I think pretty much everyone has heard by now, but I'll go ahead and post about it anyway. My thesis is officially defended and approved. Monday, June 30, after 18-months (that's right--this thing is two months younger than Lili) of writing, rewriting, freaking out, fighting writers block, fighting proofreaders and editors, and yes, occasionally cursing, Mom, Liliana, and I drove down to Alpine with a paper box full of my thesis.
My actual defense was set from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m., but we left more time than we needed to get there. So to kill time I went over to the Cashiers to pay for graduation. It was so silly--$20 to graduate, $10 because I filed yet, and $20 because I wasn't acutally going to be there. That last one kills me. What exactly is my not coming costing them? If anything I would think I would be saving them some punch and cookies. But whatever. While at the Cashier's Office I told them that I would need to pay for a thesis binding as well and asked if I could do that now. They acted like I asked them to change my oil.
I still had time left, so I went to my Dean's office, which is, of course, all the way across campus. And because every story needs drama, it was pouring rain. I ran into the building and met with teh secretary, who gave me some paperwork to fill out and told me to come back after my defense with my signed approval sheets, my reciept from the Cashier saying I'd paid for the binding (!) and the four mandatory copies of my thesis. Then she told me that I would need to put each copy in its own manila folder. I think I actually laughed at her. At 215 pages, my thesis was not fitting in an envelope. I told her about the paper box in my trunk, but she said as long as they were separated it was okay. Score one for working in publications for the past three years--I had already separated them with colored cardstock.
By then it was time for my defense. I went to Dr. Hileman's office and she was very nice and told me I should be very proud of my work. I told her I was, but mostly I was just tired and ready to be done. Of course I forgot the approval sheets in the car, so I had to run back out in the rain to get them. We moved into the writing lab where my other committee members showed up. The actual defense was pretty short--they asked me some questions, I gave random, not necessarily brilliant answers. The whole thing just seemed really pointless--we all knew they were approving it or they wouldn't have made me drive down. At one point I even warned them that I would burst into tears if they didn't. Of course they did, although there was a big to do because at least one signature on the approval pages had to be in blue (to prove it is an original). Dr. Nelson asked about using turquoise, but I told her if that caused it to be format rejected I would hold her personally responsible. We all laughed and they complimented my work and my weight loss (which is always nice), congratulated me on my new job, and wished me well. The whole thing took maybe twenty-five minutes.
I paid off the Cashier, who acted like I should have paid for my thesis the last time I was in. Hello? That's what I was trying to do. By box o'thesis and all my other paper work got dropped off at the Dean's office and after a quick diaper change, we were on our way back to Midland.
The annoying thing is, the whole thing could have been done over the phone and paid for by mail. Sigh. I hate bueracracy (I know I'm in the wrong profession to avoid that).
It still hasn't really sunk in--I keep waiting for the "BUT" phone call. However, my transcript reflects the completion, so I guess they've tortured me enough.
So what now?
Well, in less than a month my contract starts as an English Instructor at Howard College. I will be teaching Freshman composition and possibly sophomore level classes if I do well this first year. The commute to Big Spring isn't ideal--45 minutes door to door, but even taking gas into consideration, it's still more money and it's doing what I want to do.
They seem really excited to have me--when I went to sign my paperwork I was introduced to what seemed like half the campus and everyone was so nice. Plus, my office is HUGE and has a window. Mom is so jealous.
So I guess this blog will now be transforming into a chronicle of my teaching experience, at least until I start my PhD in two years. Then, who knows.
Thanks everyone for your support over the past 18 months. I hope you'll continue to check in on the next part of my journey.
Amber
