Today, I handed in my statistics “final” exam. Even though I had it for roughly ten days, apart from looking it over and thinking about it, I didn’t really begin work in earnest until Wednesday. As in *yesterday*. Yet, I was able to crank out most of the work yesterday morning/afternoon, and this morning finished up the last impossible problem.
The only way I was able to answer five of the eight problems with any kind of success is completely attributable to my keen instincts as a researcher. Had I been left to the materials and resources provided inside the confines of the classroom, I would have been, well, *screwed*. Thanks to years of honed practice at searching Google as well as my deep comfort with the academic library, I was able to find extra help that made the exam manageable — not easy, not without its frustrations, but doable.
A huge weight has lifted. Granted, I do still have my presentation on Multi-Level Models on Tuesday (I will likely be the first in the class to do a presentation), which will borrow heavily from the materials I brought home from my two-week summer course on the same topic in Essex. I also have a paper to write … but thanks to a homework assignment a couple of weeks ago, I’ve already done the vast majority of the statistical analysis necessary for the paper, and the front end (lit review, etc.) has been done for more than a year. In short, all that’s left on the paper end of things is some coallating, basically.
THANK GOD.
I do still have two other classes, another paper, and two final exams sometime the first two or three days of December. But the stats class has been, without question, a huge source of stress and frustration this fall semester-from-hell, and to be this close to wrapping it all up is nothing short of a miracle.
I had hoped to learn a lot more than I did, but at least I know where to go if and when I ever decide to convert to Bayesianism. (Don’t ask.)
In other absolutely fantastic news, I learned today that I have been awarded a travel scholarship from UTD. The political science department (i.e., the chair and my advisor, Tom) nominated me to the school-wide (i.e., School of Economic, Political, and Policy Studies) competition, and I was informed today that I had been chosen by the dean for the money, up to $700, to present one of my papers at the Southern Political Science Association meeting in early January. I had already been promised a small amount (less than or equal to $250) from the department (PSCI), and was not told I had been nominated for this much bigger award. So the e-mail was a complete surprise, and of the best possible kind. Not to gush on or anything, but this just felt huge to me. Not only do my immediate colleagues feel my research merits financial support, but the larger school (including all sorts of accomplished students in economics, political economy, public policy, etc.) agreed. I’m told I had competition for this, so it’s not just that I was singled out for lack of other takers. It’s just a big honor for me, and a pretty significant affirmation that I’m doing the right thing here … despite the headaches stats cause me sometimes, and the extent to which I’m busting my ass to stay afloat.
Anyway, that’s the news from the home front and, having exhausted myself with another 12-hour day, I’m now going to chill out with some Grey’s Anatomy and my husband, who I’ve barely seen in a week or more. Happy November, all! 🙂