Results

I failed the qual exam. I can retake it in 6 months.

Had a not-so-good meeting with QoH.

I am devastated.

Quals Update

I think the exam went well. My strategy with the committee worked surprisingly well. It has been a tradition in my department to ask the student to about his/her/it’s research as the first thing. This is to help the student ease in, and assuage the nerves. I figured this was my key since I know about this particular topic much more than their collective intellects. So, instead of the customary 3 min talk, I spent 20 mins throwing all kinds of equations and complicated logic at them. At the end of it, they were pretty much dazed. I got a few softball questions from two of the committee members, but the chair gave me a bit of a hard time. He did however help me arrive at the answer with a series of pointed questions.

I should hear about the result on Friday.

As a side note, here is a quote from QoH from earlier this morning. “What good will passing the quals do you, if I do not work with you on your research?” Wasn’t that sweet?

D – Day

My qualifying exam is in 129 mins. I am having a lot of second thoughts now. I guess its just last min jitters. I know this stuff right? I mean, irrespective of how stupid I am, I couldn’t possibly have survived for 9 years in engineering without being atleast semi-decent at it. I know my research topic better than any person on this planet. I have 6 journal papers, 8 conference papers, a book chapter, and 2 patents. There is no way in hell that any other applicant has a better qualification than me. I might not be able to answer all their questions, but I will be able to make educated speculations on it. I just have to remember, that I am the guy who has so far surpassed all difficulties, and I am the best of the best.

Hmm…

I officially got my quals committee. I first heard it from QoH on Sunday. He called to let me know of the committee, and to let me know that he does not think I will get through. Wasn’t that sweet of him?

So anyways, I set up a mock test for this afternoon with QoH and a bunch of guys from my lab, and he does not turn up for it. No emails. No calls. No note. Nothing. I don’t know what to think of it.

On another note, I am having stress induced back muscle spasm. I have not had these for nearly a year now. I think the whole pot poori of this thing with QoH, quals, and financial problems is getting to me.