I remember going to graduate school with lots of enthusiasm and trepidation. I worried that I would flunk out. I worried constantly about tests and grades, which really wasn’t all the different from undergraduate. A friend helped me get over it, but it took until going through comprehensive exams to really get over the worry. Comprehensive exams began in the second year. I think I was about half way through them before I quit worrying so much, but I did prepare.

I came across Newton’s Three Laws of Graduation while browsing phdcomics. There’s more truth there than you know. Around the end of the second year, my enthusiasm waned. It waned big time. I was about ready to quit. Work came to a stand still–nearly. Procrastination kicked in. Although it didn’t kick in fully until it was time to write my dissertation. Funny how you can find a myriad of things to do to avoid finishing. It’s mostly to avoid the firing squad called your committee at the thesis defense.