I feel like I have done nothing for 2 years | math phd update

Why do I feel like I have done nothing for 2 years? I have just finished my 4th semester of my mathematics phd program, and although I have finished the "masters work" of the phd I feel like I have made very little progress with regards to my own research. I think this is more just that I don't want academic validation anymore and I would rather focus on the creative and generative side of the phd process that comes with research and writing a thesis. I am almost there, I just have one test left and then (theoretically) I won't have to go through another academic test. Anyhow much like this description, the ramblings of this math video journal can be broken up? As follows.

00:00 Intro/ How do I feel about mastering out of a phd.
02:13 Semester 4 and being burnt out on testing
04:35 The effect of required test validation on my research goals/ideas
06:00 I blitzed through the plan, here are my grades and why do I feel like I have done nothing for 2 years
07:00 What is my last test?
08:17 Topology Qualifying Exam Topics
09:27 The twitch experiment and plans for twitch going forward.
10:24 Other things that happened last semester
12:00 I gave a talk! There is a YouTube Version of it already posted! Link in Description
13:54 Closing shenanigans

My Kofi Page:
_____________________
_____________________

WHAT GEAR I USED FOR THIS VIDEO:

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I include here, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel and for helping me create these free videos!

Subscriber Count as of release: 11,516(+ 379😮)

#CHALK #MathPhDUpdate #GraduateMath #CHALKND

[CHALKND]

was accepted by the journal that we submitted to. So maybe if I filmed this 19 hours later I would have felt differently about how things were going... life be like that sometimes :D

[LucasDimoveo]

I hope you're doing okay. Take care of yourself to the best of your ability.

It seems that your approach to Analysis and Dynamical Systems is very algebra and topology heavy. I'm more interested in the scientific computing side, and I'm still only in community college, so a lot of the pure math topics outside of Analysis seems mysterious to me

[fuzzylogic]

You are doing great man! Keep up the great work!!!

[dhickey]

Good luck, Nathan. And yes, at some point it feels like your own goals are delayed by necessary but peripheral events, tests, etc. I know too I wonder sometimes why people around me aren't doing something academically hard/rewarding too. Instead of living large, they live 'small'. Frustrating world. Anyway, you've got this!

[zrv]

Though I don't know you, but I feel the efforts you've put into your goals.
You are 3 standard deviations above the average, and I'm so proud of you, proud that there are people like you in this world! Keep grinding 👏

[garrettdyess]

In the majority of cases, do you feel like people get burnt out during their educational journey because of the learning/topic, itself - or, do you feel like it is the context in which we must learn? The context being the constant, overhanging stress/pressure of how grades tend to determine the future for students wanting to pursue further academics. Your discussion on being tired of being tested on material is very relatable and I was wondering if you share the view I just mentioned.

[PresDonaldTrump]

Do it, forget about it, and progress.

[tomijantunen]

Thanks for the update! It is fun to hear about your journey.

[Kinghercules]

So question; why do you repeat the same classes in grad school from undergrad? Like you've taken Complex Analysis and Topology in undergrad but yet those and others are repeated in grad school. With some much math out there why are the classes repeated? Please explain. Thank you

[dehnsurgeon]

why does the topology exam only cover point-set topology? what would someone going into differential, geometric or algebraic topology take?