Being a Doctor

Since I was unable to post the last few months, several things have happened that I wasn't able to write about during the forced hiatus, the most important being I finished my PhD degree! 

But it wasn't easy; I have no doubt that the months leading up to my dissertation defense were the most stressful of my life.  By my reckoning, during the month of April I was spending approximately 80 hours per week working on writing and performing last minute projects related to my research.  While there are certainly plenty of people that make that workload manageable, it certainly wasn't something I was used to.  Days began around 8 when I would head into the office and begin work, typically bouncing between writing chapters on one computer and running simulations on another.  I would work through lunch into the afternoon, when I would head home around 5 o'clock.  I would take a break for about an hour to have lunch and relax, then begin working again until around 11.  Weekends also disappeared from the conversation, which was something I never thought I would have to do. 

But, eventually I did realize I was nearing the end of the process and began to relax somewhat.  The dissertation defense itself was a relatively simple affair, with my 5 faculty committee members listening to my 90-minute presentation then asking questions for another 30 minutes or so.  While that may seem like a lot, with my experience teaching 75 minute lectures the time just flew by.  As a waited outside the conference room for the committee's final decision, I reflected back on the 10 years I spent as a student here in Norman.  While I always enjoyed the student experience, I was very happy to be ending it and moving on to something new.  As my committee exited the conference room, they came over to me and said "Congratulations Doctor."  I of course was excited and relieved, but also a little taken aback by that title.  Here is a picture of me at graduation:

Even now, after being official for about 4 months, I still find it funny to be referred to as "Doctor."  Especially now that the semester has started and students have been coming to visit to ask questions, I get addressed by that several times a day.  I really don't feel any different than I did a few months ago - same job, same place, same life, but through finishing my degree I have gained a new identity, even among my friends and family.  I'm sure at some point any additional effect of being addressed this way will wear off, but at least now it's a constant reminder that I'm in a new phase of my life.