The Struggling A.B.D.

Ever since I passed my oral exams for my Ph.D., I have been struggling with taking the next step in writing my dissertation.

The rest of life that I had put aside to study now came rushing in on me. My growing children demanded more of my time. The school’s schedule was now filled with more grading that I had faced in the early days of the quarter. I keep finding myself sitting in front of my computer and staring off into space wondering if I’ll ever get my dissertation written in time to graduate this year.

I got an official letter from my university in late November. The letter congratulated me for passing my exams and stated that I have now officially become part of the group of people who have finished everything except the dissertation. They called me an “A.B.D.” which stands for all but dissertation.

Now, I must decide whether or not I will settle for these initials at the end of my name or move on to complete my Ph.D.

I actually did start writing my dissertation a few days ago. My saved word document on my computer boasts of three pages. It’s a small start, but I’m hoping that I will be able to complete writing it before the end of 2010.

Cristina takes a moment to hang out with Luke and Jared in the playground.

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