Thesis Defense Success!
April 17, 2014
I did it!! I successful defending my thesis entitled "The Economic Value Of Air Quality Forecasting." I defended my thesis at the Howard University campus in Beltsville, MD. I left early this morning around 6:30 am, the time of my defense was 1:00 PM. I wasn't completely done with my presentation before I left and thought I would have some time to put the finishing touches on it, after I got there.
Rex had to work so I brought May with me, and dropped her off around 9:30 am, with her aunts and uncles and cousins. It's been a while since we've seen them and they were missing May. I met with my adviser at Howard University in DC not too long after that and we discussed some of my research and the presentation. My adviser thought it was best to put the finishing touches at Beltsville so we drove to Beltsville. I was nervous, but I knew it had to be done. This was one of the last steps towards getting my Masters and I thought I really just need to graduate and get this over with.
I edited my thesis up to the last minute which my adviser said was fine with what I had to present, though I feel I could have added a bit more. I saw a couple of my former classmates who came to support me. I started off pretty good, there were some parts where I lost my train of thought. I feel confident though in the pep talk my adviser gave me before my presentation and the work that I know of what I have been doing. I finished my presentation in about 30 minutes. It was short but much of the information that I uncovered was presented in my defense.
I got many questions from my peers. I was able to answer some of them, my adviser helped me answer a couple others. Then it was time for my peers to leave and my committee who had been there for my presentation as well. Their questions were more intense. I found it harder to answer their questions but I did my best with the knowledge I had attained throughout my research. That question and answer section seemed to go on for about 20 minutes. Lastly I was asked to leave and then the decision of whether I passed was discussed. That took pretty long. I talked with a few of my classmates who assured me I had done well. I was just happy to get the thesis defense over with. It had taken me at least 2 years to complete the research and gather all that information into a paper. I am so thankful for the support of my family and my husband as well as the help I received from my adviser.
I had lost motivation, especially last semester when I was so close to defending the thesis in November but in my quest to find jobs in my field not going so well, my stipend running out and having to do temp jobs, as well as losing my aunt who was like a second mother to me, I decided to put it on hold and try to get into something that seemed more promising. Of course when I first started graduate school, it seemed a higher degree would be more marketable in today's society. Though that is true for some, the job market is hard and more experience is required for many positions, not just the degree. Nonetheless, persistence might pay off and at 3:00 pm, I was called back in to find out persistence did pay off. I had successfully defended my thesis for my Masters.
I am now closer than ever towards obtain my Masters. I need to complete my edits and submit the documents to graduate school at Howard. I hope to have that all in next week and then I should receiving my degree next month!
Rex had to work so I brought May with me, and dropped her off around 9:30 am, with her aunts and uncles and cousins. It's been a while since we've seen them and they were missing May. I met with my adviser at Howard University in DC not too long after that and we discussed some of my research and the presentation. My adviser thought it was best to put the finishing touches at Beltsville so we drove to Beltsville. I was nervous, but I knew it had to be done. This was one of the last steps towards getting my Masters and I thought I really just need to graduate and get this over with.
I edited my thesis up to the last minute which my adviser said was fine with what I had to present, though I feel I could have added a bit more. I saw a couple of my former classmates who came to support me. I started off pretty good, there were some parts where I lost my train of thought. I feel confident though in the pep talk my adviser gave me before my presentation and the work that I know of what I have been doing. I finished my presentation in about 30 minutes. It was short but much of the information that I uncovered was presented in my defense.
I got many questions from my peers. I was able to answer some of them, my adviser helped me answer a couple others. Then it was time for my peers to leave and my committee who had been there for my presentation as well. Their questions were more intense. I found it harder to answer their questions but I did my best with the knowledge I had attained throughout my research. That question and answer section seemed to go on for about 20 minutes. Lastly I was asked to leave and then the decision of whether I passed was discussed. That took pretty long. I talked with a few of my classmates who assured me I had done well. I was just happy to get the thesis defense over with. It had taken me at least 2 years to complete the research and gather all that information into a paper. I am so thankful for the support of my family and my husband as well as the help I received from my adviser.
I had lost motivation, especially last semester when I was so close to defending the thesis in November but in my quest to find jobs in my field not going so well, my stipend running out and having to do temp jobs, as well as losing my aunt who was like a second mother to me, I decided to put it on hold and try to get into something that seemed more promising. Of course when I first started graduate school, it seemed a higher degree would be more marketable in today's society. Though that is true for some, the job market is hard and more experience is required for many positions, not just the degree. Nonetheless, persistence might pay off and at 3:00 pm, I was called back in to find out persistence did pay off. I had successfully defended my thesis for my Masters.
I am now closer than ever towards obtain my Masters. I need to complete my edits and submit the documents to graduate school at Howard. I hope to have that all in next week and then I should receiving my degree next month!
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