Hurdle Is Coming Closer and I Need to Get Ready to Jump
I am faced with the biggest hurdle of my academic career. I’ve mentioned it here before. But now it is nearly upon me.
I am three days away from taking my qualifying/comprehensive exams.
If all goes well, once the process is complete, I will finish being a doctoral student and I will officially be a doctoral candidate.
If it doesn’t go well, I’ve got a few weeks to prepare to take them again.
Comprehensive exams are an excruciating process that nearly every PhD student must endure. Different departments and different schools have differing procedures when it comes to these exams. My exams will take place over four consecutive days. I will be placed in a room for four hours on each of these days. All that will be in the room besides me is a desk, a chair, and a laptop computer without Internet access. I will be presented with 1-3 questions on a broad topic and I have to answer all of the questions in the four hours without any assistance.
On day 1 I will be dealing with questions based on my specialization. Earlier in my PhD career I completed a program of study that was based off of my research interests and the topics that I specifically wanted to study. The questions on day 1 will be based on this academic plan.
On day 2 I will be answering questions based on what we call “core.” “Core” will likely entail a question from a class I took my first semester in the graduate program that took a look at the philosophical foundations of science. In addition I will have a question based on a class about theory that I took.
Day 3 is a day on methodology. I took a basic course on methodology many semesters ago. In addition I have taken many more methodologically based courses along the way (psychophysiological methods, audience analysis, message analysis, etc.). The questions on this day will test what I have learned in these classes.
Finally, on day 4, I will be tests on my minor. I actually have two minors: cognitive science and gender studies. Gender studies do not require an exam, and for this reason my committee member from the gender studies department chose to opt out of this process. Therefore I will be tested on this day solely about my very basic knowledge of cognitive science and how it relates to my primary studies, mass communications.
I have a feeling that it is going to be an arduous week next week. I just hope that I have the mental and physical strength (especially after having a 101.5 degree temperature on Wednesday) to get through it.
I am three days away from taking my qualifying/comprehensive exams.
If all goes well, once the process is complete, I will finish being a doctoral student and I will officially be a doctoral candidate.
If it doesn’t go well, I’ve got a few weeks to prepare to take them again.
Comprehensive exams are an excruciating process that nearly every PhD student must endure. Different departments and different schools have differing procedures when it comes to these exams. My exams will take place over four consecutive days. I will be placed in a room for four hours on each of these days. All that will be in the room besides me is a desk, a chair, and a laptop computer without Internet access. I will be presented with 1-3 questions on a broad topic and I have to answer all of the questions in the four hours without any assistance.
On day 1 I will be dealing with questions based on my specialization. Earlier in my PhD career I completed a program of study that was based off of my research interests and the topics that I specifically wanted to study. The questions on day 1 will be based on this academic plan.
On day 2 I will be answering questions based on what we call “core.” “Core” will likely entail a question from a class I took my first semester in the graduate program that took a look at the philosophical foundations of science. In addition I will have a question based on a class about theory that I took.
Day 3 is a day on methodology. I took a basic course on methodology many semesters ago. In addition I have taken many more methodologically based courses along the way (psychophysiological methods, audience analysis, message analysis, etc.). The questions on this day will test what I have learned in these classes.
Finally, on day 4, I will be tests on my minor. I actually have two minors: cognitive science and gender studies. Gender studies do not require an exam, and for this reason my committee member from the gender studies department chose to opt out of this process. Therefore I will be tested on this day solely about my very basic knowledge of cognitive science and how it relates to my primary studies, mass communications.
I have a feeling that it is going to be an arduous week next week. I just hope that I have the mental and physical strength (especially after having a 101.5 degree temperature on Wednesday) to get through it.
posted by IUAngelini at
12:15 PM
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