I went through an academic scare last week.
I called and talked to my committee chair to get back on track with my thesis and in turn my MA in anthropology. I was nervous because I had become quite the lapsed student after I moved away from where my college was to get on track mentally. The last semester I spent in Missoula I really only went out drinking with my friends whenever the invite came along, and because of that I decided to return home as my roommate was selling the house we lived in and it seemed like the right time to make that move. At first it went well and I pretty much finished up my research, but then my student loans came due and I found a job working for the railroad which paid the bills but then also took up 40 hours of my life a week and put me on the night shift too, which is really not conducive to writing a thesis.
Well a couple years have passed and I am serious again, and had a good talk with my professor where he told me what he needed from me and we left it on a high note, other than the fact that he told me I best check on the time limit policy. I looked at the policy and had a sinking feeling in my stomach, as it appeared my time had run out and I would have to be re-certified which could come down to me attending classes again, which really isn't an option in this day and age. I emailed a woman in the grad school to clarify the policy and in turn where I stood with it, which came back negative for me. Panic mode partially amped up and I emailed my professor to tell him what was going on and to ask what I could do about it. I then started praying and trying to figure out what I might be able to do about it.
I then had a good talk with my mom and really got into the meat of things, and what she thought about the whole thing. That talk went a lot better than I thought it might, and she didn't seem disappointed or anything like that which is what had really worried me. She had some good advice for me and some comforting words as well. Dad had about the reaction I thought he would, when he got home I told him what was going on and he basically said, hmm, and then not much else. You see dad isn't really much of a reaction guy, he's a great dad, but doesn't spout off when asked questions like you might want. So all that made me feel better, knowing that if I was done then at least I had support to go with it, especially if I was done in a way I didn't think possible.
The next day I heard back from my professor to get ahold of the department chair as he took care of these things, so I immediately emailed him and told him what my situation was and asked how to proceed. Friday I received an email from him that told me how it would just take a memo from him that he didn't see being objected to, and that would "buy" me another year to finish. I heard from today that everything was taken care of so I was free to proceed.
Now I know it's my fault for not staying on top of policy like I should have, that and constanly making excuses for myself over the last couple years. I know I haven't been lazy as I have been working 40 hours a week this whole time, but I still have 16 hours off a day to do other things with, so I just hve to keep that in mind as well. This is the scare that I was needing to get my ass in gear. I am on the day shift at work which is conducive to writing, at least more so than the other two shifts, and I have one helluva support system so life is good on that front.
I'll keep you posted on what is going on with it all, and one of these days I am going to have me one of those pieces of paper that talk about Master and Arts, oh yes I will.
I called and talked to my committee chair to get back on track with my thesis and in turn my MA in anthropology. I was nervous because I had become quite the lapsed student after I moved away from where my college was to get on track mentally. The last semester I spent in Missoula I really only went out drinking with my friends whenever the invite came along, and because of that I decided to return home as my roommate was selling the house we lived in and it seemed like the right time to make that move. At first it went well and I pretty much finished up my research, but then my student loans came due and I found a job working for the railroad which paid the bills but then also took up 40 hours of my life a week and put me on the night shift too, which is really not conducive to writing a thesis.
Well a couple years have passed and I am serious again, and had a good talk with my professor where he told me what he needed from me and we left it on a high note, other than the fact that he told me I best check on the time limit policy. I looked at the policy and had a sinking feeling in my stomach, as it appeared my time had run out and I would have to be re-certified which could come down to me attending classes again, which really isn't an option in this day and age. I emailed a woman in the grad school to clarify the policy and in turn where I stood with it, which came back negative for me. Panic mode partially amped up and I emailed my professor to tell him what was going on and to ask what I could do about it. I then started praying and trying to figure out what I might be able to do about it.
I then had a good talk with my mom and really got into the meat of things, and what she thought about the whole thing. That talk went a lot better than I thought it might, and she didn't seem disappointed or anything like that which is what had really worried me. She had some good advice for me and some comforting words as well. Dad had about the reaction I thought he would, when he got home I told him what was going on and he basically said, hmm, and then not much else. You see dad isn't really much of a reaction guy, he's a great dad, but doesn't spout off when asked questions like you might want. So all that made me feel better, knowing that if I was done then at least I had support to go with it, especially if I was done in a way I didn't think possible.
The next day I heard back from my professor to get ahold of the department chair as he took care of these things, so I immediately emailed him and told him what my situation was and asked how to proceed. Friday I received an email from him that told me how it would just take a memo from him that he didn't see being objected to, and that would "buy" me another year to finish. I heard from today that everything was taken care of so I was free to proceed.
Now I know it's my fault for not staying on top of policy like I should have, that and constanly making excuses for myself over the last couple years. I know I haven't been lazy as I have been working 40 hours a week this whole time, but I still have 16 hours off a day to do other things with, so I just hve to keep that in mind as well. This is the scare that I was needing to get my ass in gear. I am on the day shift at work which is conducive to writing, at least more so than the other two shifts, and I have one helluva support system so life is good on that front.
I'll keep you posted on what is going on with it all, and one of these days I am going to have me one of those pieces of paper that talk about Master and Arts, oh yes I will.