Dissertation Defence coming up shortly

oomis

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In 3ish days I will be defending my thesis, titled "Blah Blah Blah Could You Be More Boring Something Something Test Scores Pandemic".

It's been a journey over the last few years, and it all comes down to my defence, which is basically a grilling in front of an academic panel. Not gonna lie, I don't feel prepared for this, but I suspect that this is what it's supposed to feel like. At my age (fiftysomethingagedoesn'tmatterbutitdoes), with the cognition issues resulting from the PTSD from the crash (yeah, still...) it's been a tough slog, and there's no way that I can remember everything that I've forgotten about. I think I'm supposed to feel unprepared.

Started my PhD in Policy and Leadership (I don't know what that is either) because I was invited into the program during Teacher's College and figured why not. That was 2021, give or take. I know that school isn't for everyone, and I'm privileged enough to be able to make this a focus, but the structure really has helped not just keep me busy, but to provide me with some purpose.

Also, fun fact, I need surgery on both shoulders to repair full width complete tears on a rotator cuff on both sides. I've been in agony since a minor spill on the track mid-summer, so writing while in pain has been...interesting?

Why are you writing this, you jerkwad? This is a motorcycle site? WTF do we care about any of this?

Yeah. Just looking for some connection after having been writing and studying in isolation.

Bueller?
 
Glad to hear you are continuing to push yourself (mentally, emotionally and physically).

Good luck in your dissertation. If it's anything like ones I am acquainted with, although it is scary and a lot of work it should be a formality. Your advisor shouldn't let you defend until you are ready and the panel failing you is a giant slap in the face to your advisor.

What is the plan after you pile it higher and deeper? Run for office so we can have some hope?

Do you have any more nikens or are you back to two wheels now?
 
Glad to hear you are continuing to push yourself (mentally, emotionally and physically).

Good luck in your dissertation. If it's anything like ones I am acquainted with, although it is scary and a lot of work it should be a formality. Your advisor shouldn't let you defend until you are ready and the panel failing you is a giant slap in the face to your advisor.

What is the plan after you pile it higher and deeper? Run for office so we can have some hope?

Do you have any more nikens or are you back to two wheels now?
Oh god you don’t want me in any kind of office. Just…trust me on this one lol. I may teach in the fall, but I genuinely don’t know.

Still have the turbo Niken, I keep threatening to put it up for sale but I just haven’t yet. Lots of two wheeled action though.

Still have my r1200gs, though it gets little love. It took me to PEI earlier this year.

I bought a Victory Vision, which isn’t normally a bike I’d be into, but ladyfriend insisted on better passenger accommodations. I have come to like it, but it’s been unreliable. Hope this latest round of issues is the last of it and we can get to riding.

I’ve been racing with SOAR for the last 3 seasons. Started on a Husky 701 SM which has been awesome, and last year I added a Duke 890r so I could race in different classes. Haven’t ridden much on the street since, but I’m hoping that changes.
 
Good luck in your dissertation. If it's anything like ones I am acquainted with, although it is scary and a lot of work it should be a formality. Your advisor shouldn't let you defend until you are ready and the panel failing you is a giant slap in the face to your advisor
My advisor seems super excited. Thanks for reminding me about this; it’s very helpful!
 
Wow that’s awesome! Congrats and good luck!

I’d be happy to read it out of simple curiosity!

My thesis was a disaster….something something high speed systems….started for launch system and rockets and ended up with F1 suspension systems.

Passed so 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
My advisor seems super excited. Thanks for reminding me about this; it’s very helpful!
Having been through the "defence of a thesis" after years of academic research many decades ago - and then a long career - in that field of work - and making it a fruitful and enjoyable life, I would suggest that you probably know more about your particular thesis topic than your examiners do. They will ask questions about your findings and viewpoints on the subject matter to determine if you know your stuff but also know what you did not consider or deal with and why you did not consider some aspect. All research has its limitations on what one thesis can - or cannot - deal with.
What they are likely concerned about is your having a sincere and continuing interest in the particular subject and that you will - with their approval - continue and develop a career in future which will be of benefit to society.

AFJ
 
Also, fun fact, I need surgery on both shoulders to repair full width complete tears on a rotator cuff on both sides. I've been in agony since a minor spill on the track mid-summer, so writing while in pain has been...interesting?
Just so you know, there may be help in healing those injuries quickly. I had a really bad tear that put me into agony for nearly 3 years with my left shoulder (done bench pressing) and injectible BPC-157 peptide fixed that shoulder up in 3 weeks. It's nearly perfect again now, I can do pushups etc. but I don't feel the need to test it with bench presses that are kinda crap anyways, there's better exercises for chest, with less risk.

If you do think of going this route, beware any product that is oral, or to a lesser extent, spray. The oral ones do work but mostly to help with gut disorders and are not very effective for soft tissues or ligament injuries. It's ALL grey-market, so that's a consideration but I am really glad I took the leap given that it fixed me quickly and there is no pain in that limb now for at least a year. YMMV. I used 1mg a day, a bit more than the recommended 800mcg but sometimes you want results, and I got them.

I am not a doctor and I give this to you as testimony and not advice.
 
Just so you know, there may be help in healing those injuries quickly. I had a really bad tear that put me into agony for nearly 3 years with my left shoulder (done bench pressing) and injectible BPC-157 peptide fixed that shoulder up in 3 weeks. It's nearly perfect again now, I can do pushups etc. but I don't feel the need to test it with bench presses that are kinda crap anyways, there's better exercises for chest, with less risk.

If you do think of going this route, beware any product that is oral, or to a lesser extent, spray. The oral ones do work but mostly to help with gut disorders and are not very effective for soft tissues or ligament injuries. It's ALL grey-market, so that's a consideration but I am really glad I took the leap given that it fixed me quickly and there is no pain in that limb now for at least a year. YMMV. I used 1mg a day, a bit more than the recommended 800mcg but sometimes you want results, and I got them.

I am not a doctor and I give this to you as testimony and not advice.
If you saw the MRI of the tear(s), and saw the bursitis, even the surgeon said he's not often seen it this bad. I had corizone injections, which provided relief for a bit, but wore off eventually like everyone said they would. When they're in there surgically repairing the muscle and tendon, they'll remove the bursa; it's so prevalent that it can't be left alone.

Hoping that the left one, which is bad but not that bad, will be fixable with rehab, but we'll see I suppose. It's just good to know that there's relief in sight.
 
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