Approaching the light

I realize not everyone knows what exactly I have to cross off my list of things to do before I graduate. Announcing I got approved yesterday doesn’t mean much to most people. So here’s the list. I’ve included rough date estimates for things. I have to do three “small” studies (they’re calling them outcome assessments) and a dissertation.

Math Motivation Study

• :x: Proposal approved by the ethics board – May 2011
• :x: Data gathered – May 2011
• Data analyzed – On going
• Report written – Fall 2011
• Report defended – Spring 2012

Math Stereotype Stratification Study

• Measures obtained (I’m doing a modified replication of someone else’s study) – On going
• Proposal approved by the ethics board – Fall 2011
• Data gathered – Fall 2011
• Data analyzed – Fall 2011
• Report written – Fall 2011
• Report defended – Spring 2012

Third Study

• The details of this one are still slightly undecided. It’s possible I just need to analyze data, write a report, and defend it. Or it’s possible I need to do a literature review and defend it. It needs to basically be done during Fall 2011 though.

Dissertation

• :x: Gather measures and instruments – Summer 2011
• :x: Proposal approved by the ethics board – 23 August 2011
• Data gathered – Fall 2011 & Spring 2012
• Proposal officially proposed before my committee (I can’t officially propose it till after I’ve defended the other three, but they all know what I’m doing and are okay with my slightly backwards take on things) – Spring 2012
• Analyze data – Summer 2012
• Write report – Summer/Fall 2012
• Defend report – Fall 2012

And then finally:

• Graduation – December 2012 :apple:

You will notice that approval from the ethics board is one of the first things that needs to happen. It was a HUGE stack of papers I submitted to them on August 15th. And then I crossed my fingers and held my breath and prayed they’d expedite it for me. Parent permission forms need to go out next week to keep me on schedule and not delay me for a year.

So when I got an email from them yesterday afternoon, just 8 days after I’d submitted it, 6 working days later, that they’d approved my research, I couldn’t help myself. I shouted and did a little victory dance. :woot:

Looking at that list there is still a LOT to do. I’m not going to fully start breathing again on my dissertation project till next month when the wheels are fully in motion. But I’ve gotten over the first major hurdles. There is almost a light at the end of the tunnel.