Monday, April 23, 2012

This is the song that doesn't end

Do you know this song?  It is one of the most annoying children's songs EVER.

This is the song that doesn't end, it just goes on and on my friend.  Someone started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll be singing it forever just because...this is the song that doesn't end...(repeat)

So.

I passed. 

End of story right?

Nope.

There are conditions to passing.

One is that you make the recommended changes to your paper.

The changes they wanted?

1) Some editorial things.  A typo, a missed comma, etc.

2) Further explanation of a method...I had to add a paragraph explaining why the summative results of a decade can be different than the results of individual years.

3) Removing two tables.  I was fine with this because they were confusing data that my statistician threw in. They even confused me and my advisor had talked about removing these before the defense.

4) Creating ten new tables.  I created a screen shot in my defense that showed two tables that were on separate pages on the same ppt.  They liked those and wanted 10 of them...one for each year. 

5) Create a new appendix with some additional information.

Wow. Writing it out like that sounds like a lot.  It really wasn't all that bad.

So, I made all of these changes.

All totalled it was 207 pages.

I needed two copies on resume paper and one copy on plain paper.  Too much for my poor little printer to handle, so I sent them off to Office Depot for printing.

Thankfully I had a 40% off coupon.  It still cost $72.00!!!

As soon as I transferred the files to OD, I called Fred and burst out into tears. 

He laughed a little at me. 

But it was the strangest thing.

It was the reaction I would have thought I had after the Defense, but here it was.

Done.

What am I going to do with all my time?

What was I thinking? 

I actually did it.

I actually finished it.

It was over.

 

I went to Office Depot to pick up the print outs and put them in order to turn in to the graduate school.

A little background here: There are so many rules and regulations about writing and printing your dissertation. 

Example: Margins.  1 1/2 margins on the left and top. 1 inch on the right and bottom.

EXCEPT...the first page of each chapter has to be 2 inches from the top, which can be done by adding three single spaced returns after the normal bizarre margins.

ALSO...page numbers need to be 1 inch from the bottom....so, very little text actually goes onto a page.

Even after I turn in my paper to the graduate school they can (and usually do) KICK IT BACK to the student for formatting revisions.

So...it's not done.

 

As soon as I turned it in the Graduate School Advisor looked at one of the pages, the signature pager that my committee signed off on and said "That needs to be two inches from the top and it isn't, you are going to have to reprint this with correct margins and have them sign it again."

So...figuring that there would be further issues with format, I held off, waiting to see what else she found wrong with the paper.

She contacted me on Thursday.  I didn't add dots on my Table of Contents

Chapter 1..............................................................

and there were times when my subheading had longer names and took up two lines. In those cases I needed to put the page number on the second line of text. 

After the dots of course.

I now have to make those revisions.

Get the signature page resigned.

Then maybe it will be done.

Maybe.

 

 

33 comments:

J T said...

I call it the perfect torture song.....lol

Luxy (Monica) said...

Oh yes know the song well!!!

Hope this has an end!!!

Julie & Steve said...

DOTS?!!!!

Erin and Neil NoneOfYourDamnBusiness said...

It sounds like they're grasping to find stuff to make you fix! Yeesh!

Jim Westlake said...

Really?
I mean REALLY?!
I looked at a dozen or so dissertations a few weeks ago, none were the same in layout or design style at all. I can't see that it matters that much unless the overall layout actually detracts from the content.
I'm still thinking about mine, got about ten months before it's due in, plenty of time...........
Maybe......

Barbara Corfield said...

OMG.... What insanity.... dots, spaces.. lines.. are you or have you started dreaming of them yet???? It all sounded so easy at the beginning.. but I guess they like putting everyone through the hoops..

Barbara Corfield said...

And NOW... I can't get that song out of my mind... HELP......lol

crabby man said...

stop whining and get it turned in!!!!

River Girl said...

First...
I refuse to listen to the song on the grounds I'll be singing it all week.

River Girl said...

Second...
I think I would go mad with all those little knit picking revisions.
Dots.
Really?

River Girl said...

Lastly....
Take Frd's whip away and hang him with it.

Marianne Librarian said...

I know. The sarcastic side of me wanted to say..."Dots? Really? How about little smiley faces or hearts? I can do those? Maybe drops of my blood?"

But this is what they ask.

Marianne Librarian said...

I don't know if this link will work, but here are some of the other rules for publishing your paper...

http://www.twu.edu/downloads/graduate-school/Navigator--Final_03_19_12.pdf

Please note the correct spelling of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. I had to use this one, not the AMERICAN version, which I just thought was a laugh.

Jim Westlake said...

That doesn't sound at all right to me. Surely a work written by an American would be expected to be in American English?

I have just today found a British Standard for writing theses and dissertations!! Who'd have thought?

Julie & Steve said...

Fascinating. I suppose it's necessary to have SOME standards, but this is a bit much.

Is it me or is the first example of inverted pyramid title NOT follow its own requirements?

Marianne Librarian said...

Ha...correct!

Julie & Steve said...

And the font is ugly.

Marianne Librarian said...

Oh...sorry. Times New Roman only and has to be 12 pt.

I accidentally made the page numbers on one of my appendices 11 pt and she considered having me reprint the entire 38 pages 3 times. But two other people in the dept looked at it and they couldn't really tell, so she let me slide.

She has a ruler on her desk and actually measures this stuff.

Julie & Steve said...

Ugg. Times New Roman is the font used by people who don't know how to change fonts. Whenever a resume in TNR landed on my desk, it would go straight to the recycling bin.

* kerry * said...

you are freaking kidding...how do they live with themselves? i mean that, seriously.

Jim Westlake said...

Now that is a sweeping generalisation if ever I heard it. I'm glad my CV is unlikely to hit your desk. :-)

Joking aside, I actually like TNR in preference to any sans serif font because I find it easier to read and it appeals to my internal classical being, whatever that is?

Julie & Steve said...

As subjective and ruthless as it sounds, it's the truth. Presentation and creativity are important in my field, so a resume with an ugly font won't get you the job.

crabby man said...

I am her muse!

Marianne Librarian said...

Oh...and I had to submit three copies of my CV as well...also in TNR 12 pt.

River Girl said...

I think they got plenty of that....

River Girl said...

I have a mental image of her...it isn't pretty.

River Girl said...

I rather doubt that.

Marianne Librarian said...

I need to drop off her final copies of pages next week. I am going to take a photo of her with her ruler.

River Girl said...

Please do...
So we all know what not to aspire to.

Sally S said...

And when it is done... it will be perfect! You are doing a great job.

crabby man said...

She will tell you I helped her and have motivated her regularly

River Girl said...

Nagging and whipping is not motivation.

crabby man said...

wrong conclusion