Dissertation Camp

Hey Y'all, Oofta. These past two days have been an exhausting experience. My advisor looked at my thesis draft and gave back extensive comments on the first half (i.e. the background section). I have to apply those and write another chapter by tomorrow afternoon. I'm very tired and haven't had any coffee yet. I need to fix this. But for now, writing. Goals Today, I will Implement the changes suggested in advisor's edits. Finish the new overview chapter. Email the DGS about paperwork concerns. Reflection 12:22 - It's writing group time, and I definitely forgot the marked up draft from Advisor in my office. I guess I'm working on the new chapter.

Hey y'all! I'm in an editing groove for my dissertation today. I've got a cup of coffee and a couple reviewers (read: my husband and academic siblings) on standby to make sure I'm making sense. My advisor returns tomorrow, so I'm hoping to make this version as polished as possible today. It's going to be a long day, but it will be a good one. Goals Today, I will... Edit chapter 4 for clarity and flow. Edit chapter 5 for content and clarity.  Make figures (if by some miracle I have time). Reflection 10:38 - The Panera in the mall really has come at the best possible time. I work very well when fueled by coffee and bagels, but also it's a major money sink. I've implemented the feedback in chapters 1-3 that Taco gave me, and am about halfway through chapter 4 editing. Thinking about the flow of my thesis really helps make it a more cohesive document. 21:27 - Finished editing!! At least for draft 1. I'll take it. I have to meet my advis...

The title says it all. 103 pages of beautiful math and commentary.  Reflection 19:51 - I'm making this post after working at Java House all afternoon to finish off my dissertation. It's such a relieving feeling to have a draft. All the necessary words are written, (almost) all the pictures drawn. I got emotional writing my acknowledgements because this is such a demanding, exhausting, LONG process. Tomorrow, I print it out and start editing. Wish me luck!

This morning promises to be a good morning. My friend, Laura, and I are meeting up at Encounter Cafe to have a "work morning," meaning we work in the same place and hold each other accountable to actually working and not reading fan fiction! I love spending time with Laura in general, because she's a wonderful human, but also because she encourages me to keep my focus on the Lord when it wanes. She's not afraid to ask the hard questions. Goals Today, I will Get a good chunk of the inductive case done. At least go through and show all of the length one domains satisfy the compatibility condition, and maybe start on the cancellation step. Eat Popeyes chicken with my thesis buddy, Paul, who just submitted his dissertation to his committee! Reflection 12:17 - I finished the length one domains for the forward direction. It's 4 pages of intense indexing. I know doing the inverse direction will be easier now that I've phrased the forward direction, b...

Ahoy Friends! I slept in until 9:30 today. Oh. my. word. It was necessary. I don't feel exhausted anymore, and am ready to take on the world. My neck/shoulders still hurt, but I'm able to work through it. I think. Let's hope. Goals Today, I will... Actually. Finish. the Base. Case. Start the inductive case. Reflection 12:19 - The graduate student writing group really is a fantastic place. We sit in the same room and work on whatever we need. We chat intermittently, but most of what we're doing is work. It's amazingly encouraging. Two of us are finishing our dissertations, a couple are writing papers, and some are debugging code/doing math to get to the point where they have something to write. We're at all stages of the process here. Mad props to my fellow writers! 14:05 - Whoever invented non-integral gradings should be ashamed of themselves. That being said, thank goodness there's a way around it. 18:23 - It's late, but I'm...

So, I woke up on Monday and couldn't bend my neck to the left very well. It's progressively gotten worse, and generally makes it hard for me to do work. My chiropractor helps, but man. I don't like this whole "being in pain" thing. Goals Today, I will Finish writing up the base case. Make figures, if there is time. Reflection 15:16 - I'm watching my students prepare for their qualifying exams, and I can't focus because I'm in pain from my neck. Just like I have been all day. Oofta. 16:07 - Thank the Lord for ice packs. I'm almost done with the base case. I feel like I'm about to puke, but there's progress.