The Power of the Internet = Ph.D.

Sitting in the audience at my doctoral hooding ceremony last Saturday, many recollections past through my mind. What stood out most, however, was the way in which email and the Web have completely altered my life. In fact, if it were not for the Internet, finishing my Ph.D. would have been much more difficult and likely would have taken much longer, if I had pursued it at all.

During my graduate coursework and dissertation research, just about any information I needed was just a few toe-clicks away. (Yes, I said "toe" I acquired cerebral palsy at birth and have always had better control of my feet than hands. After 12 years of typing 8 words a minute holding a stick in my hand to type on the typewriter, I found typing with my toes on a computer keyboard much easier. With help of macro software, I now type 20 words a minute.)

Research and information hunting are much easier also with this Internet revolution. This was my 12th year in college, and the difference in the way I do research now and the way I conducted it as an undergrad is equivalent to the difference between Bill Clinton and Trent Lott.

My first research obstacle was the card catalog. I was usually successful in pulling out the little drawers, but keeping them balanced so that they would not fall and interrupt the quiet sanctuary of the library was quite a juggling act. Flipping through those little index cards, however, with my manual dexterity? You must be kidding! I attended William Jewell College, a small liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri with a student body of 1200. WJC's library was not that big, so I developed a strategy to avoid a card catalog scene. After a few trips around the stacks, I memorized the location ofscanned the shelves for the books I needed.

Spotting the books I needed was only half the battle. I always had the luck that the books I needed were on the highest shelves, out of my reach. Unluckily, still, I usually planned my library visits when the all cute guys had class. So, I either had to knock the books down where I could get them off the floor or take my mom along to the library. Once I got the books, turning pages to find the index, and then the page with the information I sought left me ready for a Rip VanWinkle nap. Usually, I could scratch out the needed information, but being able to read it when I got home was not guaranteed.

Thankfully, my library obstacle course days are over, although I did

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