Yesirree, I finally submitted my thesis for examination yesterday afternoon. Printed it out (7 copies of about 300 pages each) on Friday afternoon, took them to the binders and collected them yesterday lunchtime to deliver to Research HQ to be signed off. I dreamed my bag of theses got swopped on the bus with someone's heavy bag of Tesco's shopping so I was thwarted at the last moment for submitting, but that didn't happen in real life as I clutched them tightly, just in case. 3 copies get sent to a panel of chosen academics for my examination in a few months time, before the whole thing rolls on towards its final conclusion. It's been a hideous few weeks which I hope I never have to revisit, far too much stress and a dreadful lack of proper sleep, but at least it's another stage reached.
So in the words of Dusty Springfield, now I just don't know what to do with myself,* as it's been hanging over me for so long! Well, not quite in Dusty's words as she obviously wasn't singing about a thesis and she's sad, whereas I'm certainly not, but it makes my point, and anyway she's got a great voice and it's got an interesting set made from big white tubes. So now I'll have to rehabilitate myself into 'normal' life again! How weird it's all been recently....
* apart from catching up on sleep, SO desperately needed right now.
9 comments:
Woohooooooooo! What will happen at examinations?
I concur with that!!
For the exam, 3 academics who are specialists in this field have been selected by the university to cross-examine me on what I've written, so I can defend it. These things usually take a few hours, sometimes they are a bit traumatic it seems, where the student gets picked apart, others go ok. It's an unknown factor in some ways, even if your supervisors know the academics in a professional sense, sometimes they turn out to be quite different in an examination situation.
Then they decide whether what you've produced is worthy of a doctoral award and is a contribution to knowledge in that field, and usually give you corrections to do. That's usually minor rewrites or typing errors etc, sometimes big rewrites, then the whole thing is over. Hopefully it should be all done by the summer....
Sounds worse than the writing of it! Of course, I'm terrible at any type of oral testing. Actually, I'm terrified of public speaking. Guess I'll never ever consider doctoral work!
Well done you. Enjoy the relax and try not to worry about the exam stuff.
Well done sweetheart!
The biggest hurdle has been overcome. I'm sure your viva will go well. Hugs to you.
Deb, it does sound worse than writing it in a weird way, but it will be over sooooo much faster!! And apparently some people actually enjoy these things, I am told!
Thanks Hottie and Roses, it is really wonderful to sleep a lot and do normal stuff or absolutely nothing without feeling guilty and having that thesis hanging over me. Plus my dad's op went well and he's out of hospital, so everything is slowly turning out well.
Congratulations Claire! Missed this until now!!!!!
Mathias, thanks! I've got my viva in a few weeks, so am trying to revise at the moment. I will be glad to see the end of it and move on to something slightly different.....
Claire, you've been tagged. If you are too busy right now with exam preps, feel free to postpone an acceptance post! (See my blog)
Miss having you around.
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