Passed!
I had My Viva Today
I have been working towards getting a Ph.D. for almost 6 years, starting about a year after retiring from work. As a part time student, I was allowed 6 years for this.
Thesis
I submitted a thesis of over 400 pages long in 1.5 times spacing (It was over 500 pages in double spacing) last October, hoping and expecting to get my Viva before Christmas, but that didn't happen.
Viva
A Viva is an oral exam, based on the thesis you have submitted and the two examiners (internal and external) go through it in minute detail in parts, asking WHY you did this and what your AIM was for that.
3 hours
The Viva lasted over 3 hours and if it hadn't been getting close to 5pm, I think it might have gone on for longer! I was onnly expecting 2 hours. It wasn't a grilling, they were both very pleasant but they went into the substance in great detail.
Minor Corrections
I have to make what are termed "minor corrections" and agree them with the internal examiner. When she is satisfied, I can get the thesis bound and published and put into the library. Then that will be that!
What's Next?
My husband wants to know what I am doing next. I told him I would be concentrating on him or exercise but he didn't believe me. He suggested "writing a book". I already have, I protested, it's called a thesis, with 80,000 words! "You always wanted to write fiction", he pointed out. And you know, he is right! But I am going to have a break first, well apart from child-minding! And maybe i could do a bit of housework and decluttering too, then there's the websites and maybe some e-commerce ..... hmmm!
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/woman-student-college-school-213723/ by PublicDomainPictures
Comments
markgraham wrote on January 25, 2016, 3:57 PM
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am at the point that I cannot wait to finish my doctorate degree. I love doing research and writing but I want to write and research my own ideas and not just assignments for courses. You are an educator I am sorry I cannot remember what your doctorate was in my is in Reading and literacy. You should try to write a children's novel your child minding could give you a lot of ideas.
WordChazer wrote on January 25, 2016, 3:58 PM
WooHOO! Well done hon! So pleased for you! ((((( MegL )))))
CoralLevang wrote on January 25, 2016, 4:06 PM
my dear friend... I am so pleased for you! & I am so proud of you! I certainly want to see when you walk and receive your degree! make sure there are plenty of pictures. and I will be honored to call you, Dr. Meg...
Rufuszen wrote on January 25, 2016, 4:30 PM
Congrats! A fine reward for all your hard work
Ellis wrote on January 25, 2016, 4:49 PM
Congratulations on your achievement!!! Ummmm you will be throwing a party, of course....Great, I love parties....Sooo, your place Saturday then? lol
MaggieD wrote on January 25, 2016, 4:52 PM
Congratulations!
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:00 PM
Yes, there comes a point where you just want it out of the way!
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:00 PM
Thank you very much
VinceSummers wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:09 PM
Well, that's that. Pshew. More power to you, Doc.
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:30 PM
Thank you very much. Phew! indeed.
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:31 PM
Thank you very much but I am not much of a one for titles. My son has "Dr" on everything including his statements from the bank. I wouldn't be bothered with that.
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:32 PM
Thank you. I always feel I haven't done enough but it must have been, this time.
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:32 PM
Saturday, now let me see. I might just have a party on Saturday, so who is coming? LOL
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:33 PM
Thank you very much.
vanGogh wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:35 PM
Congratulations here's to the next part of your journey. Cheers and good luck on your next "babies"
MegL wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:40 PM
Thanks very much.
CoralLevang wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:43 PM
which is just one of the reasons that I love you so...truly.
grandma20121 wrote on January 25, 2016, 5:52 PM
well congratulations your on your way to a wonderful future!
lookatdesktop wrote on January 25, 2016, 7:16 PM
I think most of what I write in Personal is thought by some to be complete fiction. I think it is interesting that the stuff that I write that is fiction seems more like fact when I do write fiction. That is why X-Files appeals to me.
bestwriter wrote on January 25, 2016, 8:22 PM
That was not easy I know and you came out with flying colours. Congrats.
wolfgirl569 wrote on January 25, 2016, 8:28 PM
Congratulations. Glad you have that finished and can relax now.
HappyLady wrote on January 26, 2016, 12:10 AM
Oooh. WELL DONE Dr. MEG! I am so excited for you. Take that well earned break and do what my ex did. Publish the thesis as a book. My ex did this. He sold very few, but he got a lot of satisfaction seeing himself on the shelves in Blackwells and your subject is probably more interesting.
MegL wrote on January 26, 2016, 2:55 AM
Thank you very much
MegL wrote on January 26, 2016, 2:57 AM
Lol. This wasn't fiction, but some people's lives SHOULD be made into a book.
MegL wrote on January 26, 2016, 2:59 AM
Thank you. I am not sure about "flying colours" but I passed and that's the main thing.
1MegL wrote on January 26, 2016, 3:00 AM
Thanks. I am very glad to have finished.
MegL wrote on January 26, 2016, 3:02 AM
Thank you. Publishing the thesis into the library will be enough for me!
melody23 wrote on January 27, 2016, 6:56 AM
I worked with an old doctor once who insisted that the junior doctors and all us nurses (I was actually a student at the time) called him 'Dr whatever his name was' this sparked a conversation between us nurses and one of the junior doctors about using the title Dr because most doctors and nurses use their first name 99% of the time these days and it was very abnormal for us to call a doctor by their title. this junior dr said that he hated it and hadn't changed his title on anything other than his passport because apparently they get free upgrades on planes and whatnot because they are Doctors so it may be worth doing that, I may apply for my next passport as Melody (BN) and see if it gets me a free upgrade next time I fly!
melody23 wrote on January 27, 2016, 7:00 AM
Congratulations! What an amazing achievement. I could never write anything that long, I was due to start my honours degree this month after finishing my bachelors in September but I decided not to because I didn't want to write a dissertation. I have signed up for two new courses instead but it wont lead me to my honours and I am ok with that since I don't really need them in my line of work anyway. At some point I may undertake my masters but I think that will be a few years in the future before I can face that amount of writing
MegL wrote on January 27, 2016, 7:00 AM
I am not getting it changed on my passport or in the telephone directory. I am not a doctor of medicine but people automatically assume that and I would not be a lot of use, other than with very basic first aid. It's definitely worth trying for you. After all, you never know, your skills may be called upon, so a free upgrade would be nice.
MegL wrote on January 27, 2016, 7:02 AM
Thank you very much. I can totally understand your point. It took me 10 years after passing my bachelor's degree before I would even look at a textbook, never mind write an essay.
melody23 wrote on January 27, 2016, 7:11 AM
But they have no way of knowing that you are not a medical doctor from your passport so you would likely get the free upgrade anyway, if they need a medical doctor then you just explain that you are a PhD not a medical doctor. I know several nurses who have had their skills called upon while on planes, the thought terrifies me!
melody23 wrote on January 27, 2016, 7:16 AM
yeah I think you need a bit of space in between to recover before taking on more academic work. I also have a whole load of training courses to do within work within my first year or two, in fact my ward sister was just talking to me yesterday about putting me on a special course that would allow me to make up and give IV medications. You wouldn't normally do that course this soon after qualifying but for some reason she suggested it, I also have my advanced life support course to do plus a four month programme for new nurses that I haven't even started yet despite being qualified for almost four months now, plus the two short courses I have taken it upon myself to sign up for so I think that will do for now! I do enjoy learning and don't mind doing exams and things its just the academic writing I cant be bothered with if I am honest so the idea of doing a big thing like a dissertation is just so off-putting to me just now.
lookatdesktop wrote on January 27, 2016, 6:21 PM
I hope you get all the education you want. Nobody has more motivation than the person who is doing the learning. Lots of my friends thought I was silly taking college art classes but I said, It's my life. I can study for anything under God's sun.
MegL wrote on January 27, 2016, 6:26 PM
It sounds like you have more than enough to do at the minute!
MegL wrote on January 27, 2016, 6:28 PM
I think I have got enough for the moment. Mind you, the Open University sent me a prospectus today .... (The OU is a well respected, online University in the UK)
melody23 wrote on January 28, 2016, 11:21 AM
yeah I think your right. we have nurse education people who are great at telling you about courses you can take that give you credits to use towards an honours or masters too so I might just get my honours that way. who knows what the future holds I guess but right no I have the level of education I need to do the job I love so that's fine by me. I would like to move on to an advanced practitioner role in years to come and for that I would need a masters but I would also need at least five years of experience so I am as well getting the experience first