As it turns out, I did have to submit some slight formatting revisions. I missed the requirement for all headings to be triple spaced, and my cover page somehow got slightly misaligned. Those were fixed, and I got final approval within a few hours of resubmission. Official university work is now complete. I think/hope.
I have started on my pile of recreational reading, but it will take some time, especially since I keep finding new things to add (for this, let us blame-praise/blame Boswell Books). Goodreads is fun too, but in a way I'm glad I'm not reading quite the same things as most everyone I know, because this would only result in a maddening number of additional things that I would want to read. With all this stuff to read, my Netflix streaming cue, which has been neglected, may continue to see little attention. Then again, little is better than none.
Job hunting continues. In addition to the previously noted job board, MilwaukeeJobs.com and JobsInMinneapolis.com have a good set of listings. LinkedIn has not been as helpful as I would like so far, but we'll see. Over the past two weeks, I have sent out nearly 20 applications.No news other than submissions continue. We'll see. I hate this part (mostly the waiting).
Places to Work Off-Campus (aka coffee shops) Review 1: Anodyne
I'm pretty sure that I did between a third to half of my actual dissertation writing at the original Bayview location. I have never tried working at the new location, so comments here will be restricted to the Bayview cafe. I will say though that I miss having the roaster around.
I have decided to divide discussions into 4 categories: space, Internet and computer accessibility, coffee, and clientele.
Coffee: Over the years I have devised a theory/test. If one plans on frequenting the same sort of establishment (such as a coffee shop) but not necessarily the same place, there should be a standard order that one uses to judge the place upon first visiting. For me at coffee shops, this is a medium skim mocha. Anodyne's is the best espresso and, and best mocha of the three places (the other two being Stone Creek and Colectivo which will forever be known as Alterra-no-wait-not-anymore-now-its-Colectivo) in my head). I think the espresso win has to do with the advantage of having a very local roaster that operates for only one (now towo) shops. The mocha here also uses powdered cocoa, which I think pairs better with the taste of coffee; using chocolate syrup of bits of chocolate only covers up the espresso.
Space: Anodyne falls in the middle in terms of space size. I think it's the best in terms of tables since it has many small ones and two long ones, and lots of natural light. Combine these two elements, and you get a friendly but still semi-private area to work.
Internet-computer accessibility. Anodyne is the only place to place a wi-fi restriction on users in terms of time. You have to make a purchase for every two hours of internet use. This was never a problem for me, but if you wanted to do some serious web-based research or read web-based texts it could prove problematic. Being able to plug in a laptop is also important, since I don't always keep track of where the charge level on mine is. Although it's best if you can get a seat right next to a plug, all seats in the main area can be reached with a standard cord. The newer seating area (left by the removal of hte roasting equipment) has less access to plugs.
Clientele: Anodyne has the least pretentious atmosphere and clientele. There is a pretty good mix of families, students, business, and regulars (those who come to hang out; often retirees). There is a buzz of conversation but most people appear mindful that they are in a public place and do their best to keep the sound of conversations, electronics, and children under a reasonable degree of control. Sadly the buzz of the roaster is no more, but the radio background is also pretty decent background stuff, although depending on the station, sometimes you do have to pause and listen.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The End, Part II
I have now managed to submit my dissertation to the university. The instructions for this are not at all straightforward, but I haven't heard that I need to fix anything yet, and it's been 24 hours. We'll have to wait and see.
The 'now what am I going to do with myself' part of the semester has started.
Priority 1: Job hunting. HigherEdJobs.com seems promising.Applications have been and will continue to be submitted.
Priority 2: Making a dent in the pile of 'fun reading' books that has piled up (literally). I intend to document this via Goodreads. I put off signing up because I knew that I would not be posting anything for some time. Now, it is time to start.
Priority 3: Catching up on domestic chores like house cleaning that have been sorely neglected until now. This weekend there will be cleaning off of the desk and table surfaces and vacuuming. This has not been done in an embarrassingly long time. I wait until this weekend because it will take me that long to return all of the library books that have been decorating my floor.
Stay tuned for coffee shop reviews and other final notes about this past year.
The 'now what am I going to do with myself' part of the semester has started.
Priority 1: Job hunting. HigherEdJobs.com seems promising.Applications have been and will continue to be submitted.
Priority 2: Making a dent in the pile of 'fun reading' books that has piled up (literally). I intend to document this via Goodreads. I put off signing up because I knew that I would not be posting anything for some time. Now, it is time to start.
Priority 3: Catching up on domestic chores like house cleaning that have been sorely neglected until now. This weekend there will be cleaning off of the desk and table surfaces and vacuuming. This has not been done in an embarrassingly long time. I wait until this weekend because it will take me that long to return all of the library books that have been decorating my floor.
Stay tuned for coffee shop reviews and other final notes about this past year.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
The End Part I
I've decided to finish this year-long blog with a multi-part conclusion. Today's will cover what happens just before and after the defense. Next, there will be the submission to the university process (I still have to do that). Lastly, will be 'What's Next' (which I'm still working on).
Before the defense: Once I had the paperwork all submitted to the university, and a 'defense draft' to the committee, I spent the next six weeks reviewing and revising the entire 300-page dissertation. If anyone's wondering, yes, that's long for a dissertation in the MU English department. Looking up some other recent ones for formatting, I noticed that they were under 200 pages. Oh well.
As I reviewed and edited the actual text, I added a lot of commentary with notes, extra information, extended references and quotations, and possible defense questions in the margins. I think adding and considering possible questions was really helpful. To those who have yet to defend, pay attention to questions and comments on previous drafts as these can (and will) come up in your defense.
The actual defense was not as stressful as I would have guessed. As one of the readers pointed out to the audience (and to me in an email a few days beforehand), these things are designed to make the 'defendant' look good and show what they have learned. I think what really nailed it for me was when I answered a committee member with (this is a paraphrase) "I think I was not quite right in the original proposal. As the project progressed, I realized that a better way to frame the entire project was not as a 'definition' but as a 'framework for discussion'. " Those present will remember that this reader did not have too many questions after that. My point here is that admitting that something in the original proposal may have changed is a good thing.
Lesson: You are not defending your DQE proposal again. You are defending something entirely new.
Immediately after the defense: I spent the rest of the week checking a few final details and one reader's notes (mostly grammar related). On Monday, I will review the formatting and attempt to submit the final document to the university. We shall see how that goes.
It probably goes without saying that some immediate celebration would be in order. I took the rest of the day after the defense off. I went to yoga, and then to dinner. Group celebrating will come later this coming week (coinciding with my birthday, which times out well). Today, in honor of planning to submit the final dissertation, I finally signed up for Goodreads. I also started reading a novel that I purchased some time ago. The stack of 'things to read once I'm done' stands at around 10 novels, and a few manga volumes. I have tried to keep the pile of novels roughly in order of when purchased. On the top is Nick Harkman's "Angelmaker". I'm about 25 pages in, and I'm really enjoying it. Stay tuned to Goodreads for an eventual review :)
That's it for now. Stay tuned for some commentary on the submission process, the state of my Netflix cue, and reviews of the local Milwaukee coffee shops. Since I did the majority of my writing and reading in them, and I did the same for their UK counterparts, I figure this is a necessary thing to include in a chronicle of the final dissertation year.
PS- Who wants to guess how many times I misspelled 'defence' and had to go back and fix it in this post?
Before the defense: Once I had the paperwork all submitted to the university, and a 'defense draft' to the committee, I spent the next six weeks reviewing and revising the entire 300-page dissertation. If anyone's wondering, yes, that's long for a dissertation in the MU English department. Looking up some other recent ones for formatting, I noticed that they were under 200 pages. Oh well.
As I reviewed and edited the actual text, I added a lot of commentary with notes, extra information, extended references and quotations, and possible defense questions in the margins. I think adding and considering possible questions was really helpful. To those who have yet to defend, pay attention to questions and comments on previous drafts as these can (and will) come up in your defense.
The actual defense was not as stressful as I would have guessed. As one of the readers pointed out to the audience (and to me in an email a few days beforehand), these things are designed to make the 'defendant' look good and show what they have learned. I think what really nailed it for me was when I answered a committee member with (this is a paraphrase) "I think I was not quite right in the original proposal. As the project progressed, I realized that a better way to frame the entire project was not as a 'definition' but as a 'framework for discussion'. " Those present will remember that this reader did not have too many questions after that. My point here is that admitting that something in the original proposal may have changed is a good thing.
Lesson: You are not defending your DQE proposal again. You are defending something entirely new.
Immediately after the defense: I spent the rest of the week checking a few final details and one reader's notes (mostly grammar related). On Monday, I will review the formatting and attempt to submit the final document to the university. We shall see how that goes.
It probably goes without saying that some immediate celebration would be in order. I took the rest of the day after the defense off. I went to yoga, and then to dinner. Group celebrating will come later this coming week (coinciding with my birthday, which times out well). Today, in honor of planning to submit the final dissertation, I finally signed up for Goodreads. I also started reading a novel that I purchased some time ago. The stack of 'things to read once I'm done' stands at around 10 novels, and a few manga volumes. I have tried to keep the pile of novels roughly in order of when purchased. On the top is Nick Harkman's "Angelmaker". I'm about 25 pages in, and I'm really enjoying it. Stay tuned to Goodreads for an eventual review :)
That's it for now. Stay tuned for some commentary on the submission process, the state of my Netflix cue, and reviews of the local Milwaukee coffee shops. Since I did the majority of my writing and reading in them, and I did the same for their UK counterparts, I figure this is a necessary thing to include in a chronicle of the final dissertation year.
PS- Who wants to guess how many times I misspelled 'defence' and had to go back and fix it in this post?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
The End in Nigh
Defense is complete. What's Next is unknown. Stay tuned for a final post with some comments regarding the process overall, and probably some reviews of the best places to work.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
State of the Diss for 2014
The conclusion/introduction is the hardest part to write? We'll see. First draft of Chapter 5 is away, including the rather ingenious reference to Shel Silverstein's "The Little Boy and Old Man". I hope I can keep that bit. Chapters 1-3 need minor revisions, and Chapter 4 probably needs one more overhaul. I'm hoping one last bootcamp in the library will take care of most everything here. Once that's all done, then I just need to compile some appendices and submit the whole thing one (I hope) last time. Fingers crossed....
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Hard Lesson and a Rant
I think one of the hardest lessons there is to learn as a student is
that sometimes it is good-necessary to make major cuts in a paper. As I
continue to revise (Chapter 1 down, 2-4 to go), I am reminded of how
hard this really is. I think that this lesson didn't really hit home
until graduate school, and several years into it at that (I'm currently
in year 8-wince). With Chapter 1, there was a lot of cutting this time
around, but I had plenty to fill it in with. The chapter is now more
focused and hopefully sets up the rest of the dissertation much better.
Starting with Chapter 2, I am faced with the possibility of cutting out 5
pages with several possibilities for replacement. The problem is that
the best of these options would need to be researched and drafted from
scratch. We shall see what happens with that.
This morning I was reminded of that someone needs to write a handbook of coffee shop etiquette which would become required reading for anyone who wishes to bring a laptop with them and work on it. A project for after the dissertation is completed perhaps. In my considerable experience in Milwaukee coffee shops, Anodyne is one of the best places to go for just about any reason (caffeine, write-read, hanging out...). One major reason for this preference is that the people who tend to patronize this place understand the as of yet unwritten rules of decent coffee shop behaviour. That said, the jerk who blasted loud music without headphones for almost five minutes while apologizing but doing nothing to lower the volume was an unpleasant reminder that a lot of people lack manners and-or common sense in public situations. If he was going to do that, he should have known he'd be less annoying at the Colectivo down the road (it's a much bigger establishment, so it wouldn't have been so obvious). I know that sometimes the sound comes on louder than anticipated, but what's the point in apologizing for an extended period of time while doing nothing to correct the problem
This morning I was reminded of that someone needs to write a handbook of coffee shop etiquette which would become required reading for anyone who wishes to bring a laptop with them and work on it. A project for after the dissertation is completed perhaps. In my considerable experience in Milwaukee coffee shops, Anodyne is one of the best places to go for just about any reason (caffeine, write-read, hanging out...). One major reason for this preference is that the people who tend to patronize this place understand the as of yet unwritten rules of decent coffee shop behaviour. That said, the jerk who blasted loud music without headphones for almost five minutes while apologizing but doing nothing to lower the volume was an unpleasant reminder that a lot of people lack manners and-or common sense in public situations. If he was going to do that, he should have known he'd be less annoying at the Colectivo down the road (it's a much bigger establishment, so it wouldn't have been so obvious). I know that sometimes the sound comes on louder than anticipated, but what's the point in apologizing for an extended period of time while doing nothing to correct the problem
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Aftermath of Chapter 4 1st draft
You'd think that it would be a relief that I got a rough draft of the final full chapter done. But all I can do now is try to work out how long it's going to take me to revise chapter 1 (answer: quite a while), outline the conclusion (aka Chapter 5), and revise chapter 4 when I get it back from readers. Will this never end?
I remember being told as an undergrad (or maybe was it high school?) that writing the introduction to a paper was the hard part. Not so with Chapter 4. The conclusion was the trouble spot. I think part of the problem is that I was getting tired and I didn't want to just cut-paste-and-thesuarus the introductory paragraphs of the chapter. I justified walking away from it by telling myself that the arguments might change a little bit in editing and revising, so it's ok to leave it for now.
I was reminded how dreadful it can be to go back and look at something that I wrote but haven't looked at in almost a year. Chapter 1 = ouch. I knew it was going to change significantly once 2-4 were mostly done, but still. I should have known from the scare I seem to have given my final reader with the amount of summarizing and periodic sentences used. I'll be happy if I get that all fixed up by Christmas.
With a Chapter 1 rewrite and the likely 2+ rounds of revision on Chapter 4 looming, my holiday season is once again going to be spent behind a computer and/or buried behind piles of library books. And this is the shortest holiday season that's possible. I'm defining 'holiday season' as Thanksgiving week-New Year's. As has been pointed out by newspeople, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas aka holiday shopping season is as short as it can be this year. At least most of my shopping was done by Oct.8, my last day in the UK.
Now to figure out when to draft and-or cut-paste that cofnerence paper together...
I remember being told as an undergrad (or maybe was it high school?) that writing the introduction to a paper was the hard part. Not so with Chapter 4. The conclusion was the trouble spot. I think part of the problem is that I was getting tired and I didn't want to just cut-paste-and-thesuarus the introductory paragraphs of the chapter. I justified walking away from it by telling myself that the arguments might change a little bit in editing and revising, so it's ok to leave it for now.
I was reminded how dreadful it can be to go back and look at something that I wrote but haven't looked at in almost a year. Chapter 1 = ouch. I knew it was going to change significantly once 2-4 were mostly done, but still. I should have known from the scare I seem to have given my final reader with the amount of summarizing and periodic sentences used. I'll be happy if I get that all fixed up by Christmas.
With a Chapter 1 rewrite and the likely 2+ rounds of revision on Chapter 4 looming, my holiday season is once again going to be spent behind a computer and/or buried behind piles of library books. And this is the shortest holiday season that's possible. I'm defining 'holiday season' as Thanksgiving week-New Year's. As has been pointed out by newspeople, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas aka holiday shopping season is as short as it can be this year. At least most of my shopping was done by Oct.8, my last day in the UK.
Now to figure out when to draft and-or cut-paste that cofnerence paper together...
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