Ramius Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 ~6 years of grad school and research in the lab is finally down to this thursday, when i defend my PhD dissertation. It's in biomedical engineering for those interested. I'm not so much scared or nervous yet as i am just ready to be done and over with this. The thesis has been written and submitted and i am finishing up my presentation. With any luck, i'll be a doc by thursday afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 ~6 years of grad school and research in the lab is finally down to this thursday, when i defend my PhD dissertation. It's in biomedical engineering for those interested. I'm not so much scared or nervous yet as i am just ready to be done and over with this. The thesis has been written and submitted and i am finishing up my presentation. With any luck, i'll be a doc by thursday afternoon. I wish you lots of luck. Mostly because, if you have to rely on your brains, you're !@#$ed. Just remember, if you get stuck: if it isn't 3.5, it's error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 ~6 years of grad school and research in the lab is finally down to this thursday, when i defend my PhD dissertation. It's in biomedical engineering for those interested. I'm not so much scared or nervous yet as i am just ready to be done and over with this. The thesis has been written and submitted and i am finishing up my presentation. With any luck, i'll be a doc by thursday afternoon. Defenses I've attended usually are pretty routine......the candidate knows more than the panel and there is usually a probe about methodology so at least one guy can hear himself talk out loud, followed by your answer, followed by chin stroking and usually a satisfied look, but above all, what Tom said, 3.5. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Defenses I've attended usually are pretty routine......the candidate knows more than the panel and there is usually a probe about methodology so at least one guy can hear himself talk out loud, followed by your answer, followed by chin stroking and usually a satisfied look, but above all, what Tom said, 3.5. Good luck. What, no strippers? What's a thesis defense without strippers? Ramius, take my word: 3.5, and strippers, and you're golden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 What, no strippers? What's a thesis defense without strippers? Ramius, take my word: 3.5, and strippers, and you're golden. Lappies can't hurt if it is going badly and sparsely attended, but yes, strippers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFerguson Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Do you have a job lined up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Practice, Practice, Practice. I did mine about 25 times and I was on autopilot for it. My advisor said he had seen only one person not pass his defense. Once they tell you to write, they have seen the data and know it's enough for you to defend. He said when they send you out for ten minutes or so to "discuss" your work, they immediately sign the paperwork and then BS the rest of the time. The oral exams before I started doing the research were a lot tougher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I predict you will have a smashing performance, and will be sporting your PhD on Thursday. For $200 in my Paypal.....I will reverse my prediction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Do you have a job lined up? No, are you offering? Practice, Practice, Practice. I did mine about 25 times and I was on autopilot for it. My advisor said he had seen only one person not pass his defense. Once they tell you to write, they have seen the data and know it's enough for you to defend. He said when they send you out for ten minutes or so to "discuss" your work, they immediately sign the paperwork and then BS the rest of the time. The oral exams before I started doing the research were a lot tougher. My advisor told me after i passed my prospectus defense that it was harder than the actual thesis defense will be, for the reasons you stated. They also have incentive to pass everyone they tell to defend based on history, because FSU's Fisher lecture hall (the science lecture hall) was named after the late Dr Fisher. Dr. Fisher was shot and killed by one of his grad students days after failing him on his PhD defense. MY boss has been making me nervous a bit because he's been flaking out recently about some of my data. Its the most recent stuff i did, which was a start on the next phase of the project i was working on. I did a decent amount of work, but none of the data is publishable yet. So he was bitching that i drew conclusions from the little data i had for that part, and then went on about how i can't just include the data without a conclusion. I think he's freaking out because when i am gone, no one currently in the lab has a good biochem background. The other 4 students are all chem engineers whose bio knowledge comes from a semester of baby bio and 2 grad classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Defenses I've attended usually are pretty routine......the candidate knows more than the panel and there is usually a probe about methodology so at least one guy can hear himself talk out loud, followed by your answer, followed by chin stroking and usually a satisfied look, but above all, what Tom said, 3.5. Good luck. Yeah, i know there is at least 1 guy on my committee who is going to be an ass just because he can. He enjoys giving students a hard time for no good reason. I may just let them fight, because 2 committee members are pissed at a 3rd, who tends to go AWOL quite a bit and not respond to emails, calls, etc. He's left my advisor hanging out to dry on a couple of grant applications, and was supposed to help me on the data analysis for a chunk of my research, but he disappeared. The other 2 on my committee couldn't care less and are there to sign the paperwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck Ram, and God help the citizens of Florida! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck Bro!!! Kick ass!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck, while I am sure it will be tough, hopefully this is just a formality that you pass through without difficulty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 ~6 years of grad school and research in the lab is finally down to this thursday, when i defend my PhD dissertation. It's in biomedical engineering for those interested. I'm not so much scared or nervous yet as i am just ready to be done and over with this. The thesis has been written and submitted and i am finishing up my presentation. With any luck, i'll be a doc by thursday afternoon. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Congrats ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 well...do we address you as Dr. Ramius now? Probably too busy with the champagne and celebration to let us in on the experience. Best of luck, although you probably don't need luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Bills fan Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck and Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 ~6 years of grad school and research in the lab is finally down to this thursday, when i defend my PhD dissertation. It's in biomedical engineering for those interested. I'm not so much scared or nervous yet as i am just ready to be done and over with this. The thesis has been written and submitted and i am finishing up my presentation. With any luck, i'll be a doc by thursday afternoon. Good luck and congrats. I have no doubt this will go very smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Good luck and Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts