Thursday, March 25, 2010

Finish Line?


I won't necessarily say I feel like this guy....but today I wrote the last words on the bulk of my dissertation! I finished the major research chapters (all 6 of them) and all I have to WRITE is an introduction and a conclusion. Of course, I have to revise it all, because I'm sure there are some glaring mistakes somewhere in those 97 pages.

That being said, it certainly feels like a large weight off of my shoulders! Somehow, I was able to research something in enough detail that it was deserving of that much writing! There is such a joy in creating something that substantial! I think its a combination of the reward of hard work and the fun of creating something completely new.

Of course, I am a pretty big jerk if I realize I didn't do this alone. I had a great wife who was willing to work hard so we had food on the table and I could spend half a day every day working on this thing. I have wonderful friends and family who keep asking me how I'm doing - one in particular who has been in the same place as me for several years and did all the hard learning for me. Advisors who encouraged me to keep working even though I really wanted a break... What a crazy ride it has been!

I never thought it would go by that fast!

1 comment:

Kaija said...

I'm seriously jealous. Seriously. But I am about to set my own goals for finishing my own race! New blog post coming very soon. Remind my, Bryson, when did you start your MA program at BYU? When did you start your PhD program? When did you pass your qualifying exam? Thanks for making me jealous. It's motivating.