Another Hurdle Cleared!!!

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Yea, Yea, Yea... I know. It's been a week since I wrote. I am trying to keep up with this, but when I get overwhelmed... You know. Anyways, I had my proposal meeting and it was accepted. YAAAYYYY. Their was tons of feedback in the meeting, but I felt supported and respected the entire time. It was nice. I must admit, however, that I was given so many ideas and the dialogue was so rich that my head felt like it was spinning when it was over. Regardless, I have finished another hurdle. These are the hurdles I have left. 1) IRB Approval, 2) Data Collection, 3) Data Analyses, 4) Write Draft 5) Rounds and round of Edits, 6) Submit to Committee, & 7) The DEFENSE! Okay my heart is beating rapidly now. I am on a tight deadline and I am praying and hoping that it all works out by my desired date which is late JULY. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as well. There is no way I can do this without the help of God and the support of my friends and family.

Thanks!

What if I am Truly a Princess?

I turned my dissertation proposal in to my committee on Friday so, I decided to spend a little time away from my dissertation this weekend and allow myself to read a book strictly for pleasure. Reading is my favorite activity. I love getting lost in stories. Unfortunately, I rarely find time to read for pleasure. The sequel to Sex and the City is coming out at the end of the month so, I thought that reading the book, The Carrie Diaries, would be fun and low-stress. It is a cute and fun book and I love this quote from a little girl in the very beginning of the book, "What if I'm a princess on another planet? And no one knows on this planet?" How cute is that? Anyone who knows me, knows that I often wonder whether I was meant to be a princess. Ahhhh.... Sometimes it's fun to stop being so academic and just enjoy the small things like reading a book, or wondering about my true calling as a princess. What are the small things in life you enjoy?

Another Writing Cram Session!

The dissertation comes and go in lulls. I write, I submit, I wait, I edit, I submit, I wait, I write, I submit, I wait, I edit, I submit, I wait, I write, I submit, I wait, I edit, I submit, I wait, I write, I submit, I wait, I edit, I submit, I wait.... My advisor gave me decent feedback, but I have tons of edits and after a conversation with him, there may even be some restructuring. All in time to finish the proposal and give it to my committee tomorrow to prepare for my proposal meeting on Sunday. Now that I officially feel the tension in my neck from just blogging about it, I will log off and do it.... I will keep you posted. Wish me Luck!

I Just Got My Feedback!!

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I just got an email from my advisor with his feedback on my dissertation proposal. I am glad I got it back, but I am a little nervous to see what he said. Ideally, I will make the changes and get a hard copy to my committee members by Friday. This gives them the weekend and Monday to read it in time for my proposal meeting on Tuesday. Yikes. I am going to bed now, but plan to look at this in the morning. Hopefully, I will be well rested and ready to go tomorrow. Wish me luck. Night.

Dissertation Proposal Meeting DEADLINE!

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Time is running out until another deadline. My proposal meeting is a week from today. MAY 11th. I must admit, I am a little worried because I don't have my edits yet for my proposal. I am sure that everything will work out, but when I have so much going on... it can be difficult to have uncertainty. If anything, this dissertation process will teach me to let go of control and learn to have patience. How do you release control of things you never really had control over, anyways?

Proposal Update

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I am hoping to get my dissertation proposal from my advisor today. We have a meeting this evening and I am very anxious. I'm not really nervous, but I am just ready to get the feedback. Wish me luck...

Staying Busy

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So, I am waiting to get my dissertation proposal back from my advisor. He said I will have it by Monday. It's amazing how no matter what I get off my plate, I seem to be just as busy. No complaints here. I considered myself very blessed to bed busy with things I love. As for my dissertation we have a love/hate relationship. Everything else, including my job, I absolutely enjoy. How many people can say that. If you are on of them, consider your self blessed.

Waiting...

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So, I turned my proposal in and now it's time to wait... I'm waiting for my advisor's comments. I'm starting to get anxious. You would think I would just be able to wait until I get it back and enjoy my time off. However, the dissertation process is now out of my control and I am struggling with that. I really need to work on giving up control and relaxing. Does anyone else struggle to give up control?

PROPOSAL SUBMITTED!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to let you know that I did submit my proposal. I am always amazed at how much work and how many hours it takes to actually reach these milestones. I am exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment feels so good. I also want to thank the people that have been so supportive during this process. This can be a lonely process because few people know exactly what this takes and those who do, have their own individual research agenda. However, I have been blessed to have people support me even when I am crabby, tense, and "biting off heads" as J so eloquently put it. Thanks mom for bringing me lunch twice, helping me get organized, and for all of your words of encouragement. Thanks Monet for caring about my proposal even when you have bigger things going in your life. J, Thanks for your love and support, reminding me to eat, making sure that my working conditions are comfortable, and all of the intangibles that you give me everyday. Thanks to all of the people who texted and called me to see how things were going and to offer words of support. I feel so blessed to have this support and know that I could not do it without you all.

Now, I hope I have time for more blogging and I can work on my other proposal. That one is just so much more fun.

Time is Ticking...

One day left. Tomorrow is the last day before my dissertation proposal is due. Now, it's due anytime on Thursday. So, theoretically, I can work on it Thursday, too. We will see how much I get done. Monday I had a huge set-back. I spent five hours, five hours I will never get back by the way, trying to print articles. My best friend also had some things happen in her life, so I had to put this on the back-burner. Even though she is going through something, she has still been supportive of me and even allowed me to vent briefly. Surprisingly, I am not feeling overly stressed and I am pushing forward. Tonight will probably be a loooooooong night. Wish me luck!

Four Days and Counting...

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I am trying not to get engulfed by the worry and pressure I am feeling to get this done on time. April 1st (This Thursday) is the due date for my dissertation proposal. To be honest, just thinking about is making me to feel butterflies in my stomach and tingling in my arms. I am off all week so, thankfully I had all that open time. Please prayer for me that I get this done, successfully and that I stay calm while doing it.

DEADLINE APPROACHING

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For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to count how many days before my proposal is due. The answer is 12. I am sure I can do it, but when I think about it, my stomach feels queasy, and my heart rate increases. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Say it with me... You can do it!!

Hurdle 1: April First

So... I met with my advisor yesterday and we talked about my dissertation. I am switching my topic to align more with my research interests. Although, some of the same pieces are still intact, there is still a lot that needs to be changed. So, I am working to crank out three chapters by April 1st. I would love to do this before then so I can actually enjoy some of my Spring Break. Send up your prayers. I believe it's possible.