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Asalis · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:37 pm Post subject:

Congrats Aslaug. Applause

Teric · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:00 pm Post subject:

That's fantastic, Aslaug! Excellent work! It must be sooooo nice to finally have that all done and behind you. Cheers!

*lifts his root beer in a toast to the filly*

Aslaug · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:03 pm Post subject:

Thank you all. I've just come home and I'm still not really grasping this.

The official title is 'Cand. Mag.' which is short for the latin title 'Candidata Magisterii', which literally means I'm a candidate for a teaching position at university level. The title is very old, and the English equivalent is 'Masters Degree, History'.

Filly will still do just fine, though.

But this means I am no longer a history-student. I am finally, finally a historian. I have dreamt of this...and I have done it. And I have not only done it. I have done what every expert on education in Denmark claims to be an impossibility.

I have completed my studies, without failing even one single exam, ever...and in the time alloted to it. Five years. Ten semesters. Not one failed exam in the entire five year period.

This is, allegedly, impossible. Yet I did it.

One of my teachers, who hasn't taught me for four years, met me in the hallway and saw me with tears running down my face and said 'I assume it went well?' and I told her, and she smiled and said 'oh, but Joan, we all expected that from you.'

She hasn't taught me in four years. Both secretaries shook my hand and congratulated me. Every teacher present congratulated me...every last one there...

And my supervisor said he was glad I had dedicated the thesis to him, even with the mistakes I had made. And when I asked him if he would be okay with setting up a meeting with me in November or December, for discussing what he thinks would be my best choice for a PhD application, he said 'call me in fourteen days when it's all calmed down a bit for you, and we'll arrange that, for sure'.

Now I want chai. I want a steaming pot of hot chai, right here on my desk. Then I want to relax. I want to put up my feet...and enjoy my first evening as an unemployed academecian...

I did it, guys...I really, honestly did it...

Tigermark · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:39 pm Post subject:

YAAAHHH!!! Congrats bigtime, Filly. Cand. Mag. huh? Candid Magnum, for your intelligence? Candy Magnet, for your ability to attract great artwork for your stories?

Canned Magic, for your great talent.

*grin* have a nie rest, oh unemployed one, and then you can start thinking bout jobs and Doctorates.

Tigermark

Teric · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject:

kcmack · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:32 pm Post subject:

Congratulations Aslaug. I have not been hanging around very long but this definitely sounds like it was a major achievement for you and it is always a great thing when someone completes a life dream. Now Filly, take your rest, enjoy your drink, and bask in our praise for you have definitely earned it!

Nicolai Borovskaya · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:00 pm Post subject:

Congratulations to the Filly!

You have achieved a major life goal, and done it in outstanding fashion. Relax and enjoy the sense of accomplishment, you've certainly earned it.

Valaina · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:03 am Post subject:

And there was me, checking my e-mails, and I never thought to check here *rolls eyes*

Congratulations, Joan! There are no words I can coherently string together to tell you how very very proud I am of you, so I'll just let it stand at that, and hopefully speak to you on the phone later. *grins widely*

D.F. Thompson · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject:

Congratulations M'Lady raises his glass of scotch. Well done me dear, through all the trials, tears, and sweat. You've accomplished your dream. And heres to the future.

shadowjaguar · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:25 pm Post subject:

Congrats Filly. It's always great to hear of someone who makes it to where their goals are set.

And this is just your first step too, if you are going for a PhD as well. And i'm sure you will do just as well in that regard, as you did on your Masters.

Aslaug · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:23 am Post subject:

Well, it's all done and dealt with then.

However, this means a significant change in my life. For one thing, it means I now have to look for a job. I am still waiting for the papers to get to me from university, so I can PROVE to a prospective employer that I have my degree, but there is more to it than that. First and foremost, I have to write four applications a month for full time jobs, in order to qualify for unemployment benefits. I have to prove I'm interested in getting a job, which, quite frankly, I AM!

But that's not all. I am completely inexperienced at looking for work and there are very few positions available for historians outside the academic world. That means I am going to have to work on a PhD application WHILE applying for all kinds of other jobs.

Mind you, A PhD application is a good piece of research in itself. I have to include a whole list of materials. About 10 pages worth of research, a list of sources that I will be using and that I am therefore going to need, and a budget for what travel-expenses and book-purchases I'm going to need. According to the department head at the history-department at my Alma Mater (feels weird to say that), it is usually about 2 months of pretty solid work to make such an application.

The deadline is the 15th of November.

What this boils down to is that I probably will not get it this time around. In fact, let's rephrase that to "I will certainly not get it this time around."

I may not even be able to finish the application before the deadline, and I am fully aware of that. But I bloody well -have to try-. This weekend will be spent thinking -very- hard about what exactly I want to write about. The department of Theology in Århus (the second largest city in Denmark) has offered a number of PhD positions for applicants, and they emphasize that it is advantageous to know a thing or two about culture-clashes.

...
......
.........

I'll leave that one standing for a moment for further contemplation.

In short, if I don't apply for that one, I'll be the dumbest piece of sh*t this side of the south pole. Provided I can make it in time, of course. The thing is, the man I must talk to about what exactly they want me to include in my application is not back from vacation until Monday, so I have to wait until then to ask. Again, this weekend has to be spent thinking long and hard about what exactly to write about...maybe even putting a few notes down on paper.

Bottom line of all this, ladies and gentlefurs, is that I am looking at a period of intense and hectic work, as well as a not inconsiderable amount of stress, while learning the ropes of being unemployed in this country and fulfilling all the various requirements. Right now I'm still a little confused about what jobs to apply for specifically. Again, I can't get answers to such questions before Monday, since that's when people come back from vacation.

Moreover, I don't know how this will affect my writing. I would also like to start working on some stuff for publication but I will need a job before I can do that without losing benefits. Another reason for getting employed and fast. I can still publish here since I don't make money from this, of course. But I don't know how much time I'm going to have for writing.

The long and the short of it is that I may very well have to FINALLY cut back from posting a chapter a week...to one every two weeks instead. I've kept this up for as long as I have, mainly because I haven't had a nine-to-five job. Now I'm looking at GETTING a nine-to-five job, and I won't have nearly as much time for writing anymore. So...as you can see, I may have to do that. I'm not sure when and if I have to but I expect to find out pretty soon. I'll let you all know my final decision, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up.

Thank you.

Nicolai Borovskaya · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:48 am Post subject:

Aslaug, you have my complete support. Do what you have to do, I will wait for chapters. Impatiently perhaps, but I will wait, without complaining, regardless of the time between posts, no matter how long.

Even though I do not know you well, I expect that you will succeed and do so gracefully and with aplomb. You have already proven you can do this, so I have no doubt that you will continue to do so.

May your future be bright and filled with blessings!

Karou WindStalker · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:15 am Post subject:

Whatever it takes, filly, I will be there supporting you.
If I can handle the waits for Tigermark to update his story, I think I'll be able to weather the wait for your updates.
Hell, I'm eagerly awaiting when James Bruner starts writing again .. it's been a long stretch with no chapters there.

And in the mean time, we can re-read your older works and see if we can find more things to catch that we missed the first time.

Teric · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject:

I have to echo the previous comments here, Filly. A cut-back in chapter updates would be a bummer, yes, but completely understandable given your circumstances. It is much more important to get a good job and start working on your PhD than to update the story.

The thing is, I *know* you will update the story when you get the opportunity. I have no doubt. I'll be honest, I'm not so sure that some stories will ever be updated again (*cough* Josh *cough* Rava), but I have 100% confidence that yours will. Quite frankly, I'm still thoroughly impressed at how often and how consistently you have been updating up until now.

kcmack · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject:

I think i will have to go with the rest of the gang on this one. It is perfectly understandable if you are needing to cut back onto your update schedule. This is a kindness you do for us and it would be wrong of us to try and show unappreciation. You do what you need to do and as your guests we shall just have to put up with it, after all I am sure we can find someway to entertain ourselves lol.