I passed comps!
I passed comps!
It’s the official next phase of my Ph.D. program!
What are comps? Why is it a big deal?
Well, academically, I’m now prepared to do research and start my dissertation. I am now a doctoral scholar contributing to my field, which is adult education. My topic is using poetic inquiry as a theory (yes, there is a theory for that!) for stress management in adult educators, specifically those that are teaching poetry. In the next steps of my research, I will be interviewing poetry professors about their experiences with a qualitative approach, which means I’ll be taking notes, recording one-to-one interviews, and using data to determine how it may contribute to the existing scholarly research and contribute to the field. It can also help with stress management, of course.
My comps writing consisted of three papers, up to 17 pages each, on the subjects of theory, scholarly literature, and research methods. Of course, I had to use a minimum of 20 current (within 5 years) research articles in each paper to help support my theories as they tie into my topic. This will be the starting point for my dissertation. Research is all about notes, and as a researcher, I’ll be keeping my own field notes as I go through this process, which can help add to the integrity of the data, and the trust of the voluntary participant educators.
I look back on when I started this journey in October 2020 with my first doctoral class. I had been out of grad school for 16 years. Did I really want to submit myself to sometimes grueling writing and carve out study time? Well, it was the year the pandemic started and everything was shut down, so why not? I’d start with one class and see how it went. I’ve kept blog entries from that time HERE
As a poet, I mentioned in the blog that poetry would guide me through the academic rigor of the program. There is a community of scholars that I am honored to meet and begin to be a part of. I am used to writing, but scholarly writing is different. I am letting the literature guide me. I am knowing authors by their names and seeing who shows up again and again and who has referenced who and what, and why, and it is another exciting world to be a part of. I print out everything as that is the way I learn best. I tracked my hours spent writing, usually getting about 4 or 5 good writing hours in a day, with another few hours of reading and thinking. Boxes of highlighters and reams of paper.
I took two weeks off work to focus. John went away for six days to visit family so I would have the house to myself. It was hot, and I spent time watering our plants outside morning and evening to keep them alive. Before he left, we saw a hawk in our backyard. That had to be a good omen. The wildlife kept me company: baby quail, rabbits, many birds, and the funny lizards on the patio. Our own two kitties. Every night religiously backing up data. I would lose focus. Catch up on sleep. It took a couple of days to readjust to not being in my day job work mode and being home to write. I gave myself permission to rest a bit every day.
I had the support of friends. Thanks to Sheryl in Minneapolis, who did her Ph.D. before me and was my cheering mentor, for checking in on me occasionally by email or text. To Megan in Albuquerque, who brought John and me a home made meal the day after he got back. So welcome, along with fresh-cut garden flowers. To Joann with a card in the mail to boost my spirits. To John, who made dinner, and I was glad to have him back for support. The early morning or late night hours when I wrote best after dark, and less heat. The seemingly endless research, one more article, something recent to add to the mix.
The third week I was back at work and juggling time again on a set schedule. I continued to research and write evenings or mornings and used the weekend to study and hibernate. A treasure to have another full day. By the fourth week, I was editing, formatting in APA, alphabetizing references, checking and double checking and polishing for that grand moment of uploading and then….
It was late Thurs eve/early Fri morning at 12:20 am MT when I pressed that submit button to send it off. I wanted it done that night before work on Friday (it was due Fri midnight) because it felt ready. I gave it my best, and it was done. I printed a final copy for me, cleared my desk and emailed my friend, and told John it was out there. I got confirmation from my class professor, and then I would wait a week for the results. So relax, have fun, and enjoy! A weekend of being social. Movies, in a theater…..We saw Barbie on Sat. We saw Oppenheimer on Sunday. Loved them both. The following work week went by in a blur, and a few appointments were scheduled that had been put off. I saw my great-nephew for some fun play time.
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