Getting back in the saddle (to all my friends on the micro forum)

[Greg J]

I have not played a hand of poker in several weeks (though I have made a post here and there and commented on some hand to satisfy my poker labido somewhat). Why? Well, I had to prepare for the mother of all grad school hurdles... comps. This is a series of PhD qualifying exams where you express your competency in you chosen academic discipline. Well, I just finished the final oral portion of this exam. After months of intense studying, the verdict...

I'm ABD!!!!! All that remains now is the small task of writing essentially a book.

So, I just got back from Comp USA, where I just bought as a present from me to me a sweet 19" monitor with 1600x1200 resolution, so now I can not only get back to playing some poker, but can play those 4 tables I have always dreamed about.

I also just ordered SSHE, which I know at this point I am severely behind the times for not having, but I'm sure you can all understand for the reasons stated above.

Anyway, this has been one of those grueling experiences of my life. But now my mental and emotional state can return to something approaching normalcy, and I can play poker again! You will see me posting some hand again here soon. Please don't flame me too much as I have some rust to shake off.

/images/graemlins/smile.gif Greg

[detruncate]

Congratulations on your academic success. Best of luck going forward. And not insignificantly... welcome to the wonderful world of attention-span crushing 4-tabling fun.

[Shalara]

Congrats!

I am very glad to see you back, too. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[sfer]

Welcome back. Good luck with the dissertation. One of my professors had a list of advice for his grad students that went thus:

Don't clutter up your life with other activities; just write.

Don't carry out a thorough and comprehensive search of the literature; just write.

Don't attempt to make sure that every page you write shows the full extent of your professional skills; just write.

Don't write a well-organized, well-integrated, unified dissertation; just write.

Don't think profound thoughts that shake the intellectual foundations of the discipline; just write.

If you don't have a paper started by the spring of your third year, be alarmed.

If you don't have a paper largely drafted by the fall of your fourth year, panic.

Have three new ideas a week while you are getting started.

Don't try to game the profession, work on what interests you.

[Rhone]

Good luck, Greg. I was in your position a few years ago, and now my dissertation is due in a month. You will get there, just keep plugging away. If there's one trait that predicts success at completing a Ph.D., it's persistence more than anything else.

Rhone.

[Entity]

Welcome back and good luck. I'm saving up for two LCDs that will do 1600x1200; right now I'm fortunate enough to have dual monitors so I can work and play poker at the same time (egad!), but my desk sags under the weight of a 21" CRT and a 19".

Rob

[scotnt73]

congrats. a bit of advise i hope you dont need. be sure and keep backups of that book while you write it. pretend that once a week your hard drive will erase everything and back up your stuff at least to cd. if i where you id back up to cd AND buy a 250mb usb thumb drive.

youd be surprised how many students keep 2+ years of work just sitting on thier pc trusting it completely only to have the pc blow up or accidently save over it themselves.

[Greg J]

I have a friend that lost part of his thesis b/c some jackass stole his backpack. He only had it saved on a 3.5"!! I had sympahty for him but... wow. No you are totally right. I am using network storage as well as a HD and after fisnihing each chapter also a CDR.

Thanks!

[afk]

Actually a student at my school doing her phd ( can't remember what program, could have been physiology or something) recently had her laptop, containing her whole thesis stolen with only a couple months to go. Right out of her office while she was getting coffee. No backups what so ever. She was obviously targeted, but still. No backups? eeeep.

Nice to see you back on the forums Greg.