I am joining several of my esteemed colleagues (see links to the right) in taking a brief hiatus from blogging at the end of a very busy semester.
For a little background, we have a 6-year PhD program at Berkeley. I am coming up to the end of my 3rd year (half way through!) and, in keeping with the program’s schedule, I have written three field statements (also known as literature surveys) and a dissertation prospectus in time to take my oral examination. In theory, I will be tested over my knowledge of the three subjects I wrote about (visual semiotics, new media and archaeology, and place as recently imagined by archaeologists) but in practice, the field is pretty much wide open. I have four examiners–three archaeology professors and a professor from the school of information. They are all senior professors–at the top of their game–and I estimate that they have nearly 150 years of collective experience. Totally amazing and completely terrifying. I will open up with a 10 minute introduction of my work, which will be followed by questions from each of the professors, for a total of 3 hours.
This happens next Tuesday.
I have been studying for this, in theory, for the last three years. Lately I have been taking what little time I have outside of other classes, teaching, and, y’know, eating and bathing to study as best as I can. This weekend is all about tackling those books in the photo above, re-reading my field statements, and trying to stay calm.
Hopefully I’ll be writing here again next Wednesday as a PhD Candidate, instead of a mere PhD Student. Time to get to it.
Colleen Morgan 
Good luck! You’ll do fine.
Good luck! Sounds scary but you’ll kick ass for the lord.
Good luck. Not that you’ll need it, smarty pants.
Thanks, y’all! :)
That is now-ish, ne?
I hope (and am sure) it went well, what with all that rocking you do and all.