UberNoggin

*Insert typical “I know I haven’t blogged in a while” junk here as if anyone cared anyway*

Well, I graduated. The gates of all the secret PhD knowledge are now open to me. I know the secret handshake and get to say “That’s DOCTOR Smith-Robbins to you, punk!” Unfortunately, the title doesn’t give me all the answers. It seems that I’ve arrived at a clean slate. A big fancy slate but a blank one nonetheless. I’m in this odd spot where I get to decide what I want to do rather than just completing tasks that others have assigned to me. Heck, I don’t even have to worry about a job because I already have a great one that gives me the flexibility to choose my own path. But which path shall I take?

I’m in this odd spot on the line between several disciplines. I’d like to bring them together in a unique way and carve our a niche answering questions that not only do I care about but that I’m uniquely qualified to ask. I have one foot in rhetoric and communication, one in social science, one in technology, and one in business. That’s a lot of feet. I know that I want to put my weight on the business foot but I’m not sure how I want to leverage the others.

I’ve started by making a huge list of things I’m interested in, questions I wish I knew the answers to, and finally knowledge areas I feel comfortable in. I’ve also decided not to be swayed by what I’m already known for because I don’t want where I’ve been to determine where I’m going unless that’s what I choose. For now I’m playing the “what would I like to be known for in five years” game to see how I feel about certain trajectories. My moleskin is bursting with lists of this and that but so far nothing is giving me that “Aha!” feeling. I suppose if it were easy to live with direction and purpose everyone would do it, right?

Still, though it may be daunting, I’m excited by all the possibilities, potentially undiscovered knowledge, and adventures that each path may lead to. And I know that going down one doesn’t mean that the others are closed forever. But which to choose first?

1. Ruth says:

   May 23, 2011 at 9:45 am

   Congrats on the degree. I can truly understand the conundrum of what the degree means. My hopes are to be known as Dr. Ruth someday; however, time and money play a large roll in this commitment.

   I’ve heard others state what the PhD means to them and why they pursued this challenge. What is your story? Any tips for when I venture out into the PhD Wilderness?