# Posting from the end of my rope: I don't think I'm ever going to get a PhD. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054 "2010-06-21T22:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/121 "2013-07-15T18:57:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I do feel somewhat vindicated by this: a few days ago, a professor who is interested in doing some further molecular work with my plants called me up and exasperatedly opened with, “Jesus CHRIST, Tom. How the fuck did you ever manage to get DNA out of these things?!” So… you totally pretended that you found it easy as pie, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/122 "2013-07-15T19:25:11Z")
WOOT! Excelent news. Congratulations. You must be feeling proud and relieved. Is your thesis posted online anywhere? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/123 "2013-07-15T19:26:40Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I do feel somewhat vindicated by this: a few days ago, a professor who is interested in doing some further molecular work with my plants called me up and exasperatedly opened with, “Jesus CHRIST, Tom. How the fuck did you ever manage to get DNA out of these things?!” > > Made me feel…well, professional. 🙂 “That’s an exercise for the interested student.” 😉 Big congratulations Doctor Ogre, and Daddy Ogre. Two major achievements that are yours! ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/124 "2013-07-15T20:01:56Z")
Congratulations! That’s great news! Probably the most important part of your degree was wrestling with the decision to scrap the DNA work. That is the wisdom that comes with the PhD: when to push an idea and when to move on. Good luck with the next step! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/125 "2013-07-15T20:21:40Z")
[Congrats.](http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/post/54708956613/when-everyone-in-my-year-starts-graduating-before-me) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/126 "2013-07-15T20:35:34Z")
fantastic news! Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/127 "2013-07-15T20:43:06Z")
Yay! Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/128 "2013-07-15T21:53:42Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Thanks, sir! I was pretty good about playing, right up until the final stretch of analysis/writing/defending. During that period, I was at the computer for 18 hours a day, and I unfortunately didn’t touch a guitar for two months. > > I’m happy to report, however, that I have just changed strings, and am working on rebuilding calluses. 😃 Excellent - go play that G&L…Dr. Ogre sounds like part of a great band name: Dr. Ogre and the Trolls…or something like that 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/129 "2013-07-16T00:22:59Z")
Congrats to Dr. Ogre! You’ve done really well. And when you take into account the situation as it stood just a couple of years ago… color me very impressed! I remember when your baby boy was born (not long after my own little Bellum arrived) and man, that first year or two when you’ve got a newborn AND a career to mind, and a marriage to keep together, bills that need paying… it is a LOT. Seriously, congrats to you and Mrs. Ogre. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/130 "2013-07-16T00:38:48Z")
Congratulations! I also read the first few posts and was hoping the bump was good news. Glad to hear you hung in there and succeeded! ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/131 "2013-07-16T00:44:28Z")
All RIGHT! Reading this made my day. If you’re now a Dr. Ogre, does that mean you’re evolving? Are you a hill giant now? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054/132 "2013-07-16T04:29:13Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > So… you totally pretended that you found it easy as pie, right? 😃 Considering that she works with _Arabidopsis_ most of the time, and she once told me that “Y’know, a lot of the time, we don’t even bother running an extraction. We’ll just slap a leaf sample in with some primers and run PCR”, I got a fair amount of satisfaction from having her walk a mile in my shoes. > [@Yllaria](#): > > Is your thesis posted online anywhere? Not yet. I’m uploading the final, revised copy to the graduate school tomorrow. > [@Sauron](#): > > If you’re now a Dr. Ogre, does that mean you’re evolving? Are you a hill giant now? Ettin. The PhD gave me a nuther haid. Thanks for the congratulations, all! After all the self-doubt and stress, it’s awfully nice to have it in my rear-view mirror. Now if I could just get a job… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-from-the-end-of-my-rope-i-dont-think-im-ever-going-to-get-a-phd/544054.md?page=6)