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History Has Been Made

On this day, 21 March 2005 at 1:49 a.m., history has been made. I have finally completed the first draft of my thesis. After a weeks' worth of hard work, where I breathed, ate, drank and even dreamt only of my thesis, it's done. The past one week's suffering of sleeping at 4 a.m. writing my thesis and waking up 7 hours only to continue writing has come to an end. I now proudly declare the fruits of my labour:


Pages: 59
Words: 14,150
Characters (no spaces): 76,292
Characters (with spaces): 90,045
Paragraphs: 923
Lines: 1,657
Non-Asian words: 14,150
Asian words, Korean characters: 0


Additionally, there is a total of 6 chapters + abstract, 5 hand-drawn figures using Word, 8 tables, 1 regression analysis table and 12 bar graphs. *clap clap*


This journey has really been crazy for me. Never thought that I would have the determination and strength in me to be so self-disciplined. Karen thinks I have gone mad writing my thesis because I refuse to rest until I have completed my first draft. Every day when she talks to me, I'm doing my thesis. Every night before she sleeps, I'm still doing my thesis. Every time she tells me to stop and take a break, I say that I'm still doing my thesis.


I really did put in alot of effort for my thesis. Really, really did.


Now for the cruel facts of life.


The maximum page limit for the thesis is 40 pages, inclusive of abstract, bibliography and appendix. Since my first draft does not include bibliography, it is safe to say that at least 20 pages of my hard work will be edited away when I submit my final work. Now, one would ask, why would a rational girl like Minyi write so many pages in excess just to have it all "backspace" away?


That's because my professor wanted me to write as much as I can so that it's easier for him to edit my work to 40 pages. In fact, he told me it's best if I can write about 70 pages. Yes, you read it right, 70 pages. So actually, I have not even met the minimum requirements of my professor. I nearly fainted when I heard him. I was thinking I might have problems writing 40 pages and here he is telling me to write an extra 30 pages!


Now that my first draft is completed, I feel quite strangely surreal. I don't know if it's the serotonin imbalance due to the weird sleeping hours in the past week or that it still hasn't hit me yet that it's really done.


Time for me to get my life back in order by sleeping well and doing something else for a change instead of my thesis.


Can't wait for 01 April.




min on Monday, March 21, 2005