Owning Up
I did pretty much no work on my thesis this fall. Yes, I read a few articles and thought about new theories to use to augment the rather limited one I'm using now. But that's it and at this point, I'm pretty confident that I won't finish my master's.
I know what you're thinking -- you're only a thesis away from getting that damn degree, you should totally finish -- and that's what I'm thinking too. Except that I really, really do NOT care about my subject anymore. It was a reach for me all along and now that I have this job, I realize I'm actually happy working in technolog, that it would take an act of God to get me to a place where I could work in the public sector in any capacity. I think it's my inability to tolerate bullshit that would always stand in my way.
I so should have gone for a Master's in English. I knew it then but I hoped I could start a new career and somehow be different? Yet along the way I realized that I like my semi-nerdy self the way I am.
So now I'm 3 credits and a study away from finishing a degree I don't want. What to do?
6 Comments:
I'd do it so I could say I did it. I'd probably throw it in the trash, but I'd do it anyway. That's just me, though, and I'm not so "cutting edge". :)
By the way, on this visit to your blog, I noticed you have a purple child in one of your photos. Any clue where I could get one of those? Thankssomuch.
4:05 PM
Huh? Purple child?
4:13 PM
I just looked under your flickrnates and saw there are about 1800 (1747?) photos in there. 0_0 You're gonna have to take my word for it. It was a lovely purple, tho'. Thus far I can only get my children to do dusky brown or pasty white.
4:17 PM
And I present to you - THE PURPLE CHILD: http://tinyurl.com/8fqnr
ta-da!!!
(bless 'er 'eart, I didn't see before she was upset) :I
6:34 AM
i can write a thesis on whether or not to do your thesis.
i also went through the "finish or not" dilemma; it's extremeley common.
three credits aren't that much and while the passion for your subject matter isn't there, we all end up doing things sometimes that we aren't super excited about. it's just whether or not you want to put the time in to finish. there's no "right" answer, as you know.
on a personal note: i'm not using my phd much (contentwise) but the skills i learned have served me well.
i'm extremely glad i finished, because it was a monumental task and i did it. that said, i know lots of people who didn't finish and aren't any worse off for it.
if you like to tie up loose ends, do it or it will nag at you. if you don't care--i.e. you're happy tossing out half-done household projects or letting go of half-finished stories or whatever--then it most likely won't make a bit of difference if you do it or not.
sometimes it's actually good to be a little dispassionate about your material; the people who got in the most funk and trouble in my program were obsessed with their subjects. being able to do a "good enough" job and let it go is a blessing in the academic world.
i figure you might as well do it. (check your reaction to that statement--if you bristled when you read it, it's probably sh*tty advice for you).
if you want books on how to get through your thesis (or tips from personal experience) let me know, as i'm happy to help.
sometimes, just doing 15 min a day on it is enough to begin with. that's like 1/4 or 1/2 of a TV show...
7:30 AM
Hey Liz! Its me Rich! Liz this is Lisa, Lisa, please meet Liz. Lisa is the friend I told you I met through your blog. Shes pretty damn OK if you ask me.
3:34 PM
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