These are my ponderings, thoughts about life in graduate school, based on Aaron Karo's Ruminations. They're fictional entertainment and not criticism so don't sue me. - rani
Ponderings #17 - The Thesis Committee Revisited (aka Part II)
I love sequels. I waited eagerly for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes
Back, Back to the Future Part II, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
And now (lucky me), here's my own Part II: The Thesis Committee
Reprised. Revisited, whatever.
The thing to know about sequels is that if you think they are going to
be better than the original, you are bound to have your hopes dashed to
pieces. Go in with an attitude of, "There's no way this can be better than
the original," and you'll be in for a treat. But like Murphy's law, if you
FORCE yourself to think it's going to be bad, that won't work. May the
force not be with you.
And so it is with TCMs (see previous issue). At your TCM, you may notice a
few strange behaviors among professors and faculty members. That is, they
actually act like real people. And even scarier, they act like friends!
Get there early for the real scoop. The first professor to arrive will
dish out the really juicy gossip. As they get comfortable with their
chairs, they'll trash-talk the other committee members (CMs). They'll
complain about all the problems in their lives. They'll tell you how
they're planning to start a new company in 2132 AD that will revolutionize
the field.
Afterwards, the other CMs will trickle in. Immediately, the first CM's
personality will change. She/he will become friendly and effusive. They'll
joke around, pulling each other's legs (and long legs, indeed). If you
didn't know better, you'd think they were friends!
Another tip you need: hang out when one CM goes to the bathroom, or after
your meeting is over. You're sure to get another round of fresh gossip.
So what do all these tidbits and gossip do for you, you ask? Aha! Never
fear, the smart graduate student knows they'll be useful. They will
come in handy when your committee is threatening to fail you on your
defense or put you behind bars for contradicting their papers.
So for now, shut up and listen. And pray that Episode III will be better.