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Crazy idea?
May. 8th, 2007 11:21 amNow, after taking the staggering amount of four years (normal: two) to finish my 'Hauptstudium', the main part of my studies in one of my two subjects, I'm thinking about trying to finish the main part in my *other* subject in less than one (normal: two - of course, those are usually the *same* two years in which your also finish your other subject.) I'm quite old for a student, even for Germany (and we have the oldest students in the world, I think), and with every semester I spend at university, my chances of finding a job - and/or getting a Ph.D. - are diminishing.
If I write one big paper and one small paper this semester, a second big one in the holidays, and the last, small one in the next (and last?!) term, and start preparing *like crazy* for my thesis during that last term already, I *could* manage to get my proposal in by February next year. Which means I'd be writing from, err, I think March through August, or possibly October. Final exams in November.
Oh, and I have to wedge in another excavation somewhere, too, because I'm still missing two or three weeks of dig time.
The one drawback of this approach, aside from the fact that it means non-stop stress until November 2008 (and we all know how well I deal with stress... *sigh*), is that I'd have to rush writing my papers, which might result in not-so-great grades, which might diminish my - already slim - chances of being able to do a Ph.D. (ETA: no, wait, I'm stupid. Or rather, tired. Actually, the grades don't have anything to do with my final grade, so I should be fine. Whew.) Also, I haven't laid much of a 'foundation' yet for a thesis - I have no idea at all what I might write about (or rather, I have too many ideas, and they're too vague), and I feel I still need to read a great deal more 'theory' before I can really even start thinking about formulating a proper question on any of the topics that I find interesting.
(Dammit, why am I suddenly crying? I'm not unhappy. Not even all *that* scared. It must be the music. Or possibly the momentary relief of feeling a hint of determination. I'm sure that determination will pass, though. I'm not good at remaining determined, and nineteen months is a long time.)
ETA: If I manage this, then by the end of 2008 I'll have completed a five-year course of study in just under seven years (eight, if you count the year abroad). Granted, I changed one of my subjects, but even with that change it shouldn't have taken me longer than six years at worst.
Still, better seven years than seven and a half.
If I write one big paper and one small paper this semester, a second big one in the holidays, and the last, small one in the next (and last?!) term, and start preparing *like crazy* for my thesis during that last term already, I *could* manage to get my proposal in by February next year. Which means I'd be writing from, err, I think March through August, or possibly October. Final exams in November.
Oh, and I have to wedge in another excavation somewhere, too, because I'm still missing two or three weeks of dig time.
The one drawback of this approach, aside from the fact that it means non-stop stress until November 2008 (and we all know how well I deal with stress... *sigh*), is that I'd have to rush writing my papers, which might result in not-so-great grades, which might diminish my - already slim - chances of being able to do a Ph.D. (ETA: no, wait, I'm stupid. Or rather, tired. Actually, the grades don't have anything to do with my final grade, so I should be fine. Whew.) Also, I haven't laid much of a 'foundation' yet for a thesis - I have no idea at all what I might write about (or rather, I have too many ideas, and they're too vague), and I feel I still need to read a great deal more 'theory' before I can really even start thinking about formulating a proper question on any of the topics that I find interesting.
(Dammit, why am I suddenly crying? I'm not unhappy. Not even all *that* scared. It must be the music. Or possibly the momentary relief of feeling a hint of determination. I'm sure that determination will pass, though. I'm not good at remaining determined, and nineteen months is a long time.)
ETA: If I manage this, then by the end of 2008 I'll have completed a five-year course of study in just under seven years (eight, if you count the year abroad). Granted, I changed one of my subjects, but even with that change it shouldn't have taken me longer than six years at worst.
Still, better seven years than seven and a half.
