So, here I am, midway through writing my first comprehensive exam. For those of you who do not know what exactly that is, it's one exam out of two in which I write about my research area of interest. It will effectively prepare me to do my dissertation fieldwork by providing a theoretical background for my research, and it also makes me an "expert" in a subject area(s). Comps are often the most dreaded part of the PhD because of the intensive reading (almost 40 sources for each exam, in my case) and writing (it will be approx. 30 pages when completed) phases - plus, of course, there is an oral defense for each exam!
My first comp is about the division between nature and culture, human and animal, in Western society - and it's a big topic. I started writing it just over a week ago and have become virtually nocturnal in the time since then, going to bed as late as 4:30am and waking up at 11am. I found during my Master's degree that it was my most productive time to write, and it seems to be proving true in this degree as well - in fact, it's currently almost 3:00am. And here I am, writing. :) I am, however, maintaining some semblance of balance by hitting the gym hard every day (a necessity while sitting so much) as well as seeing friends, dating, etc. I will be happy when it's over, though! 5 days of writing and approx. 10 pages to go...
No comments:
Post a Comment