After a year of medical leave, after 12 months of academic hiatus, I returned to Dalhousie University to finish the PhD race that started in 2002. Running this academic race is not an easy task. I encountered both sweet and painful moments; but enough of the past. Now, I am given three months to produce my full thesis draft, two months to polish my work, one month to prepare for my defence, and two months for revisions before finally submitting my dissertation – the final and only requirement to achieving one of my life dreams, my doctorate in Sociology.
So, I call this process as a “restart”, a renewed beginning of a specific stage of my life whose ending is inevitable. My ever mindful and supportive supervisor, Dr. Victor Thiessen said it more eloquently during our first meeting.
“You’ll finish your PhD this coming year because it is written so clearly in your biography. You will be Dr. Clarence Batan.”
Taking off from my adviser’s belief in me, I am going to finish the writing my thesis fully resolved that the academic skills I learned over the years are enough to merit the production of an acceptable dissertation.
So here’s the deal.
In the spirit of the film, Julie and Julia, every time that is possible, I will blog about my thesis and the process of writing. It could be as short as a sentence or as long as a paper. It will be in various format: essay, short stories or poem.
My goal is to document all that has to do with my own thesis writing – pain and happiness; frustrations and victories. In so doing, I would have created a self-reflexive personal mirror that I may find amusing to read after this ordeal is accomplished; hoping that by that time, I will still have some sanity left in me.
This is a self project whose ultimate ending is when I finally hold my university diploma on my hand.
