(Brendan)
Well, I haven't had much opportunity to post lately because it's coming down to the home stretch for my Ph.D. thesis. I am sitting at 173 pages right now, and based on what I know I still have left to do I think it will be about 200 pages when I'm done. That will be quite a "book" when it is hardcover-bound for submission. I also have my thesis defense scheduled for April 24 at the Mechanical Engineering department on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and I'm looking forward to having some family and friends in attendance!
Honestly, I can't tell you how surreal it is that this is all finally coming to an end. When something consumes almost all of your free time for 5 years of your life, it's somewhat unbelievable that it would all come to a successful end (hopefully!). I've never allowed myself to indulge in the thought that everything will work out as I had hoped until the very end (lest I let down my guard and end up getting dissappointed). So I've gone 5 years never allowing myself to fully believe that getting a Ph.D., while working full time, with a growing family, would all work out. I am just now starting to allow myself to exhale, and it's surreal. I've worked from about 9pm-1am on my school work the majority of evenings for the past 5 years straight (in a persistent highly-caffeinated state, I assure you); what on earth will I do with myself when this is over? It will feel like a permanent vacation. And since Molly has sacrificed a lot of our evening time together over these 5 years, it will feel like a permanent vacation for her as well.
I pray that all the work I've put into this over the years gives glory to God in some small way. And your prayers are appreciated over the next few weeks that I can finish this off while operating on miniscule sleep and not go crazy!
And go Gophers!
Well, I haven't had much opportunity to post lately because it's coming down to the home stretch for my Ph.D. thesis. I am sitting at 173 pages right now, and based on what I know I still have left to do I think it will be about 200 pages when I'm done. That will be quite a "book" when it is hardcover-bound for submission. I also have my thesis defense scheduled for April 24 at the Mechanical Engineering department on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and I'm looking forward to having some family and friends in attendance!
Honestly, I can't tell you how surreal it is that this is all finally coming to an end. When something consumes almost all of your free time for 5 years of your life, it's somewhat unbelievable that it would all come to a successful end (hopefully!). I've never allowed myself to indulge in the thought that everything will work out as I had hoped until the very end (lest I let down my guard and end up getting dissappointed). So I've gone 5 years never allowing myself to fully believe that getting a Ph.D., while working full time, with a growing family, would all work out. I am just now starting to allow myself to exhale, and it's surreal. I've worked from about 9pm-1am on my school work the majority of evenings for the past 5 years straight (in a persistent highly-caffeinated state, I assure you); what on earth will I do with myself when this is over? It will feel like a permanent vacation. And since Molly has sacrificed a lot of our evening time together over these 5 years, it will feel like a permanent vacation for her as well.
I pray that all the work I've put into this over the years gives glory to God in some small way. And your prayers are appreciated over the next few weeks that I can finish this off while operating on miniscule sleep and not go crazy!
And go Gophers!
1 comment:
Brendan, I bet Molly is even more excited than you that the end is so close, huh?! I honestly don't know how you two did it! WOW! May God bless you (and the family) as you complete the final pages, and prepare and deliver your thesis defense. Congrats, a bit early!
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