Another Defense Done

Posted Tue Oct 21, 2008 in University

Monday was yet another busy day. I had a breakfast meeting (with a friend), then a working meeting, then work resulting from that meeting, missed lunch, a thesis defense, and another meeting. Yipes!

The work done mid-morning was good. The previous meeting helped me to define much of what needed to be done. The few pages I generated for that project came fairly easily.

The afternoon defense was a presentation of a Master’s thesis. I read the thesis Sunday (took me a few hours) and marked it up. The work was good, but the writing needed some tidying up, which is not unusual. My mark-up will provide sufficient guidance for the student to edit the thesis.

The presentation went pretty well. The student knew the material well and the presentation was professional. The questions were answered adequately.

What struck me was the juxtaposition of the Ph.D. and M.S. presentations. Because they were so close in time, the differences were really apparent between a graduate student working at the Master’s level and a graduate student working at the Ph.D. level. Of course there are other variables (and many of them), but the depth of the work is different and the experience of working independently (if that’s the correct word) has a significant impact as well. At least, so it seems to me.

I believe, and have for many years, that the formal presentation of the thesis (or dissertation) should be a learning experience. Sometimes, students need to be taught they don’t know it all, just because they’re finishing graduate school. (In the case of the two students just defended, neither needed this lesson. But, I sat defenses before where they needed such instruction! That can be hard on the student, but is a necessary lesson.) I remember my defenses clearly as well. I learned a lot about myself by going through the process. Sometimes students need to be taught they know a lot, and I’ve helped do this too.

After the defense, I called Wife in response to a text message. It’s hard being home alone. I wish she’d come with us.

After the call, I dealt with my final meeting of the day and believe progress was made with that student too. When I was a graduate student, it was always good for me to meet with my advisor. He had a way of finding encouragement when things were tough. Sometimes that amounted to a kick in the pants when it was necessary. It was necessary, for me, a few times. Sometimes a softer approach is needed, but there always needs to be a little pressure to push forward, no matter how challenging it is. Humans respond to forward motion, to progress, and it’s self-reinforcing because it’s a good thing. I know how much I hate it when I’m dead-centered. I also know how big a struggle it can be to generate forward motion. But, it’s necessary. The effort is worth it.

A colleague and I went to supper after all of that. It was good to sit with a beer and a steak after a long, intense day. I was really hungry too, having skipped lunch (inadvertently).

All in all, it was a good day. It was a hard, busy day, but good nonetheless. I accomplished at least two more of the things I came to do. That would be my forward motion. I like that.