From: Kathryn Aegis (k_aegis@mindspring.com)
Date: Mon Oct 04 1999 - 08:30:24 MDT
I've been meaning to send a 'hello' to Amara Graps, so 'hi'!
Amara writes:
>I would guess that the other list members that
>hold degrees would care similarly about the hard struggle and effort
>in gaining their degrees.
You bet. The effort of doing so got the best of me two years ago. My own
advisor sat me down and asked a hard question--why are you here? I made
the decision not to reenter graduate school until I could prove to myself a
true commitment to one particular field. At the same time, that will not
stop me from writing serious articles and books. Those will lead in the
future to a more solid basis to acquire a graduate degree, if needed.
Right now, I am lending my support to my sweetie as he goes through the
pain and sweat of acquiring a highly technical master's.
>If a person truly loves their work, and are committed to it, it
>shows in every aspect of their life. Degrees, papers, products,
>talks, paintings, music compositions, etc. are natural by-products of
>this passion.
Yes. I see the concern, however, over the societal bias that individuals
who have a graduate degree are viewed as more capable, smarter, etc. In
the upper classes of American society, an advanced degree is viewed as a
societal credential, and people do not ask 'did you get a graduate degree'
but 'what is your graduate degree in'?
>How many people really love their work? How many people
>jump out of bed in the morning and say, "Oh boy, another day that I
>can do my job!" I would guess that not a significant proportion of
>the population feel that way.
> -- who will be "Dr." Graps in 1.5 years, after working for
> almost 20 years in the astronomy business
And, already, you seem to have produced a body of work comparable to most
persons who already have the Dr.!
Kathryn Aegis
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