckle down on my dissertation near the end of the year. I have already taken my comps. I do have terrific co-advisors right now, but my MA advisor and I did not work out so great, so I totally relate to all of you who have advisor woes.

I struggle with the common academic pitfalls (gathering from reading the posts): missing deadlines, procrastination, letting my flexible work schedule get too flexible and then not getting stuff done, feeling like an academic career is meaningless and/or unattainable and procrastinating more while I get upset about it, etc. But, at the end of my day, I love what I do.

I got addicted to PS because, as a researcher, I had to feel like my e-ring would be fabulous @ p<0.001 (academic humor; lame, but true).

So, good luck to everyone! It sounds like everyone has some great projects working.

To be a helpful contributor, here are some suggestions. If you haven''t I suggest reading Bird by Bird and How to Write A Lot (they have both really helped me). And for WishfulThinking, here is a generic format for sociology written by a soc blogger. I think it is a really good format for an academic paper (but not sure if it will translate to politics and gender studies):

Wicked Anomie''s paper format

Katamari, we have a ton in common!!! Holy cow!!

I am also on quarters, a sociology Ph.D. student (technically a demographer though), and I haaaveee to get two papers out this summer so they are ready when I''m on the market not this year, but the year after. My plan is to work on my dissertation proposal while they are under reivew.

I have also used some of the cites you mentioned, very useful. I also rely on William Struck and E.B. White''s book called "The Elements of Style". I don''t tend to have any issues sitting down and writing, mine are more about editing. This book has helped my writing a great deal and also helped my fear of editing and polishing.

So far my plan to get these papers out is going pretty well. Over the past month I''ve completely re-worked the front end of one of the papers and I hope to get it out to next week!! Yay! After that one is out I''m going to work on the other paper that has been sitting around for ages. I''ve procrastinated badly getting these papers out. I just find that between classes, conferences, TAing, etc. it''s so hard to get your *actual* work done LOL!

I''m probably going to put together my dissertation proposal soon after these papers are in review and hopefully pass my orals by mid-year. Any tips on getting the proposal ready?


Good luck with your papers!!

 

[WishfulThinking]

Date: 7/10/2008 5:11:17 PM
Author: katamari

WishfulThinking: What about a Soc reader? We

theory AND Foucault! At my school we have a bigger department, but there are plenty faculty in Soc that specialize in gender and sexuality social movements (which is very much political). You could always go to Philosophy, too. Are you trying to get a BA or a BS? Philosophy wouldn''t work for a BS, but if you can find a more informed reader, it might be worth it. Plus, from observations of my friends'' experiences, the process might be more difficult with people outside of your area on your committee, but the defense will be much easier.


Like Dockman and Delster, I have had a case of ''when the advisor is away, the advisee will do anything but write''. But, I did get an okay from my advisor for my outline for the first paper I hope to submit this summer. I have been writing that this week and am almost done with the newest revised draft. I am also double checking the models for the second paper and will be outlining it this weekend! I figure this is good progress, but next week I am going to have even better progress. Promise!

Thanks for the great suggestions, Katamari! You have been so kind and helpful to me as I freak out and lose my mind. I am working toward a BA, so sociology and philosophy are totally doable departments for me to work with. I think my biggest problems are two things: first, my college is TINY, and thus we don''t have a ton of professors that I can go to for help. I actually originally planned to have a Soc professor as my advisor, since what she does is SO perfect for what I am doing. Unfortunately she is on sabbatical. EVERYONE seems to be on sabbatical this coming year, and the turnover of professors is insane right now for some reason. It hasn''t been like this my past few years, and it''s so unfortunate that the year it is happens to be the year I need some reliable folks! The philosophy department is not an option at all, since the professors right now are ALL male and apparently very misogynistic and sexist, which is an issue currently being addressed by the administration [hello, WOMEN''S college?!

] and I don''t think they would be at all equipped to deal with my gender studies topic, nor do I want them touching me or my precious thesis with their sexually harassing hands- haha. I am continuing to look for people who can be of help to me in the fall, so I will be re-checking all the departments to see who may be helpful. There are randomly two professors in the English department who focus on gender and sexuality, so that might be an option as well.

May I ask what you meant about the defense being easier with people outside of my area? In my case, regardless of who I have on my 3 person committee [which is supposed to have only one person outside the dept, but I will have more than that and have permission to do so], the entire Gender Studies department has to approve my thesis and be present for the defense. I am terrified of that defense, by the way, but I imagined it would be much easier in defense to have just the people who have worked closely with me, and therefore have read drafts and suggested changes, etc, so they would maybe let me know beforehand if there were too many issues.

I might be totally off base, though.

Also, another vote for the unmotivated folks here! My advisor is away as well, and it is hard getting anything done without someone watching me like a hawk.

I feel like such a naughty and defiant child or something, but I am so glad I am not alone in it!! I have been making tons of lists, which usually helps me a lot during the regular semesters, but in the summer I just can''t concentrate. It is so disgusting and hot, and my dorm room for summer classes is HORRIBLE. My last day is tomorrow, though, so after that I can wrap up my formal study and relax before beginning my more informal work. I am trying to keep myself going, but working through the summer is really burning me out.

 

[WishfulThinking]

Delster- This is SO random, but I am taking an Irish history course as one of my summer just-for-credit freebees, and when you mentioned Brian Boru in the name thread and I read it my eyes perked up and I felt like I had learned something useful in that class. It''s not Irish history''s fault that the class is so awful... it''s the professor, who is mildly incompetent, and owns an Irish pub in my little W. Massachusetts town [unusual, to say the least] and I swear comes in drunk sometimes.

/unrelated. Well, actually, doing work studying for this class and my Sociology of the Family class is part of what allows me to procrastinate my thesis so much. It''s easier to justify not doing it when I am spending a substantial amount of time studying for my other classes!

 

[Elegant]

Date: 7/9/2008 9:05:42 AM
Author: Delster
He''d also taken down my calendar with all my missed deadlines all over it because he thought it was making me depressed and sending me backwards. So yesterday I did up a one page set of goals and I plan to tick them off as I go. No invididual deadlines for the goals, just lots of ticks!

Divide and conquer!

Can you explain in a bit more detail what some of your goals look like, please?

 

[Elegant]

I've worked on a list of goals...we'll see what happens!

 

[swimmer]

Date: 7/9/2008 9:05:42 AM
Author: Delster
Choro I''m glad to have been of some help! Sometimes it''s just good to know you''re not alone. I rang another one of supervisor''s students yesterday just for a chat and thank goodness they seem to be experiencing the same thing as I am. Supervisor kind of has favourites and we two are not in the ''club''

Anyway as for dealing with the dramatics, I pretty much just ignore the whole shebang. I stick to my standard line of ''OK/that''s awful, but now can we talk about my chapter?'' I''m not sure there''s anything else I can do. For a lot of reasons I don''t want to go into on a public forum, I dilly-dallyed about asking for a switch and at this point it''s too late in the game. We''ll muddle along best we can!


About the paycheck, I get annual payments out of which I have to pay my fees and then I have to survive on the remainder for a year. The earliest I have ever received a payment is about three months after it was due. The current one is ten months late. I received the last one eight months before that. So it''s eighteen months since I''ve seen any money. Good job I was a great saver back when I was working or I''d be completely destitute by now! But definitely no luxuries for me for the last few years (other than one pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes that I set the money aside for way back when, and I got them at almost $300 off in NY, so they cost about a third of what they''d cost in Ireland!). We''ll hang in there together, eh?

Gwen, I think it should be called a disrotation. Sounds painful. Hence sounds appropriate!

Don''t beat yourself up about your critical thinking passage, it will come, I promise. Clear your head and give yourself some space and it''ll just fall in your lap. I have every faith in you!!! Look how close you are, yay!!!


I can''t wait to see pictures of the final bound item. I think maybe that should become a thesis-tacklers'' thread rite of passage - a photo of the finished article at the end

It''d be excellent motivation for the rest of us too

Elegant I''ve been there too. I know this will sound futile, but please, try and be gentle with yourself. It''s a long road and academic research is so bound up with your sense of personal identity, it''s all too easy to interpret a slow day (or week, or year) as meaning you are worthless. You need to guard your self-esteem like a rottweiler. Watch that internal dialogue and focus on building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down. When I find it particularly bad I do something a bit wacky that seems to help: I keep a journal and I write a positive message to myself every night. Things like ''I will be strong!'' and ''I can do this!'' and ''I am thesis wonder-woman!''

Well, OK, I haven''t actually written the wonder-woman one yet but that might be tonight''s entry!

So for me, I never did finish my ''chick lit'' book. I tried to read it on the plane but I got distracted by something very sparkly on my left hand

So that''s on the cards for today. I arrived up yesterday to my wee office to discover FI had removed all the little messages on my notice board and replaced them with ''future wife'' and a smiley face

He''d also taken down my calendar with all my missed deadlines all over it because he thought it was making me depressed and sending me backwards. So yesterday I did up a one page set of goals and I plan to tick them off as I go. No invididual deadlines for the goals, just lots of ticks!

Divide and conquer!

How incredibly sweet and supportive of your FI!

What a sweetie

 

[JSM]

It''s been ages since I checked this thread! I wanted to say congrats again to Gwen, and give luck to the newcomers Choro and Dockman - as well as everyone else.

Yesterday was both one of the best and worst days thus far. We got a paper accepted into MCB (I am second author and about 40% of the data was mine). This is my first big manuscript so I was thrilled! I then got called into my PI''s office and got reamed out for half an hour about how, essentially, I am stubborn and lazy and won''t ever be a successful scientist unless I change myself drastically. I have to wonder if he enjoys making me cry sometimes.

Best of luck to everyone! Don''t give up. You CAN do it. Even if those above you tell you you can''t.

 

[Delster]

Date: 7/10/2008 9:38:37 PM
Author: WishfulThinking
Delster- This is SO random, but I am taking an Irish history course as one of my summer just-for-credit freebees, and when you mentioned Brian Boru in the name thread and I read it my eyes perked up and I felt like I had learned something useful in that class. It''s not Irish history''s fault that the class is so awful... it''s the professor, who is mildly incompetent, and owns an Irish pub in my little W. Massachusetts town [unusual, to say the least] and I swear comes in drunk sometimes.

/unrelated. Well, actually, doing work studying for this class and my Sociology of the Family class is part of what allows me to procrastinate my thesis so much. It''s easier to justify not doing it when I am spending a substantial amount of time studying for my other classes!

Wishful what kind of Irish history are you studying? Must be the really ancient stuff if you''re covering Brian Boru! Did you learn about how he died? Dramatic stuff!!!

 

[Delster]

Date: 7/10/2008 10:32:58 PM
Author: Elegant

Date: 7/9/2008 9:05:42 AM
Author: Delster
He''d also taken down my calendar with all my missed deadlines all over it because he thought it was making me depressed and sending me backwards. So yesterday I did up a one page set of goals and I plan to tick them off as I go. No invididual deadlines for the goals, just lots of ticks!

Divide and conquer!

Can you explain in a bit more detail what some of your goals look like, please?

Elegant it''s just a list of the main areas that I need to write on in order to finish. Within each area I''ve written down the work I will need to complete to be able to write something meaningful on that topic. Then there is space beside each task for a nice satisfying tick mark!

 

[Delster]

swimmer I think so too!!!

jsm that sucks about your supervisor reading you the riot act! That''s only ever happened to me once and the next time we met it was all sweetness and light and as if it never happened. My supervisor was in the wrong that time though, and knew it.



How''s everyone doing today? I''ve got a cold and was awake all night with sinus trouble, sore throat, and nausea. Not fun

 

[dockman3]

Date: 7/10/2008 7:44:51 PM
Author: Elegant
Congrats gwendolyn! You should be VERY proud of yourself.


Thanks to all of you who have been encouraging and supportive of me. I''ve been trying but I spoke to my dissertation and I think I am going to have to extend my dissertation deadline until Spring 2009. I so wanted to finish by the end of this year, but I have too much to juggle right now and I am feeling so overwhelmed. I am going to try to finish by December, but reality check for me is probably Spring 09. That''s the problem, I set my own deadlines and can finish this thing in several years f I chose to, but I don''t want to do that. Unfortunately timing was off and looking for another job was priority. This stinks. Grrr...And I think my bf has sleep apnea, so I can''t sleep at all and that''s why I have been feeling so drained and my eyes have been feeling tired - I haven''t gotten any good amount of sleep. I have to take three hour naps in the afternoon because my body is trying to catch up on sleep...thanks bf! Agh.


I''ll still try to push, but...


Delster, you are right, I do need to keep a more positive internal dialogue - that is something that has always been hard for me. I second guess myself all of the time. I''ll have to attempt the journal. Thank you! You know, I like the divide and conquer. I will have to do that! Thanks for the suggestions!


WishfulThinking - Yeah, to heck with deadlines! I was making excellent progress, but I just ended up stopping. I do think I will try the check off list that Delster suggested though, seems easy enough and I need structure, not a deadline!

dockman3 - What is your plan of action? I have had a problem with motivation since forever. The deadline date was always my motivation, and 50-100 page papers that I had a month to do were basically done in 1.5 weeks because I had to feel the fire under my behind to feel motivated to get working on it. Do you have a deadline? I have no deadline and it is a self-made deadline, which essentially means nothing to me. Every semester that goes by I pay up money...maybe when I get tired of handing over money for me not doing any work, maybe then I''ll get more motivated? Where are you going to start? Plan of action...that''s what is needed! In December it will be one year that I have spent on my dissertation...now I have to extend it to next year...not fun...

katamari - Good job!!! I am so happy to hear that you ave been working so hard on your paper!

Wow, I am jealous! Keep it up!

Elegant- I don''t have a plan of action right now. My adviser got back in town today, so I''m going to meet with him either today or tomorrow and hopefully he''ll kick my butt into gear. Otherwise, I don''t really have too many deadlines. I''ve got a paper due on Sept 30, but that''s quite a ways away. I don''t have any data for it yet, but that doesn''t bother me either. I can take data very quickly. I''m on a student stipend with full scholarship, so I''m not paying for my grad work, so no motivation there. But if I were paying for it, I think I would be a little bit more motivated. My only real motivation for finishing up by next May is so that me and future FI can get the heck out of this town. She''s sick of living here, and quite frankly, so am I. Its been 9 years in this place between undergrad and grad school, and that''s a lot. That''s my only real motivation. When I do start writing my dissertation, I''ll just start with my candidacy written exam, which is essentially like a masters thesis. Then I''ll just add in portions from all the journal and conference articles I''ve written and turn them into a document without too much extra writing. My plan, as of right now, is to write my entire dissertation in two months, which I know sounds extreme, but it really is just putting all of my papers into one document with a little added detail. Well, let''s see how today goes and if all goes well, then I''m all set, but it could be ugly since I don''t have much to show for the last couple of weeks.

 

[WishfulThinking]

Date: 7/14/2008 7:55:07 AM
Author: Delster

Date: 7/10/2008 9:38:37 PM

Author: WishfulThinking

Delster- This is SO random, but I am taking an Irish history course as one of my summer just-for-credit freebees, and when you mentioned Brian Boru in the name thread and I read it my eyes perked up and I felt like I had learned something useful in that class. It''s not Irish history''s fault that the class is so awful... it''s the professor, who is mildly incompetent, and owns an Irish pub in my little W. Massachusetts town [unusual, to say the least] and I swear comes in drunk sometimes.

/unrelated. Well, actually, doing work studying for this class and my Sociology of the Family class is part of what allows me to procrastinate my thesis so much. It''s easier to justify not doing it when I am spending a substantial amount of time studying for my other classes!

Wishful what kind of Irish history are you studying? Must be the really ancient stuff if you''re covering Brian Boru! Did you learn about how he died? Dramatic stuff!!!

It''s a really poorly designed crash course of events in Ireland and corresponding events in Europe from about 500BC to the late 1990s. Crammed into 6 weeks. Really terrible set-up, if you ask me. We did learn all about Boru and how he died and all of that great stuff. The drama all throughout Irish history was my favourite part of the course, I think.

Someday I will go to Ireland to see the land I''ve learned so much about!

 

[Delster]

Yup, Irish history is definitely full of drama!!! You'll definitely have to come over and check the place out for yourself. We still love a good bit o' drama over here

How's everyone else doing? The thread seems to be dying slowly now that Gwen's gone and 'abandoned' us

What's everyone's goals this week? Let's try and get some motivation going again here!!!

For me, I'm trying to get 5,000 words written this week. Chances are I won't quite manage it because Friday and the weekend are going to be a write-off, but I can certainly try!!!

 

[bee*]

Gwen-CONGRATULATIONS on finishing your thesis!! Woohoo!!!

 

[Elegant]

Me, I am trying to rewrite 2 paragraphs and start on two sections for chapter 1...I would like to do this by Thursday. No biggie, just looking for jobs right now, but that is my goal! I can do it!

 

[Delster]

Yay Elegant, let''s cheer one another on!!!

Now I know AmberGretchen is moving house and probably up to her eyes in boxes, but where is pjean? Come back guys, we miss you!!!

 

[gwendolyn]

Thank you, bee-star, my dahlink!! It feels oh so good!

Hey there, Delster, I haven''t abandoned you all!! Just taking a bit of a breather!

I hope everyone is staying motivated and pumped up for your goals for this week! Today is hump day--halfway through the week today!! Wooo!!!

 

[Delster]

Date: 7/16/2008 6:51:49 AM
Author: gwendolyn
Thank you, bee-star, my dahlink!! It feels oh so good!

Hey there, Delster, I haven''t abandoned you all!! Just taking a bit of a breather!

I hope everyone is staying motivated and pumped up for your goals for this week! Today is hump day--halfway through the week today!! Wooo!!!

hee hee

And yes, we''re on the downhill slope now! Woohoo!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 7/16/2008 7:34:31 AM
Author: Delster

Date: 7/16/2008 6:51:49 AM

Author: gwendolyn

Thank you, bee-star, my dahlink!! It feels oh so good!

Hey there, Delster, I haven''t abandoned you all!! Just taking a bit of a breather!

I hope everyone is staying motivated and pumped up for your goals for this week! Today is hump day--halfway through the week today!! Wooo!!!

hee hee

And yes, we''re on the downhill slope now! Woohoo!

 

[choro72]

Delster, how is your writing going?

I''m trying to get my program going. Boring stuff...Nothing much to elaborate

 

[WishfulThinking]

Boring here, too...

I wrapped up the formal component of my summer research yesterday. I sent my advisor a finalized version of my proposal, with a pretty extensive chapter outlines and summaries section, as well as a brief lit review, and an exhaustive bibliography. I told her I hoped it would meet her expectations, but that if she wanted anything further to be sure to let me know.

She responded by asking for my permission to submit my name to the fellowship committee at my college!!

I was pretty psyched about that. I know they sent out an email to advisors asking for names, but as each faculty member can only nominate one student from each year, I thought this was quite an honor, and I am pretty proud of myself, even if I don''t end up being chosen for anything.

 

[Elegant]

Date: 7/16/2008 6:05:10 AM
Author: Delster
Yay Elegant, let''s cheer one another on!!!

Now I know AmberGretchen is moving house and probably up to her eyes in boxes, but where is pjean? Come back guys, we miss you!!!

Yes! Lets!

How are you doing on your paperwork? I will try to make my goal by tomorrow...working on it! It will happen!

choro72 - Hey, you are working towards getting your program together, that is good! That''s a lot more than what some of my friends in my same program are doing!

WishfulThinking - Wow! That is super, congrats! What an honor! That is awesome!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hey guys - sorry didn''t mean to go MIA. As Delster correctly noted, I am moving house, and so am pretty stressed about that (official move is the weekend of August 2-3, but lots to do before then!

). Plus, I was out of town since Thursday early am at a summer program for a company I''d really love to work for - it was kind of a recruiting/information/meet others in your position trip. TONS of fun - we stayed at a super-nice hotel, and we did really cool and interesting and challenging work stuff in teams, and all the people who were participating, from the company and who were my compatriots, were so awesome to hang out with. Plus we did really cool fun stuff, like poker night and white water rafting

Anyway, so much for the purely happy news - we also found out they moved up our interviews by two months, so we start interviews in August

So I have a TON of prep work to do for that, so I''m trying to get started on that, and also figure out how, between that and moving, I''m going to fit in my lab work.

On the upside, if I ace the interviews, I could have a job offer for my dream job with an awesome company as early as September (we had originally been told December/January before we''d know anything). But that seems so unreal that I can''t even imagine it - I''m totally twisted up in knots with nerves and psyching myself out. Its so insanely competitive to work for this company. On the other hand, they told us at the weekend they had "thousands" (though they didn''t give an exact number) of applicants for this program, and they only picked 40 (from the whole US), so that has to count for something, right?!

Anyway, enough (and more than enough

) about me - it sounds like everyone is chugging away and I am TOTALLY still pulling for all of you. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Oh and to Gwen in particular - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew you could do it and you are so awesome and I''m so THRILLED that you are done and MOVING IN WITH J IN LONDON!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!

 

[JSM]

Thanks so much for the kind words, Delster! I hope your writing is going well!

 

[WishfulThinking]

Oooooh, congrats to you, AmberGretchen! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now, for sure, but the outcomes of it will surely be SO positive and helpful for you and your future. I am totally excited for you! Best of luck!

Elegant- Thanks!

I also just found out I made Dean''s list, so all in all I think today was pretty great!

 

[Delster]

Choro, it's sloooooow. But it's always sloooow at first. Then I get mad spurts and write like the Dickens! I once wrote 30,000 words in a WEEK. I'm a last minute sprinter kind of student

I know you've probably explained this before, but what does it mean to 'get your program going'? Is that a computer program, or your PhD program? (sorry for the probably very stupid question!)

Wishful, yay for the super positive meeting with your supervisor and making the Dean's list!!! You are kicking butt big time!

What's a fellowship committee? Is that like an honour system?

Elegant, hope you're making more progress than me!

Amber, welcome back! And OMG you SUPERWOMAN! Congratulations on the fantastic Summer program experience, that sounds mad. They're really wooing you aren't they? Companies over here never do anything like that

You will for sure ace those interviews, I have no doubt about that. You already know they want you reeeeal bad. Now you just have to confirm their suspicion that you are brilliant. That shouldn't be hard cos as we all already know, you ARE!

Hey jsm, how are you doing?

OK back to the books for me now

 

[AmberGretchen]

I totally forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS WISHFUL

It sounds like you are getting all kinds of (well-deserved) kudos for your work - that''s WONDERFUL

Thanks Ms Delster for the vote of confidence - its pretty nerve-wracking. On the one hand I think, sure, they wouldn''t have put on that big program if they didn''t really want us. On the other hand, I know its INSANELY competitive to get a job with this company, and those interviews are so soon!!!

Yeah, I''ve not been sleeping a whole lot...I think DH thinks I may be losing it...

 

[WishfulThinking]

Thanks Delster and Amber Gretchen. You ladies have really kept me going and motivated for this past month!

Delster- the Fellowship Committee is part of the board of trustees for the college, and they make determinations about which student my college will nominate to represent us in major national fellowship competitions. Think Fullbright, Rhodes, etc... but I definitely will not be getting something with that big of a "name" recognition!

It''s an honor to even be considered, and I guess there is a possibility that the committee might want to nominate me to *something*, so we''ll see!

 

[katamari]

Hi everyone! I have went missing for a week, but for good reason. My coauthors and I spent a marathon work week, but are sending that paper out for review on Monday! Yay! So, the goal now is to work on the other one until we get our reviews (hopefully an R&R). But, it is exciting to know that the other is in good shape!

Kcoursolle, so awesome to hear there is another sociology PhD on here! I got the Struck and White book you suggested. I have only skimmed it so far, but it looks awesome! Thanks! I am the opposite, in that I love to edit and struggle with the writing. Need a coauthor? lol. But, I have been good at it this summer, surprisingly. I actually loved writing my dissertation proposal (but I loved comps, too, so I am just odd). My advice is to find the dissertation grant you going to try for and format it that way. I followed the NSF guidelines and it made it very easy. As you can maybe tell, I love having the plan of action together before I start anything so that the writing is very formulaic. How is your paper going? I know what you mean by no time. Between teaching (mainly grading) and getting ready for ASA, I hardly have time to do any of my own work. Yuck.

Congrats on the Fellowship nomination, WishfulThinking!

This is the kind of thing that grad admission committees will love to see on applications, even if it doesn''t pan out. But, of course, I am hoping you get the fellowship! The reason I heard that outside people are ''easier'' for the defense is because their questions tend to be more surface rather than the deep, hard questions. And, this is refreshing in the defense. People always seem to fear the "connect your thesis to what I do" questions, but these seems rare, at least in our department. Also, sorry to hear about the sabbatical outbreak. That seems to happen in large programs, too. But, it sucks when you are trying to defend. What about someone in education? Does your school have an education program--maybe someone there focuses on sex education? You could also think of asking someone who just seems interesting but doesn''t ''fit the bill'' so to speak. Not that I am faculty yet, but I do think I would sit on a committee if my work was only very loosely connected to the topic if it was interesting. And, yours sounds to be. What does your advisor suggest? It seems that she is very supportive of you, so a good word from her might also bring in someone that wouldn''t seem like a logical fit. Good luck!

JSM contrats on your publication!

I''ll take a second author any day of the week. We all know that is academic for "person who did all the work, but doesn''t have the status as the first author."

Elegant, Delster, Dockman how is the writing going? And, what about the programming, Choro? Hopefully excellently!

AmberGretchen: What awesome news about the job!

It sounds promising, and you will have to keep us posted on what happens. We are certainly all rooting for you!''

Keep up the awesome progress, everyone!

 

[katamari]

Sorry for the almost all bold post. I tried to do some fancypants htlm, but obviously failed Maybe next time. . .