Academic Validation

So I recently attended a conference in Pisa. In this conference, there were several things that happened that made me feel like this perhaps is the best conference I have attended so far. Let me tell you why.

When Scott Died

As I write this post in the middle of June, it's been less than a day since I received a message from some of my friends that I met in Buffalo. It turns out that someone we all knew from graduate school had recently passed away. And while I personally was never very close to him, it still felt like there was a void left gaping wide open.

So You Want a PhD? In North America or Europe?

Now that I have been a part of academia in both North American and European settings, I have slowly seen differences when it comes to how one studies and gets a terminal degree. I don't really mean to write a how-to type of article here, I just want to pen down some observations I had made, and so take it for what it's worth.

Looking Back: Year 2012

The Year 2012 is about to end. So even though the galaxies aligned, and plenty of people thought we're going to die, I am still here. This is my last post for the year. Let me review what has happened for the past year, as I have done so in 2010 and 2011.

How to Grad School: Collaborations and Networking

One must say that we're not in the Rennaissance Period anymore. It is not the case that one can be good at everything, as the things that humans study and do research on are now very diverse. Hence, sooner or later, one will find a problem where one needs help to solve it.

How to Grad School: Presenting in Conferences

Presenting in conferences is also a very important part of graduate school. After all, one is developing a name for oneself in this process. This ties back to the previous articles I wrote in this series, about taking tests versus writing papers. The thing is, if one writes a term paper for a class, then that also has the probability of being presented in a conference, assuming that the topic is original enough. If one simply took a test, then this possibility is not present at all.

How to Grad School: Writing Term Papers

In the social sciences and humanities, most of the time, grad students are graded by their performance in graduate courses. These courses usually have several grade components. And most of these courses require the student to either take a final exam at the very end, or write a term paper. Professors say that exams or papers, it doesn’t really matter, but actually it does. In fact, some professors might actually like you to just do the exam, after all, it’s easier to grade. However, I will recommend the other option, that is, to write a term paper. Why?

How to Grad School: Finding a Research Topic

Being accepted into graduate school means that a faculty of an academic institution has deemed you to be someone who they think has potential to do research in a field. If they thought otherwise, then they would not have accepted you. That being said, there are two major types of incoming graduate students.

How to Grad School: Finding an Institution and Adviser

I first thought that I would split these two topics, but then, I realized that it is so intricately connected, that I'd just discuss them both at the same time.

I Am a Descendant of Leibniz, Academically

One fine day a few years ago, I decided to see who my academic ancestors are. This meant tracing one's advisor's advisor, and doing it over and over again. I then found out that my academic lineage can be traced all the way to Gottfried Leibniz, in the 1700s. I also found out that I am an academic descendant of Noam Chomsky.

How to Grad School: Wanting It

As I recently finished a PhD, I figured I'd start a little series about graduate school. I thought about doing this before, but then I figured I hold off until I know I can do and finish graduate school before I try telling other people how to do graduate school. I guess now that I have graduated, I can safely assume that I can write this series.

Dissertation Submitted

I submitted my dissertation to the Graduate School. I am finally done. Completed. Finito. Finished.

Fritz

This conversation really happened.

Final Revisions

I defended my dissertation this past July 30. I passed.

The Defense

So I just defended my dissertation. And guess what? I passed!

The Revisions

So my manuscript came back. I gave it to my adviser a while ago, and after a brief lull, it came back with comments. Now I am revising it.

The Lull

So I have a full manuscript. And my adviser is reading it. For the first time, I feel like I can relax, and just bum around for a little bit. I think I like this, a mental break.

The Manuscript

I recently finished the full manuscript of my dissertation. When I printed it so that my adviser can read and comment on it, it felt, simply, whoa. It's a bizarrely wonderful feeling to have in one's hands a tangible proof of one's work, one's contribution to science. Waiting to be read by others.

Wrap Up?

Things are slowly coming to a close here in Buffalo. As the days go by, I am slowly feeling this impending feeling of closure. After all, I have spent a total of seven years here, and this chapter of my life will end soon, waiting for the next chapter to begin.

Drawing Limits

In doing research, there are several steps to follow, which depends on what role one has. If one is a PhD candidate, one has to engage in original research, culminating in a big opus known as the dissertation. This dissertation should be an original work, and it takes a committee of at least three professors to read and approve it.