University of Waterloo (Canada) officially loses sanity

[Mystix123 60]

They gave him a Master's degree?!

No, really...they did: http://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/6046/1/Deonarine_Justin.pdf

 

Not sure how many of you know what I do (outside of play Sacred 2), but I'm currently a Doctoral student in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Waterloo.

I know that it seems like a contradiction that I'm now receiving my Master's degree while in the Doctoral program, but I was actually accepted into Doctoral Studies straight from Undergrad (based on my prior research, which my Master's thesis builds on). A Master's thesis was technically optional.

 

My main research involves Audiovisual Speech Perception and Illusions (as shown by my Master's thesis above). Here are two video examples (from YouTube) of Audiovisual Speech Perception Illusions:

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I also study topics such as Visual Perception and Visual Illusions, Representational Momentum (one aspect of the Psychology of Physics) and will be running a Patient-based study on Memory.

 

I've recently accepted an offer to move to Queen's University (in Kingston, Ontario) and continue my Doctoral studies in their Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Sciences program, which is a combination of Cognitive Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience.

In return for my research this year, I was asked to write a Master's thesis so that I could be granted something for my time at Waterloo. The end result: I've just successfully finished the equivalent to a 2-year Master's program in under a year.

 

So yeah, just got that good news today and thought I would share.

[cyclops 15]

I havn't really read the whole article yet but that seem awfully short for a Master's thesis!!. My bachelor's thesis was easily 3 times the length.

[gogoblender 3,071]

Congratulations Justin! Your line of research is fascinating, illusion? Good luck with the thesis and the hours of work set to come your way. Sacred 2 is for relaxing I guess?

 

 

gogo

[essjayehm 58]

Yes... definitely huge congratulations on your accomplishment, Mystix!

It may seem a bit weird or comical...

 

Waterloo: You're leaving for Queens?

Myst: ayup.

Waterloo: Take this as a parting gift. No hard feelings, ok?

 

But I do realize that you must have put in a huge amount of work/reasearch/etc, 'cause they don't just give those Masters degrees away for nothing.

[Mystix123 60]

I havn't really read the whole article yet but that seem awfully short for a Master's thesis!. My bachelor's thesis was easily 3 times the length.

 

It's indeed short, even for my own field. Many others have asked about it also.

Re-reading the Introduction, I would have liked to cut out a few things from there also. (lol)

 

My writing style has become very blunt and to the point, which makes my papers short. Compared to my advisor though, I still have a lot of fluff. The General Discussion is at 2.25 pages (to fit in everything that I felt needed to be said), while he wanted it cut down to 1 page.

My Results sections are tiny as my analysis is simple (yet extremely powerful, avoiding the need to run stats for every detail of the data), and I didn't have to analyze the data in multiple ways (as most experiments require). My Experiment 2 is also very small, as my methodology is largely the same across experiments (minus some noted change), which significantly cut down on the size of the paper.

Also, I only needed to include 2 experiments in my Master's thesis (while colleagues have had 4-5 experiments), simply because these two on their own had significant implications. I've actually run many more experiments this year and wanted to include them, but it would hurt the paper to add so much extra detail.

 

Less is more, so long as it gets the point across. Leaves less for me to read too.

 

Congratulations Justin! Your line of research is fascinating, illusion? Good luck with the thesis and the hours of work set to come your way. Sacred 2 is for relaxing I guess?

Much thanks. I find my research interesting too...if that counts.

I assume that you're fluent in both French and English Gogo? If so, what do you hear when you look at the first Example Video?

 

Indeed, Sacred 2 is for relaxing. I was just telling my cousin today that while I'm running experiments, I normally have to choose: Sacred 2 or sleep.

Yep, Sacred 2 has won some nights. (lol)

 

Yes... definitely huge congratulations on your accomplishment, Mystix!

It may seem a bit weird or comical...

 

Waterloo: You're leaving for Queens?

Myst: ayup.

Waterloo: Take this as a parting gift. No hard feelings, ok?

 

But I do realize that you must have put in a huge amount of work/reasearch/etc, 'cause they don't just give those Masters degrees away for nothing.

Thanks Essjayehm.

 

LOL! That dialogue is awesome, because it's really close to what happened.

To some degree, it's more so that they can permanently attach their name to my CV (since I have to acknowledge my time here now). However, it gets me a Master's degree, so I think it's a fair trade.

[Knuckles 904]

Congratz...I know getting a Masters requires an enormous amount of dedication, perseverance and just plain hard work.

 

If I ever had to do a thesis I would have been as blunt as you. Not one to fluff out anything. But this is something I think I could never do, so a tip of the hat to you and your accomplishment.

 

I'm more of a 'hands-on' guy so I went into electronics and eventually got a bachelors thru the Navy. In electronics I have to deal with white or ambient noise quite a lot. It's amazing what nature can produce and how it interferes with today's electronic equipment. The thesis was quite an interesting read. Nicely done

[cider_steve 26]

Gratz to you.

 

Wish I'd gotten some qualifications.

Edited August 7, 2011 by cider_steve

[Mystix123 60]

Much thanks both!

 

1.5 weeks until I move to Kingston.

Going a little crazy not being able to run experiments. I now have 33 experiments (for the audiovisual integration research alone) that I want to run...but have to wait until I move before I can start.

[gogoblender 3,071]

hahah, it's cool hearing that mystix. My aunt used to run a ton of research for Veterinarian science near Ste. anne's. She says she can just get lost in all the titrations, drops, microscopes and smears...I just wanted to go run outside!

 

 

gogo