Hello good friends!
A weight has been lifted from my shoulders. A burden that has been hanging over me for 2 1/2 years is gone. A scary future event has come and has been demolished. I'm talking friends about Capstone. What is Capstone you ask? Well, allow me to paint you a picture.
When beginning any Master's degree program, you know early on the requirements to finish and be handed that lovely diploma and wear that silly collar thing on your graduation gown. Some programs require a thesis, some require a cumulative test, but all of them seem so far away and nothing to worry about. The Library and Information Science department at UNT requires Capstone and it snuck up and sunk its teeth in this last week. This Capstone was a one-week block of time when the lucky graduate student is given 10 different topics and required to choose 3. These 3 "chosen ones" are then written into 3 separate papers all requiring authoritative, peer-reviewed, quality references. All topics were a combination of everything learned while in the program and were kept a secret until last Monday at 8:00AM. I was at my computer and was psyching myself up to tackle the work ahead of me at 8:10.
Day 1: I was able to research, read, and complete my first paper. A good day, not too scary. Tiny victory dance.
Day 2: I was able to research, read, and did not complete my second paper. Not a great day, scary and frustrating but no tears. I'm a big girl.
Day 3: Back to my computer to try and begin, was able to just barely eek out the rest of the second paper, but didn't feel good about the content. A better day, still scary and frustrating, still no tears...but almost.
Day 4: Had to meet with our realtor (a whole other blogpost) so the day was pretty much shot. I have to really have my head in the right place to be academically productive or I'll just blow off the entire day. My head was in the world of realty (not to be confused with reality).
Day 5: Felt great about this last paper. My favorite prompt of all 3, which is the reason I left it for last. Pumped that baby out in a day and still had time to go to breakfast with my husband, buy a pair of fuzzy Crocs and finish!! Yes folks, day 5 was a good day! Victory is sweet.
Day 6: Yes, there's a day 6. Any good writer knows you're not really done until your work has been edited. Lucky for me, I live with one. So, I exercised my wifely duty of, "Honey...I love you...will you edit for me?" Lo and behold it worked like a charm (excuse the cliche, I know they have no place in academic writing so I've been holding them back all week). When it comes to editing, Dusty is all business. No more nice husband...he's brutal. Exactly what I needed! So, I passed the Dusty test, said a prayer, and submitted my Capstone papers.
So, Alicia...did you celebrate? Yup...enchiladas and margaritas were had! And it was good. Hopefully, that's exactly what my Capstone grader will say when they read my work...it is good. Give that girl her funny graduation collar and be done with it.
Ahhh....Capstone...you've met your match.
Yeah, if I were in that program I think I would just decide at that point that I didn't REALLY want a Master's Degree anyway! Great job, Sis. I think I'd rather listen to Adelyn's screachy cry all day than research and write that many papers in 5 days.
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