Last Friday I presented my final PhD seminar in front of a pretty substantial audience and an internal panel. I was unusually tense but I got through it without falling over. I enjoyed the Q&A with the audience, who threw in some pretty tough questions on issues that I had skated over in the presentation but will now argue through more carefully in the final draft. Most useful of all was the generous feedback from the panel, who gave me some very helpful advice about how to draw everything together into a more substantial conclusion and how to amplify the significance of the work. Which was great because there’s so much going on in the thesis, and because of that I’d been floundering around and hadn’t really even attempted a proper conclusion chapter yet. So on towards completion I go.
Naturally, the drinks afterward was the best bit, especially as it was a double celebration – Jaz very successfully got through the confirmation process on the same day. This week I’m getting out into the real world for a couple of hours each day doing some digital storytelling stuff. Hope I can remember how to talk to actual humans.
9 responses to “final seminar done”
WHOOHOOOO!
I’m (finally) doing my proposal defense this Friday (urk!)!
good luck sarah!
Unusually tense? I’d have been damn near catatonic, I think. 🙂 I did my first conference presentation last week, and it went well. I was reflecting on the use of an online environment (blogging) to gather data, but most of the interest was in how it is (and will be) being a participant in your own study – the degree of reflexivity inherent in what I’m attempting seemed to fascinate the audience.
i still haven’t bought you a drink. how bad of me. but i do remember, and i shall get you two 😉 congratulations. enjoy communicating with humans.
congrats jean! keep on it 🙂
thanks Anne, will do. urgh.
Jaz, buy me one after your final seminar, in only TWO YEARS TIME! 😉
Congrats on your first conference paper Mary Helen.
good work!
you were missed in canberra, but at least you are on your way to slaying the diss-dragon 🙂
I need to have chap done by sat!!!! i love a ridiculous deadline…
I hope you got all the good vibes I was sending, telepathically-like. Our respective text messages tend to indicate we successfully celebrated in tandem across different states and time zones.
Don’t forget: you rock, even when I’m not there to tell you over and over and over x
[blush]
go glen!