MetaChat - I totally screwed this one up.

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09 July 2008

I totally screwed this one up. I defended my thesis project today.→[More:] I went in, rather nervous. Everything went well at first, but then anxiety took over. I was sitting there, thinking about whether I should just stand up and leave or not. I was asked a few rather obvious questions that I failed to answer. I knew the answers to these questions. I had thought it all over. Yet I just couldn't remember fucking anything.

Fuck.

post by: Daniel Charms at: 05:55 | 7 comments

Your committee's seen nervous candidates before and if they know what they're doing they know the difference between nervous and unprepared.

posted by Wolfdog 09 July | 06:19

I know nothing about this stuff, but do you get another chance?

posted by chewatadistance 09 July | 06:47

I was going to ask the same thing as chewey: is there any way you can communicate to them that you had a bit of an anxiety attack, and would like to answer their questions?

Sorry it didn't go smoothly.

posted by Specklet 09 July | 06:50

Well, I'll still be admitted to the PhD program; I just won't receive a state scholarship. It's not the end of the world, but it would have made my life considerably easier.

posted by Daniel Charms 09 July | 08:19

Man, I had a full-blown anxiety attack at my PhD oral exam. It's the only one I've ever had, thankfully, but I know what they're like. The experience is just as you describe; at one point, one of the examiners started asking me real soft-ball questions, just to try to calm me down. It didn't help--my mind was just blank.

It was horrible. You have my sympathy.

posted by mrmoonpie 09 July | 11:21

I'm so sorry, D.C. I get that same blank brain when I'm stressed and I just can't stop it. Horrible. I can certainly sympathize with you.

posted by redvixen 09 July | 19:51

I get that at work... I'll be asked a stupid question, one I *know* and have no idea how to answer it.

Very frustrating!

Hope that this all works out for you!

posted by jonathanstrange 09 July | 21:06

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