I have been working since early July on my comprehensive exams for my Ph.D. This test consisted of three written papers, each on a multi-tiered topic related to my area of interest. I turned in fifty-nine pages this week, and now I wait.
I have to say, I wish to never go through this again. Imagine being in college, and having one research paper determine whether you will be permitted to go on for the diploma. And having three kids and all their activities, a full time job, and a house to run. I spent the last six weeks pretty much glued to this computer, researching, writing, and editing. I made choices as to what I could and should address, and other things went to the side for later. I researched while cooking supper, and I proofread while waiting in the car to pick up a kid. I ran interference between fighting kids and misbehaving dogs, and kept having to redirect my attention back to what I was doing.
But it is done, and I feel as if I have my life back. I know that things were bad before, like when my mother was dying and I was working and taking classes, but somehow this was even more intense, maybe because it was designed to be that way.
So now I wait. And if I have to rewrite a part of this project, then this time the kids will be in school and I will be off work for a week.
