Digital Conversations

Sunday, April 1

To-Do List 2.0

Sunday night, as good of a time as any to take stock of what is on my plate for the next few weeks, and the year's bigger plan. Now that I have happily procrastinated over the last 3 weeks (a few god books scratched off of my 'to read' list), I have to look at what's left and what is coming.

My thesis defense is in 9 days. I am oddly mellow about it, even though I have not really put any serious ink to paper. It's not that I am not nervous - I am not looking forward to the whole song and dance. I am scared to be asked a question that I cannot answer, or that I get confused when answering it. But I am at a loss as to what exactly I shoud be working on.

Which brings me to the rest of my incomplete to-do list. I should also be working on my PhD thesis proposal due May 1st. I need to sit down, and think deeply about what direction I want to head in, as I apply to a Doctorate in Cinematography...

Shanly Dixon and I have to get cracking on reading a body of literature that neither of us are too familiar with for our recently accepted joint paper for AoIR 8.0. Outside both of our specific fields of study, we are looking at the social role of university course websites. The good thing is that both of us have used these sites as students and in teaching positions, so drawing inward an working out, we both hope it will be a fun learning experience about another facet of technology that impacts our lives.

Finally, we are gearing up to get a publication on the way from the Trials & Tribulations digital research methods symposium from last fall (the link is on the sidebar, I am currently too lazy to link it again). Hopefully my fall semester will leave me some time to do the side projects that seem to drive me.

2 Comments:

  • You'll do awesome Kelly! I'll be there for sure offering my support.

    Two bits of advice that were much appreciated when I did mine (I think they both came from my friend Yaana):

    1) You only have to answer questions on your thesis. Don't be afraid *not* to answer questions that weren't actually part of your thesis. Someone always asks one, but its quite OK to say: "That's interesting, but beyond the scope of my research."

    2) Everyone wants to see you do well. In particular, your committee wouldn't let you defend if they didn't think you would succeed. Obviously, that would be embarassing for them. So worst case scenario, in most cases you can assume, is major revisions. Unpleasant, but probably unlikely.

    3) OK, this one is just from me: it feels *awesome* to be done! :-D

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6/4/07 4:09 p.m.  

  • Thank you so much Cindy - looking forward to those drinks that come after the whole dance and pony show!;)

    By Blogger Kelly, at 7/4/07 7:20 p.m.  

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