get my PhD in English

And I’m excited! I went to the library this morning to check out a book that I need to read for my comprehensive exams, and I realized that I’ve missed going to campus for the last three weeks. I’m so fortunate because I get to study literature—something I love. Lucky me! Of course I should really just thank the folks in the English department for hiring me as a TA so that I could afford to go to school full time.

I have a complete doctoral committee! Yay! Now, all the scariness of comprehensive exams begins. Now I have to work on making reading lists for three areas of specialization, which is going to be a lot of work. So I get to add that to my already really full plate of teaching two sections of freshman English, finishing up an incomplete paper, and working at my second job. I need to work up some nerve and tell my boss that I have to cut back my hours at the second job, but I’m torn because I’m super broke and this extra money is incredibly helpful. Still, the fact that I now have a complete committee is really great news.

But, no matter what I’m going to kick butt at studying for my comps.

Well, my last semester of coursework is over, and as soon as I finish my essays, I’ll be done. Now it’s time to start thinking about my comprehensive exams. I’ve asked one of my favorite professors to be my committee chair, and she’s agreed (which is wonderful). I need to finish putting my committee together and start compiling my readig lists.

Honestly, I can’t believe I’ve gotten to this point. I’ve wanted to be an English professor since I was 19, and in a couple of more years (and when I get a job) I will be.

I’m about to start my last semester of coursework, in Europe no less. I am a little sad though, I really love taking classes, and I know I’ll miss it when I’m done—especially since I’ll be studying for my comps. However, I can kinda sorta halfway see the light at the end of the tunnel, although comps and my dissertation are hazing things up. I’ve been in school forever, and it would be nice to be finsihed.

Well, semester three of PhD is almost under my belt. Hope my grades are good…

One more semester of coursework to go (in England!) and then I’ll be preparing to take my comps—but I don’t want to think about that yet.

School starts in a couple of weeks, and I’m glad. Of course I’m glad because I’ve had such an awful summer, but it will be nice to see all of my friends again. I’ll be teaching again, and I’m taking a class on 18th century British literature, so I feel like I have a lot to look forward to. I still can’t believe I’m starting my second year though. Time’s passed by so quickly. I’ll have my PhD before I know it!

One year down, three to go. That seems like a long time, but I think it will be over before I know it. Next year is my last year of coursework, and I’m spending the spring semester in England. After that, I’ll return for the fall to study and take my comps. After I pass those (because failing is absolutely not an option), I’ll be in the dissertation writing stage. The end doesn’t seem that far way.

That’s a little scary.

I took a massive pay cut and I moved to a new city to go back to school full time, but everything in me told me (still tells me in fact) that this was the right thing to do.