Wednesday 23 January 2013

The date has been set!

So as the final work on my thesis is being completed, I had to spend some time working out a date for my final presentation. February 14, 2013 at 10:30am. At some time in the afternoon in some location within Ångström, I will stand and present the work that I have done. I am excited and a bit nervous. It is also a bittersweet feeling. As wonderful as it is to have finished my work and put the icing on the cake, so to speak, there is a part of me that is going to miss what I have enjoyed the past few years. All things change, and I will always have a fondness for Uppsala and I only hope that the work I have done here will be enough to warrant a future career in astronomy or space physics. Currently I am putting the finishing touches on my thesis based on comments I received from my supervisor, crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's to make sure that the paperwork is completed so I am ready to move on to the next chapter and challenge of my life. Now don't go and think this is the end, I still have three weeks before everything is said and done and it will be a busy time. So keep up, we are at the home stretch but there is always more to do. :) --> ok, so maybe more than a little excited.

Thursday 17 January 2013

Nearing an end...

So I received an email today from Jan-Erik telling me that he had finished reading my thesis. Tomorrow I will go and we will discuss the changes he has suggested and possibly move forward even deeper into the project. Again, my project is determining electron temperature distributions within Titan's lower ionosphere. Well, with the results that I have gotten, I have decided that I want to take a bold step and see if it is possible to start making predictions of electron temperatures. If that works, then that will go a long way in helping to explain the processes that control the temperatures in this region. It is a long shot, but those are what I like. Being able to find the connections and draw conclusions that most do not expect is a wonderful thing. In any case, we will find out tomorrow what his thoughts are. After that, I will set up a final presentation and then my master's work here at Uppsala will be finished. The only thing that will remain after my presentation will be to run around,dot my i's and cross my t's so as to ensure there will be no problem transitioning to the next step, whatever that may be. Just in time for the next round of PhD position announcements. Because of my personal matter, I was unable to secure myself a position last year. Oh well,if at first you do not succeed, try, try again.

Thursday 10 January 2013

After a long absence, a welcome return

Hej alla!

After an unfortunate and personal leave of absence, I have returned to finish my master's work. The people here in the physics department were extremely understanding especially given the circumstances of my "disappearance". Now that everything has come to a close in that area, I can focus wholly on my studies. Of course, my return to Sweden was a bit cold. I left Mississippi at 20 plus and landed in Sweden at 20 below. It took a while but I have adjusted well enough. Now that my thesis is written, I have to wait eagerly for the comments from my supervisor (just a bit scared), and in the meantime prepare for my presentation. Then my master's work will be finished. I have also been practicing some Swedish in my free time. It will make the jokes funny if I can understand what is being said. Now it is time to do some more reading and prepare for tomorrow, another day doing what I enjoy most, trying to understand the universe I am a part of. Hej då.