Therapy for the anxious young woman about to defend her PhD: Put on all the music that’s ever made you crazy happy, the older the better, the more memories of dancing with girlfriends the better, the more buoyant the words the better. Fame! I’m going to live for ever! I’m going to learn how to fly! Baby remember my name! will do nicely, as will I’m a racing car passing by, like Lady Godiva! I’m going to go, go, go, there’s no stopping me!Don’t stop me now! I’m having a good time, I’m having a ball… or even It’s raining men! or win a fortune in a game my life will never be the same. Is there a version of Survive that’s about PhD dissertations instead of men? I’d like that!
I'm Jill Walker Rettberg, author and professor of Digital Culture at the University of Bergen in Norway. I co-direct the Center for Digital Narrative, a 10-year Norwegian Centre of Research Excellence, and I lead the ERC project Machine Vision in Everyday Life. This site started as my blog in October 2000.
royby
I hope that your defence is going well for you.
Cheers – Roy
Anders Fagerjord
Manic Monday! It’s the perfect tune for you today!
Lykke til.
helgaw
Good luck on your defense. And congrads with an excellent ex. You should really pick out boyfriends with an eye on how good/terrible they will be as live-elsewhere co-parents 🙂
Oh, on the topic of old music – stay away from the Boomtown rats. They don’t do good mondays.
Werner
Jill, good luck today! When I did mine it felt like going to my own execution. When it was over it really felt like I had been afraid for this big ‘unknown thing’, that something was going to happen that I haddened prepared for.
But there is no such thing, you are the master of your thesis and your topic. If you have made it this far, you are the expert. Much more so than any member of the panel (if there is such a thing in Norway).
Best of luck and KEEP BREATHING!
Kevin
Good luck… as if you need it! You’ll do remarkably well, for certain!!! The proper comment would be..
Congratulations on your PhD!
Bill
Go, Jill! Ich drueck’ Dir die Daumen.
G¯ran
I guess it’s all over now. I couldn’t make it today neither did I get to wish you good luck, but even though you didn’t actually hear it I want you to know that I have actually been wishing you luck for quite some time now.
So let me finish by not being the last to actually offer you my most sincere congratulations!
G¯ran
HEY!!! When I sometimes actually take time to read stuff, I find that the world has changed.
Jill, I guess my last comment must have sounded somewhat evil, but now when my world have spun into place again: GOOD LUCK!!!
Maybe I’ll even make your lecture. I’ll try.
KF
Of course, by the time it’s today here, today’s already over there. I think. Trying… to… do… math…
I give. Choose the appropriate option, or take them sequentially, for best effect:
1) You’ll be great! Knock ’em dead!
2) I’m sure you were smashing. Revel in your success!
fivecats
Keep your head held high, a smile on your face and just keep saying to yourself that none of this will matter years from now.
Okay, so maybe not, but it’ll sound good when you’re up there Defending.
Good luck!
…
Jason
Good luck 🙂 (and, after the fact, Congratulations!)
i1277
Good luck…I’m sure you’ll do great.