Timing and bureacracy

For the last couple of months, I've been wrestling with a decision: Do I try to graduate in June 2010, or do I take things a bit easier and go for December 2010? The former would be a huge hassle. Everything would have to go perfectly, in terms of timing, coordination, and bureaucracy. No "friction of war." The main issue is that I need to finish at least three more studies, in sequence, each piloting elements of the next study, in order to have all the pieces together to create a good dissertation study, and it would be really hard to carry that off. Plus, I'd need to write my prelim paper (for which I'm intending a vast lit review) and defend it by the end of September, which wouldn't be the fun way to approach the task. (On the other hand, I pretty much need to fund myself at work now, and it's of course easier to get funding with a Ph.D. than an M.S.!)

So today we got the news that, due to very disruptive bureaucratic issues, our department won't be able to run our human subjects pool this summer. My spring study is a pilot for this specific population, so I can't run the next study elsewhere, and now I can't run it this summer. That throws each of my other studies off by at least three months. So, yes, it's annoying, and yet it also means I'm saved from months of trying to meet the deadlines for June and can start living on the more relaxed December plan. Too bad, but, oh well. I'll probably be happier.

Also, likewise, I could get paid at the scientist pay rate for my main study now, but then I'd need to pick up .25 of other FTE, rather than .10, in order to keep my lovely health insurance, and that is seeming pretty iffy. So I guess I'll just play it safe and retain my current salary rate, at least for now. Too bad, but, oh well.