Let the Real Work Begin...

i just finished what will quite possibly be my last final exam. ever. i know, i know. i still have the field marine science and anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystems classes (that's maine and spain, in case you didn't get that) to go, but i don't foresee final exams for them. presentations, yes. final exams, no. i actually think there will be one exam for the spain class, but it's basically going to be a 'making sure we actually listened at the talks' sort of thing, so no real stress there. i feel so liberated at having finished my last real class exam. but that leaves comps looming over my head. oh well. i'll deal with those when the time comes.

with classes now out of the way, i can concentrate on the real work in getting a Ph.D. - the dissertation (and the project that must be completed for the dissertation to get written... and the prospectus that outlines the project). i'm meeting with dr. v. tomorrow to discuss the plan for the summer and the undergraduate slave i'll have working for me. ok. "slave" is too harsh. she'll actually have her own project (which will most likely actually be a facet of my project - mwhahaha), so she feels like she's not just the hired help. hopefully i'll be able to get something going in the next couple of weeks. let the traveling begin!

oh, and in case anyone was wondering, the second draft of my propectus went over much better than the first (though i still have a few [mostly minor] changes to make). dr. v. even read the entire thing this time. yay! perhaps the third draft will be the charm after all? i hope so, but i'm not holding my breath.

tomorrow, some planning. next week, some doing? perhaps. and maybe the week after that i can get to port st. joe and start an experiment.

i love summer.