With a little over a week to go before my generals exam, I'm alternating between moments of panicked anxiety and stoic "oh hell, let's just get this over with" thoughts, sometimes within the space of two minutes. I had my first "you failed completely and it's not clear to us why you're here" nightmare a couple nights ago, so I'm right on track.[1]
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bubblesutonium has her own troubles. She's graduating next month (YAY!) into the worst economy since the 1930s (oops). I went with her to a party of graduating seniors at her law school on Friday night, where the fear was almost a physical presence. "Only three of us have jobs so far," one of her friends told me. "Three out of fifty-seven." But that's tomorrow's problem. Once in awhile, you have to pause and savor the moment without worrying about what's to come.
bubblesutonium has put in four long, hard years of work to get her J.D. I couldn't be happier or more proud.Tomorrow I'm heading back to San Juan Island, with the dogs, for a few days of study retreat and Thanksgiving celebration with my family.
bubblesutonium is joining me on Wednesday. Sometimes it's the little breaks that keep you sane.[1] For those who came in late: the generals exam is the last major hurdle in a Ph.D. program before you can start writing your dissertation proposal. You spend about 3 to 4 months reading articles and books on your topic. You get handed one question each by four different professors, spread out over four different days. You have five hours to answer each question in essay form, using the readings. After a few weeks, you defend your answers in an oral exam with your entire committee. Pass, and you go write your dissertation proposal. Fail and you get one more shot; fail twice and you get kicked out of the program.
- Mood:
quiet - Music:Peter Gabriel, "Growing Up"
Comments
Good luck to you with the generals exam- I am positive that you'll do fine. I probably didn't tell you that I had to edit some page with your name on it this week, but anyway, surely that's good juju. Or whatever. Not that you need it :) I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors :)
As for the rest, I'm totally jealous! Have fun on the island :D
How is that even possible? I must have my head in the sand or the economy is worse than RvL is braying.
- Nobody likes to go through a hiring process in the last month and a half of the year. If you don't already have something lined up, it's very hard to get hired in November/December. We're expecting things to pick up again in January.
- A fairly large law firm called Heller Ehrman imploded recently and sent a lot of experienced lawyers with long client lists out looking for work. A lot of the local law firms are hiring former Heller Ehrman people instead of new law school grads. Experienced lawyers come with their own clients and can start making money instantly, where lawyers fresh out of school usually take a couple of years before they start producing revenue.
- The legal world, like everybody else, is waiting for the stock and credit markets to take some Xanax and get back to work. Once they've settled down at their new level the budget people will be able to plan with a bit more certainty.
I don't know if I ever told you (or RvL), but my big plan after I got my undergrad degrees was to go either AF or Marine ROTC to pay for law school, and after I paid off my obligation to them, to work in *someone's* prosecuting office (I know, it pays diddly-squat, hence getting Uncle Sam to pay for my legal education).
Life, of course, got in the way, and here I sit.
Man, I've had too much caffeine today. Sorry if I'm novelling all up in your LJ.
Re: comps/generals, you have my utmost sympathies. I am very certain that you will do well, especially considering how hard that you've been studying, your successful meeting last Thursday, and your general aptitude and intelligence for the subject matter. If it helps any, I can understand the stress, having seen many fellow SLIS students struggle with pre-exam stress. Hang in there, only a couple more weeks to go before it's over for the time being. *hugs hugs hugs*
And - as
I predict a spike in job openings in roughly late March - April, after results are posted. . .
Good luck with your generals and have a fabulous and mellow Thanksgiving on da island. :-)
While I couldn't find much going on up in Seattle, I have managed to get four companies at different stages of interviewing me here in SLC without trying. Makes no sense.
Best of luck with school!
Edited at 2008-11-25 05:47 am (UTC)