This 'Facebook' Meme Reminded Me That I Do Have A Master's Degree (Despite Being, Per Many, A Right Royal Idiot).
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The above Meme, which appeared on my Facebook timeline yesterday (because a 'friend' posted it) made me chuckle BUT also reminded me that I indeed do have a Master's -- awarded (as was said in the prospectus at the time) with the RARE 'Mark of Distinction'. This was way back in 1979 -- i.e., 46 years ago. At the time I was told that I was the first, in over 4 years, to have got a distinction in Computer Science. I was kind of CHUFFED because I had set out (without, of course, telling anyone) to get a distinction. I wanted to kind of prove that I wasn't the total moron that most took me to be.
Not that it matters. I LIKE BEING thought of as a moron. That eliminates expectations & excuses my behavior.
I got this Master's for my MOTHER!
She had never forgiven me for not staying on at College & getting a Ph. D. That was her dearest wish. This was MY compromise -- because I could do it, in the evenings, while still working for IBM.
[Actually IBM paid for all of it, & indulged me, excessively, giving me time-off & all the resources I needed. I actually NEVER used a computer system at the University! I did ALL my computer stuff at IBM. We, at IBM, had much, much, much better equipment. My lecturers used to 'tease' me about it. That I was spoilt.]
Getting this Master's CHANGED MY LIFE.
I don't think I learnt anything of use or value having to to do with Computer Science! It was all theoretical. Yes, we did some very early AI. But, to be FAIR, I was working at an IBM Research Lab. I was at the cutting edge.
What I did learn was how to WRITE.
That was ALL THANKS to an EXCEPTIONAL human being, Dr. Tom Westerdale.
He was an American, taking refuge in the U.K. from the Vietnam War. He was one of my lecturers. For whatever reason HE LIKED ME. He was NOT my supervisor. The Dept. Head elected to be my supervisor BECAUSE I worked for IBM.
Dear Dr. Westerdale decided, unilaterally, that he was going to supervise my THESIS.
And BOY DID HE EVER.
That was a MASTER CLASS.
He TORE ME APART. Demonstrated weekly that I had NO IDEA what I was writing about.
Made me rewrite, rewrite ... rewrite.
He taught me the art of writing PRECISELY.
And that has served me well since then.
Everything I have written, i.e., 42 books & 350+ publications, was post Dr. Westerdale.
I dedicated one my early books to him.
Without him I would not have become an author.
I OWE HIM SO MUCH.
Such a LOVELY MAN.
As far as I am concerned, my Master's was ALL ABOUT learning how to write from Dr. Westerdale.
But, even he, for all his talents, couldn't stop me from being an idiot.
Now it doesn't matter.
I like being an idiot.
😇
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