That's Why They Call Them Comprehensive

In a few short hours I will begin writing my PhD Comprehensive Exams. We arrived back home from our extended weekend trip to Brownsville, TX. I was anxious to catch a peek at the topics over which I need to write over the next week or so. My adviser was to e-mail them to me on the 18th. We arrived home after business hours on the 18th, so I thought I should have received them. They weren't there yet. I sent my adviser an e-mail before we were taken out to eat by our recently graduated daughter, Kim, who had been "home" doing her laundry.

When we returned from the Olive Garden, the comps had arrived. Comprehensive is an adequate word to describe them. Another word that comes to mind is brutal. Well, that's why I get to use a library to write them. I will hole myself up in a study room at Missouri Southern State Library over the next four days. Then I will take a hiatus on my writing schedule, catch a ride to Chicago with an OCC student, spend Saturday night with some old friends from high school, speak Sunday morning at the Blue Island (IL) Church of Christ (Spanish-speaking church), attend a ball game at U.S. Cellular Field between my beloved Cubbies and that despicable White Sox, visit the new camp of my beloved church camp Lake Region Christian Assembly in Crown Point, IN, before boarding a Greyhound Bus (I'm up for new cultural experiences) back to Joplin, MO. I'll arrive back home on Monday afternoon (June 25), and resume writing my comps on the 26th and 27th. I doubt that I'll be writing blog entries over the next week, unless I write something particularly well that I want to post here.

My adviser told me "Good luck." I hope I don't need it. I guess they are graded on a pass/fail basis. I intend to pass, but they are what they are called: comprehensive. If you read this, and remember to pray for me, I would be very appreciative.

DGF