The long hike
When I first started the PhD program at UC Berkeley, there were others in the department who were almost done, but had not filed yet. And I was in a pretty good position, since I already had a Master's. I just had to learn to read Latin and German, plus develop my reading lists, all the while taking courses. I look back on it now and it seems like wow how did I manage (especially considering I gave birth to Palmer 1 year into the program!). But I did manage, I took the PhD qualifying exams in May of 2007. "All" I had to do was write the dissertation. The example of those who were ahead of me in the program--their reading lists and hearing about their dissertation topics--was extremely inspiring and helped very much.
Now of course their example is a little bit less helpful on an intellectual basis--my dissertation is obviously my own--but I know anyhow they are people I can count on emotionally, since they certainly know what I am going through.
In the mean time other people have come into the department at UC Berkeley, and they are finishing their masters, taking their coursework, working up reading lists, and now, a couple of them that came into the program after me are actually almost ready to file their dissertations and are applying for academic jobs. Now, granted, since I already have a job, I am not quite as motivated to finish my dissertation as perhaps I should be, but still, I notice that they have "gotten ahead on the path" as it were. As if all of us are climbing up a mountain together, some people further up others further behind, and sometimes one surpassed the other and sometimes they get overtaken for a brief moment. But actually, none of that matters. What matters is that we all reach the top.
Now of course their example is a little bit less helpful on an intellectual basis--my dissertation is obviously my own--but I know anyhow they are people I can count on emotionally, since they certainly know what I am going through.
In the mean time other people have come into the department at UC Berkeley, and they are finishing their masters, taking their coursework, working up reading lists, and now, a couple of them that came into the program after me are actually almost ready to file their dissertations and are applying for academic jobs. Now, granted, since I already have a job, I am not quite as motivated to finish my dissertation as perhaps I should be, but still, I notice that they have "gotten ahead on the path" as it were. As if all of us are climbing up a mountain together, some people further up others further behind, and sometimes one surpassed the other and sometimes they get overtaken for a brief moment. But actually, none of that matters. What matters is that we all reach the top.
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