After a long-fought 2-hour battle, I’m happy to report that I’ve passed my qualifying exam! It feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off my chest… I can breathe more easily and even the air smells better! =D My oral defense went from 11am-1pm, during which time a lot of tough questions were thrown in my direction. Fortunately, the examiners were incredibly helpful and gave me pointers to help confirm my preliminary studies. I’ll definitely need to unwind for the rest of the week before returning to hardcore lab work.