PhD viva
However well intentioned I was, I've been pretty lax about using LJ recently. This really does deserve a post.
On Wednesday my sister drove me down to York, through the snow and the fog, and we stayed the night in student halls. Much pizza was consumed. I read through my thesis a little, then had a really bad night's sleep.
Thursday morning we had breakfast then went round to the Environment Department for around 9.30am, where I sat for a while fidgeting. Eventually my internal examiner Dave showed up, was extremely friendly at us, and told me to relax and remove my tie if I wanted. A short while later the external examiner Andy arrived (he'd taken the train down from Edinburgh, which meant getting up at 5.50am), we shook hands and then the two examiners disappeared off to prepare for 20 minutes before I was called up. My sister then said good luck and disappeared to have a look round York.
I was taken to another building where the offices of my York university supervisor Piran and the internal examiner were, and I sat outside in the corridor. The secretary who took me told me there was water in the room, and I joked (given the cold) I could do with a hot toddy! She said they couldn't provide that, but I could have a tea if I wanted. Thinking the viva could take up to 3 hours, I said I'd maybe ask for one midway through, as I didn't want to get too jittery. Then at 10.30am I was called into the office and the viva started.
There was a great deal of beard between the three of us. Andy clearly hadn't had time to shave before leaving Edinburgh, and looked like he might have had several days growth. And no ties. This event was looking more informal by the minute. Andy led, and started asking me questions, primarily to see if I could go into more detail about things I'd written about, to see why I'd done something in a certain way, and to probe my wider understanding (you're supposed to have picked up quite a bit that doesn't make it into the thesis). Dave admitted that he hadn't followed the maths, but questioned me on my opinions of badger culling, and it got quite political (no arguments, only lamenting the government's insane decision to continue with culling). It was quite relaxed, not the grilling and snake fight I was expecting.
At around 12pm, after 1 hour and 30 minutes (very short for a viva), then sent me out and told me to say hi to my supervisor. I barely had 5 minutes to chat to Piran before Andy walked in and said "we're done, do I have to go back or can I do this here?" Piran said it probably didn't matter and so Andy responded with "We've decided to award you your PhD. Congratulations". A few minutes later Dave walked in, probably wondering where Andy had got to, and then shook my hands and said "well done Doctor spaceLem" (okay, he didn't say spaceLem). There was mumbling about minor corrections, but it was 6 bullet points, most of which were typos or tables with the wrong number.
Half an hour later, after much phone chatting and hands nearly freezing off, my sister and I rejoined and went into town to get some lunch, which we had in The Golden Fleece, an 800 year old pub located in The Shambles that's supposedly very haunted. We then walked around the market for a bit before heading home. Being December the night came fast, and we stopped a few times (to look at a house we'd lived in 20 years ago, and to have tea in a castle) before finally returning home after 10pm.
So, given the internal examiner has already said it, barring the ceremony some time next year... I'm a doctor now.
On Wednesday my sister drove me down to York, through the snow and the fog, and we stayed the night in student halls. Much pizza was consumed. I read through my thesis a little, then had a really bad night's sleep.
Thursday morning we had breakfast then went round to the Environment Department for around 9.30am, where I sat for a while fidgeting. Eventually my internal examiner Dave showed up, was extremely friendly at us, and told me to relax and remove my tie if I wanted. A short while later the external examiner Andy arrived (he'd taken the train down from Edinburgh, which meant getting up at 5.50am), we shook hands and then the two examiners disappeared off to prepare for 20 minutes before I was called up. My sister then said good luck and disappeared to have a look round York.
I was taken to another building where the offices of my York university supervisor Piran and the internal examiner were, and I sat outside in the corridor. The secretary who took me told me there was water in the room, and I joked (given the cold) I could do with a hot toddy! She said they couldn't provide that, but I could have a tea if I wanted. Thinking the viva could take up to 3 hours, I said I'd maybe ask for one midway through, as I didn't want to get too jittery. Then at 10.30am I was called into the office and the viva started.
There was a great deal of beard between the three of us. Andy clearly hadn't had time to shave before leaving Edinburgh, and looked like he might have had several days growth. And no ties. This event was looking more informal by the minute. Andy led, and started asking me questions, primarily to see if I could go into more detail about things I'd written about, to see why I'd done something in a certain way, and to probe my wider understanding (you're supposed to have picked up quite a bit that doesn't make it into the thesis). Dave admitted that he hadn't followed the maths, but questioned me on my opinions of badger culling, and it got quite political (no arguments, only lamenting the government's insane decision to continue with culling). It was quite relaxed, not the grilling and snake fight I was expecting.
At around 12pm, after 1 hour and 30 minutes (very short for a viva), then sent me out and told me to say hi to my supervisor. I barely had 5 minutes to chat to Piran before Andy walked in and said "we're done, do I have to go back or can I do this here?" Piran said it probably didn't matter and so Andy responded with "We've decided to award you your PhD. Congratulations". A few minutes later Dave walked in, probably wondering where Andy had got to, and then shook my hands and said "well done Doctor spaceLem" (okay, he didn't say spaceLem). There was mumbling about minor corrections, but it was 6 bullet points, most of which were typos or tables with the wrong number.
Half an hour later, after much phone chatting and hands nearly freezing off, my sister and I rejoined and went into town to get some lunch, which we had in The Golden Fleece, an 800 year old pub located in The Shambles that's supposedly very haunted. We then walked around the market for a bit before heading home. Being December the night came fast, and we stopped a few times (to look at a house we'd lived in 20 years ago, and to have tea in a castle) before finally returning home after 10pm.
So, given the internal examiner has already said it, barring the ceremony some time next year... I'm a doctor now.