It was 10 a.m. Armed with a chocolate protein bar, two bottles of spring water, and her trusty MacBook Pro, she promptly missed an exit while fumbling with prepared note cards, and continued rehearsing her presentation three times along the way.
Destination: McKillop Library on the Salve Regina University campus. The only "good" sign in this part of the process. Our heroine loves libraries, loves being surrounded by books. The one location that would surely offer comfort in calming her jitters would be knowing that she is in an environment that has always been a favorite place.
All this prepping for a roughly one-hour meeting with The Committee that would rule “yay” or “no” whether she is ready to render her accumulated knowledge and data (to date) into a written research report.
Would she right her vehicle to the correct highway route after veering off path?
Would one protein bar be enough to sustain her until late afternoon?
Would O.P.T. (Original Professor Three) stroll in and throw rotten tomatoes at the screen?
Ah, the drama of a doctoral candidate’s journey to dissertation. It is fraught with tense moments, highs and lows, every conceivable cliche that might conjure up horrifying images.
Is it really that bad?
In a word: Yes. I’m sure it’s supposed to be. Seeking a graduate degree is a challenge, no doubt. It demands that a student be dedicated, willing to sacrifice hobbies, family time, fun pursuits, sleep. I have not researched the number of people that are pursuing doctoral degrees in this country (give me a break, I’m already researching something here!) but I guarantee you it is not an overwhelmingly gigantic number.
Not everyone does this or wants to. Those of us who do usually have to go all in, or surrender much earlier in the process than dissertation phase. That’s because dissertation phase is the last big hurdle to clear before one becomes a doctor of philosophy.
As many of you know, I have come close to crumbling. It is not an easy process. On Friday, I successfully presented my topic and can begin writing. I gave myself one day to enjoy that little victory -- but only because yesterday was my birthday. I took the whole day to relax with my husband, take in a high school football game and enjoy the company of good friends and family.
I needed that, so I acknowledged that need and indulged it. Today I took time to give thanks for the blessings of the week and for those to come. Then I sat down to sift through my notes and Committee comments, and to begin organizing the first few pages of my dissertation.
Am I ready to write this thing?
As one of my coolest friends would say, “Hell to the Yeah!”
Copyright 2011 By Marianne V. Heffernan
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