The Mother of All Research Papers

"The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible."  ~Vladimir Nabakov

On a previous post I wrote about mountains we choose to climb. Well this year I'm climbing Mt. Everest! (so to speak). After 72 credit hours of course work, 16 hours of written comps, 2 hours of oral comps, and countless hours of writing, testing, driving to Commerce, Texas and checking for APA formatting, it all comes down to one BIG research paper. To call it a massive undertaking would be an understatement. After submitting a few more details on my research proposal, I will be sending out my research surveys to three engineering departments at colleges in Texas. In a month or so, I will crunch the statistics. Then the writing begins. A dissertation can be anywhere between 100 to 800 pages. It can include over 100 references. The only thing it cannot do is take longer than 6 years to write. That is the time limit I have to finish. 

When it came to the coursework, it was so much easier to coordinate. I had deadlines, notes to take, facts to memorize, and tests to take. I knew the class had a textbook as well as a beginning and an end. I also knew how many classes I needed to take before comprehensive exams. I pretty much had my schedule dictated for me by professors, committees, and syllabi. Now it is all on my shoulders, and that is where it gets scary. I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which makes concentration a challenge and writing a research paper an adventure. Knowing I have 6 years left does not necessarily help, since it feeds my inattention and procrastination tendencies.  

I know I will get it done, but the sheer magnitude is daunting to say the least. I have the support and reassurance of many I love, plus the confidence that it CAN and WILL get it done. (Another problem I have is not wanting to finish on an odd year, which has a tendency to make me want to work faster) 

When it comes to writing, I am much like an old muscle car. I take a long time to get started and warmed-up, but once I get moving, it’s a great ride! Well I guess its time to start living on 5 hours sleep again and working from 10-11PM every night like I did when I was doing my coursework. It’s time to start climbing Everest!!!