Entry posted by docoflove1974
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Well, folks, it's over. My career as a student has now fully come to an end. My dissertation has been accepted by UMI, the publishing group which tells us if the work is 'up to snuff' for the College of Grad Studies. I have been billed for all graduation fees ($8 for processing, $55 for uploading the dissertation (both are automatic), and $65 for having UMI register my copyright with the Library of Congress (which is a pain in the ass that I am willing to pay for)), and they have been paid. That's it. I'm never to be a tuition-paying student again.
I don't know if I'm supposed to feel different or not. In some ways, I feel like I have this 'glow', this professorly aura, that I have been knighted by the powers that be (or my dissertation committee chair, whichever), and now the world will look at me differently. This much is true; I used to love :rollseyes: going out on a date, and once the guy found out that I was working on a PhD, and that I was essentially writing a book, the "oh, great..." look glazed over the dude's face. Every time. If that didn't happen, then they went into competitive mode: yeah, well, this is what I'm doing, and it's important, too, you know. I can only imagine what dating's going to be like now with this title. "Yeah, I'm a professor...but it's all good. No, really, I'm not going to give you a quiz afterwards."
On the bright side, I get paid more, even for part-time teaching. When I walk into a room as an instructor, a guest speaker, or an analyst, I will be referred to as "Prof. Harmon/Dr. Harmon"--and that's fine. I didn't spend 8 years in Evil School...oops...working on this degree for nothing. I'll still insist that my students call me "Sarah," as I will with most everyone else...and if they still choose to call me "Profa," then I'm fine with it.
But here's the thing...I don't really feel that different. I come from humble roots, in some respects (I've written about that before), and my family, while highly proud of my accomplishments, has a routine, in that we don't let anyone get too big for their breeches. We all do it to each other...kinda like a way for us to remember that we really are no better than anyone else. I've been brought up that way, and therefore truly feel that while this is a huge accomplishment, I still have much to do, so I'll just keep plugging away.
However...there's a levity in my soul right now. I've just jumped a major hurdle. And I've cleared it. But there are still many more hurdles left, so I can't take my track shoes off just yet. So I guess I'll enjoy this 
(And by enjoy it, I mean I'm going to the beach tomorrow. 
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