Barbarossa
I just got word that a good friend in Savannah, GA just passed his comps! For those of you unfamiliar with the process of "comps", or Comprehensive Examinations, let me fill you in.

First, you select a committee of three professors who you've taken classes from and who will be able to help you write your thesis because their specializations are tied to the area you will be researching/writing on.

Then they give you written examinations. Three of them. On each exam (one for each professor all done on different days), the professor can ask you questions pertaining to any class you've ever taken with them. ANY class. You have to be prepared to write an essay on whatever they ask you to discuss. Sometimes they give you a head's up regarding what to expect, but sometimes they don't.

After the written part for all three is done, you have to have an oral exam in which you sit before your committee and they can ask you follow-up questions pertaining to your written answers. In addition, they can pretty much ask you any question that they didn't already ask you on the written part, but want to test your knowledge on.

After THAT'S done, they send you out of the room and deliberate among themselves. I've heard that this part is just to torment the student. You wouldn't be there if they didn't think you'd pass and for the most part you'd have to screw up pretty bad for them to fail you. But they send you out and they talk amongst themselves for a bit, then call you back in and tell you if you passed or not.

Speaking as someone who's gone through the process I can tell you with little hesitation that it's torture. I've never sweat so much in my life.

So congratulations! I knew you could do it!