milestones

I received the official word that comprehensive exams have been accepted:

You are now officially a doctoral candidate...Your doctoral candidacy period will be marked by high expectations for intellectual autonomy and self-motivation. Your advisor and supervisory committee will continue to guide and mentor you, but increasingly their focus will be on evaluating your readiness to make independent contributions to your discipline. This period may be fundamentally different than the earlier phases of your doctoral studies, which makes it simultaneously more exciting and more challenging. I encourage you to take full advantage of this stage of your doctoral career and immerse yourself in focused research and scholarly activities.

AMEN!! This paragraph is like music to my ears. I don't care much about the title, but what it means. I have been waiting for dissertation since I decided to get a PhD and I want nothing more than to immerse myself into my research. No matter how late I have to stay up tonight, I am determined to get a draft to advisor #2 by the time I lay me down to sleep.