My master's thesis has been accepted

[Fredda Weinberg]

I took the day off from work to hand in the paperwork personally - it was a merry-go-round of clerks and questionable directions, but eventually, everyone agreed the deed is done. I may now claim to have my master's in information systems.

That and $2.00 will get me on the subway, but my brother is impressed enough with a 3.9 GPA to invite me to continue staying here through my PhD. It means not seeing my cats for another couple of years - and Charles Atlas (see the avatar) at 17 might not be around to celebrate with me, but he and Natasha are well cared for in Miami.

I'll know in the next couple of weeks whether I'll be staying at the NYC agency that first picked me up as an intern or move on. That will determine where I apply - there's a fine school next door with a PhD in Managing Technology, but the alternative is Computer Science. I agree with my brother; it would be more substantial.

So Providence will decide and I'm cool either way. Tomorrow I'll wear my mortar board at the office ... and tonight, some Godiva liquor. Cheers!

[Haole Girl]

1. Cheers!

You can visit your feline friends, can't you? :toast:

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. It would be too painful

I was nearby a month ago for a commercial venture I shouldn't mention and considered it, but it would be heart wrenching to say goodbye again. When I came home to NY after my mother passed on, I didn't think it would be this long, but if Charles Atlas were human, I think he'd agree it was worth it.

Natasha, on the other hand, is a total flirt and has already ingratiated herself with her keepers. Both of them have free run of the garage, so it's not like they're kenneled. Charles is master of Ashley's desk, with a good view of the neighborhood and that's more than most beasties enjoy in their dotage.

I won't mess with a good thing until I'm ready to put my life back together.

[Haole Girl]

6. You're right.

It wouldn't be fair to confuse them. :hug:

[Fredda Weinberg]

8. Charles and I have been separated several times

But each reunion has been sweet and he quickly returns to his affectionate behavior. I'm the only one he graces with such sweetness - he's aloof with everyone else.

I find they "live in the moment", so I imagine they're not missing me at all. I've had them back after they've stayed with Ashley before, so I know they're well cared for - and that's what keeps my pillow dry.

[deadparrot]

2. Congrats!

Best of luck in whatever happens!:hi:

:toast:

[Fredda Weinberg]

9. Thank you! n/t

[Lisa]

3. hooray!

Congratulations -- I swear I spent more time working my way through the labyrinth of Grad Studies (and withstanding the withering attacks made by the Woman in Charge of Correct Formatting) than I had to put in on my post-defense corrections!

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. I haven't used so many commas since second grade

My faculty advisor even insisted on putting them before "and", which I was taught was old fashioned. But whatever he asked for, he got - and in the end, thanked me for "putting up with us".

But I'm going right back to the British way of putting most punctuation outside of quote marks ... until my dissertation, of course.

[Lisa]

17. from someone who's been there -- be sure you're truly blitzed ...

... on the beverage of your choice, before you make an absolutely final decision on your PhD. So one dark night, when you're bogged down in your dissertation, you can claim that "I must have been drunk when I decided to do this all over again!".

One of my officemates (who just finished this spring, after a series of ordeals which culminated with a PowerPoint crash in the middle of her doctoral defense) agrees that this sounds a lot better than saying that one just went temporarily insane! (She's the one who had to report an elephant destroying her weather monitoring station in northern Thailand.)

We're both glad we went for it, though.

[Fredda Weinberg]

18. But I enjoyed it ... the writing, that is

The only complication was accepting an offer from one of my instructors to be my faculty advisor, who then panicked and never submitted my proposals. It set me back at least a semester.

But researching the topic was a joy, writing an application to demonstrate my point was a barrel of laughs (I used Microsoft's Genie agent for a multimedia front end - "your wish is my command!") and the process has definitely made me a better author.

If all's well that ends well, it was all good - in retrospect, even the human factor was enlightening. You know the saying, what doesn't kill you ...

[Lisa]

19. that's a good sign ...

Enjoying research/writing can be a tremendous help, not just in making it easier to sit down and get the document finished, but also if you need to do some quick re-tailoring to submit it to various publications. The guy down the hall from me had a really good thesis, but hasn't published any of it yet because he doesn't like writing and has developed a serious block.

I like writing too, but some of the snags I hit in my research (million-dollar lab apparatus going belly-up on me) were pretty frustrating at the time. Too bad it didn't go as well as my Master's. I've noticed that committees can sometimes get carried away on doctoral dissertations, and ask for a whole bunch of stuff. They're always going on at the Master's people about "make sure you don't go on too long" (even circulating a memo about this on a regular basis), but haven't said this to the Ph.D. people. One of my colleagues had a dissertation which ended up being nearly 2000 pages long, once one included all the charts and appendices! And I had to rewrite much of mine, after the committee decided they wanted more of a policy than lab results focus ... I didn't really mind that part, since I enjoyed the writing and the new stuff I had to read up on was quite interesting. But it did delay my graduation by half a year.

[Fredda Weinberg]

20. The master's thesis is just a warm up

I wouldn't compare it to a dissertation - this didn't have to be original or defended. That's why I'm going to take my time before starting classes again - if things work out where I am or I find secure employment, I can have my beasties and sheepskin too.

[Lisa]

21. well, good luck!

And enjoy your break. The grad who just finished said that she is constantly experiencing that feeling of relief -- "oh, I DON'T have that hanging over me anymore" -- and is enjoying being able to just go out to a movie or invite friends over for dinner without worrying that she's behind in her schedule.

[Fredda Weinberg]

22. It does feel strange, but that started when classes ended

in June. Now I'm virtually pinching myself ... I guess it'll hit me eventually.

[angstlessk]

4. WOW...Godiva liquor, I'm impressed...just kidding...WHAT

an accomplishment. And me, not wanting to do my math homework in high school! Talking about Providence..that is my Alma Mater! (Providence College in RI) YOU KICK BUTT, Fredda..you have sacrificed much..your cats and all. YOU GO GIRL!

[Fredda Weinberg]

7. A birthday gift from my brother, who has excellent taste

for a 49 bachelor.

Eventually, I learned to love math - but not until I took highly advanced physics classes where they explained the mysteries of the universe. So master the fundamentals and if you're ambitious, those tools will serve you well.

[angstlessk]

13. My sig other loves physics and says if he knew about that he could have

aced all the higher math courses in high school...he claims they do not teach math well in school and from what you said...I now have to agree with him.

Fredda, you are a DU wonder...and I have watched you for as long as I have been aware of DU. Between the elections and this latest problem you have been a very stablizing force here!

And NOW THIS! I never knew!

[Fredda Weinberg]

16. Why thank you ... that's most kind. n/t

[bigwillq]

10. Good for you!

Congrats! :toast: :bounce: :hi:

[Fredda Weinberg]

12. Thanks - if only da momma were here to enjoy it

She suggested the arrangement with my brother - after caring for each of my parents to the end, it's finally my turn.

[catbert836]

14. I admire your commitment.

I'm barely able to stay away from my kitties for even a day, regardless of what I'm doing. Both of them are former strays and have abandonment complexes. I couldn't stay away from Sadie or Carmel for several years to do ANYTHING- much less a master's degree or a Ph.D.- even more less one in Computer Science, or anything related to math!

[Fredda Weinberg]

15. I keep hinting ... maybe one day he'll relent

But you have to be careful with a man set in his ways - I even make sure not to keep things too clean. I know he appreciates it - he's asked that when I do move out, that I stay in the same apartment building.

I've worked with computers a long time ... starting in sales and moving up technically. So I had advantages over my classmates, but also wanted high grades just to prove a point. 3.96 is close enough.

Few of us choose the thesis route, but at my age, I don't need the stress of the comprehensive exam. So even if it took an extra semester (and $750 to maintain matriculation), it was definitely the route for me.

Charles Atlas was always sensitive to my feelings - I brought him home when I started my first contract at AT&T and thought the world would be my oyster. We've been through good times and bad - but I'll never shirk my responsibility for his welfare. Completing this ordeal was part of that ... it should give me more security and the beasties sense that.