No Really...

Well I am getting closer each day to being done with my masters degree.  I guess now you could say I unofficially have my masters degree.  I didn't realize that this was the case if you pass you defense but haven't yet turned in the final thesis.  Well my thesis defense went well.

For my thesis defense I was pretty nervous up to about 3 hours before.  I didn't sleep really well, and I had the "pre-race" jitters that I frequently got when I did sports in high school.  But a few hours before I guess a different part of me took over and I set aside the nervousness.  I was one with the presentation.  That was really invigorating now that I think about  it.  Overall my talking went well. My lovely wife was there to cheer me on.  That was really helpful.  That was the kind of support that I didn't think I would really desire but actually really appreciated. 

Once I started the presentation as always I felt like this isn't enough information or work for my thesis to actually be done.  I was worried that people would question the quality or the amount of work.  Luckily I worried about that in vain.  I got some questions that were really confusing because I just didn't understand the context that people were coming from but those were to bad I would say.

After general questions I got grilled by the committee and that wasn't actually to bad.  Overall though it seemed that they mainly asked me really far off questions that didn't seem to actually apply directly to the thesis.  Overall they wanted to be sure I was able to think on the next level not just struggle at the one I was presenting on.  I understand this as well but it was weird.  Some questions were totally in left field from where I did my research but those were to bad because they didn't have to be answered perfectly because they were mostly speculative. 

They kicked me out and talked among themselves for a few minutes and then told me I passed and talked about some things that they wanted me to change in the thesis it self.  Mostly talking about data and conclusions differently and adding some background information.  This was stuff that will make it better.  The problem with that is that I could make this project better and better forever.  I just want to be done!  Okay really now I am getting really close.  Maybe next week I will be able to be totally done.

That is a really big relief.  I just wish that I didn't have to go to the wedding and Texas.  I will have lots fun that is for sure.  But overall I don't want to have to be stressed about getting everything done.  I guess that would be a perfect world.  I am still enjoying this one though...