So much for updating this blog once a week. Between prepping
a paper for a journal and my owl pellet field work (post to come!), it’s been
three weeks since my introductory post. Whoops. At least I don’t yet have a
following to disappoint....
I’d like to write about my
experience pursuing a Masters of Science degree. I kept a different blog during
my first year of field work, which is informal, slightly manic, and can be
found at birdnerdwords.blogspot.ca. I won’t be going into detail about the entire
two years of my degree, though I had many formative experiences.
And saw a lot of gorgeous sunrises.
Most students aren’t sure how the process actually ends (or if it ever will!), so I am going speak to the mysterious and often dreaded ritual that is the Masters Thesis Defense.
First, a
brief history. As I finished up my Honours Biology degree at Dalhousie
University, I wasn’t even sure I was going to do a Masters. I certainly hadn’t
applied for funding, which would have made life easier. However, I have been
raised to keep all my options open, so I started searching for potential
supervisors, just in case. I narrowed my field by topic (behavioural ecology
and conservation) and location (Newfoundland to Ontario). Responses to my
emails were varied; some were interested but unable to fund me, others were
willing to supervise if I brought a tailored project to the table, and many
never responded to me at all. I was lucky enough to pique the interest of Joe
Nocera, a species-at-risk biologist at the Ministry of Natural Resources in
Peterborough, Ontario. He impressed me both in email and on the phone by being
well-written, well-spoken, friendly, and exceedingly intelligent. I discovered
that I was excited to do research under his guidance and to my delight, he agreed
to be my supervisor. I owe him so much; he has made my graduate school
experience better than I could have imagined (and I’m sure he is rolling his
eyes if he’s reading this).
I had no idea what I was in for at this point.
Fast
forward through two summers of counting birds, four semesters of TA work, and three
classes to arrive at the summer of 2013, when I began writing in earnest. Writing
your thesis is easily the most challenging part of the whole process, and for
me, the main problem was starting. I sat down at my computer every day for a
solid week with the intention of beginning to write, and midnight would roll
around without a single typed word. I couldn’t tell you what I was doing all
day, but it wasn’t writing. After that week I had scared myself enough that I
started putting words on the screen, and that was that. Everyone attacks the
writing process differently; I just kind of...wrote. I buckled down and cranked
it out quietly and steadily without really discussing it with anyone but Joe,
so that when I was all of a sudden finished, I surprised even myself. I’m not
sure my friends even knew I was at the writing stage before I was done.
And that's not even all of the pages!
Then began
the dance of the defense. The timeline for an anticipated defense starts about
two months before you’d actually like to defend. You must submit your thesis to
your committee members and allow at least two weeks for them to make edits and
return it to you. I was extremely fortunate to have committee members that
turned my thesis around in a single day, but that is far from the norm. Then, due
to the complicated process of getting a date that works for your supervisor,
committee member, external examiner, and chairperson who make up your defense
panel, you must turn in your thesis to the grad office a full six weeks before
you would like to defend. Despite the warning emails from the graduate studies
office, many people are still taken by surprise and have their defense delayed
by a month or more, which can often mean another full semester’s worth of
tuition to be paid. Not ideal. But I got mine in to the office with plenty of
time, and switched my focus to my defense presentation.
IMPORTANT
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: A common and alarming misconception about a thesis
defense is that it makes or breaks your degree. I mean, yes, if you fail your
defense, you do not get your degree and you do not get a second try. BUT. But.
There are so many checks and balances before that point that if your thesis
makes it past your supervisor, your committee, and your external examiner, then
fails at the defense stage, the fault really lies with those people that let it
slip past them, Even at the final please-read-before-the-defense stage, all
three panel members have to sign off on the thesis to say it is ready to go. If
it’s not ready, the form isn’t signed and you fix it before trying again. That
step is there to make sure you don’t fail. Okay? Okay. Everybody relax.
While some students try to keep
their defense date and location secret, the thought of facing my three panel
members in an otherwise empty room was unsettling. I asked almost everyone I
knew to come, from fellow students to people I met during field work to friends
from Scottish Country Dancing. For me, having friendly faces to speak to and
smile at made me feel more confident and at ease. My twin sister and her fiancée
even Skyped in from Halifax. Another interesting side effect of having such a
diverse audience was that I designed my presentation to try to reach everyone,
even if they didn’t have a strong science background. I worried at first that I
might come off as unprofessional, but in the end it prevented me from filling
my defense with unnecessary jargon and fluff. I was able to distill all of my
two years’ worth of work and findings down into something palatable , and I
think that helped to make my defense successful. I would strongly recommend
inviting your non-graduate-student friends to your defense. or imagining explaining
your work to your family to help you cut out the crap. Unless you come from a
family of super-geniuses; adapt your strategy as needed.
This may or may not have been my first practice audience.
So what
actually happened at the defense? First, I gave my presentation covering a brief background, methods, results,
and impact of my findings. That lasted about 45 minutes. After a slight break,
there was a round of questioning in which each of three panel member had 15
minutes to grill me. Another break, then another round of questions. Deliberation,
verdict (minor revisions) done. Anti-climactic, isn’t it? I felt pretty exhilarated
initially, but after it was all said and done it did feel sort of...flat. I
think that’s because there’s not really anything truly scary going on there –
unless something has gone horrendously wrong with the process, your committee
members, and your supervisor, you will pass your defense.
“But what
did they ask you?!” I can hear you screeching (or I would, if anyone read
this). I’m not sure any two defenses get the same lines of questioning, but let
me try and break it down. First of all, your actual presentation is not on
trial – you shouldn’t get critiqued on your slides or speaking voice or how
well you managed to explain something out loud. So if public speaking turns you
into a stuttering splutter machine, take heart. Second, all of my panel members
started by telling me what they liked
about my thesis, which was great and a nice confidence booster. As for the real meaty questions, the best
advice I can give you is to know your panel. Does this professor specialize in
statistics? Better know your stats upside down and backwards with your eyes
closed. Also, if you don’t have a stats guru on your panel, you can relax a
little – no one likes to dip their toe in the murky waters of statistics unless
they’re very confident in their ability to swim. However, if your committee member
is passionate about a specific aspect of your field, you had best be able to
relate your findings to it. What has your supervisor been coming back to over
and over as you discussed your work over the years? You can be sure they’ll
bring it up at your defense. Another good idea is to have a few Hail Mary
slides held back; use them for answers to potential questions or for stuff you
just can’t seem to keep in your head, like statistical formulae. Most of all,
be confident in your own knowledge. Even your supervisor has their own research
and other students for which they have to make space in their brain; you are
the only expert in what you have done.
Having a personal cheerleader on Skype doesn't hurt either.
Expect to
feel a bit lost after your defense, especially if you have nothing lined up for
the next couple of months. Your thesis has been your entire life for at least
two years, and for it to be finally completed (except any revisions) can feel
really bizarre. Pick up old hobbies you left in the dust during your graduate
student days. Visit with family and friends with whom you may have lost touch.
Regain some sanity and remember how to spend a day doing a whole lot of
nothing. But most of all be proud. It was hard and it was long but you’ve
earned it.
You did it! Photo by Ayden Sherritt
Now all you
have to do is find a job!
Ha.
