It’s done.
But more importantly, it’s gone.
Today, after three months of toil, I sent off my 217-page thesis to my two examiners, one internal with the University and one external, in Germany. It’s out of my hands now, and all I have to do is prepare for my viva in late October. It is, as they say, the point of no return.
It’s good to be free.
I could write a novel on my thesis adventures alone, but I’m afraid it would be too intense. So instead, I give you dates:
- Began writing thesis full-time: July 3
- First deadline for submission: August 15
- Realised that first deadline is a joke: August 14
- Second deadline for submission: September 12
- Armageddonic realisation that statistics are wrong: September 10
- Really worried about statistics: September 14
- Realised that second deadline is just not going to happen: September 15
- Third deadline for submission: September 20
- Realised that third deadline falls on a Sunday: September 18
- Fourth deadline for submission: September 23
- Gave up on hope of ever graduating: September 18
- Adopted tearful “I don’t care any more” attitude: September 19
- Fifth deadline for submission: September 28
- Print Shop rage: September 26
- Registry Office comes to the rescue: September 27
- Submission of thesis under “Hallelujah” chorus: September 28
***ADDITION ***
- Thesis reaches Germany and gets lost in post: September 29
- Notified of situation: October 11
- Thesis finally emailed to examiner as PDF: October 12
- Second (and last) hard copy of thesis sent to external examiner’s home: October 15
Ain’t no business like a PhD business.
WELL DONE Nik! I am so proud of you!!
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