More thoughts on the dissertation defense

Sometimes you just have to let go and move forward, forgetting about the past. I will not let my committee members make me feel inferior. They aren't trying to do that anyways. They are just aware that I did a shotgun dissertation, and it would have been preferable to spend more time on the dissertation. I'm aware of that, and I agree with them. But, I think I'll just graduate and get a job instead.

I have to consider my current financial situation and current debts as I think about spending more time in graduate school, especially since the program doesn't support its graduate students to conduct research or even pursue funding for research.

It's just simply more beneficial to graduate, and it is no longer worthwhile to stay in school, even if I would benefit from more training. I should not have to feel like I need to defend my choice to graduate on a faster time line than is typical.