Misadventures in Thesis Writing Part II

20 August 2009

To orient everybody so that we are all on the same page… (haan haan amerika ki hawa lag gayi :) I left off last time elated that I had submitted my thesis draft to my advisor.... little did I know that was just the beginning of a lot of well ... paperwork.

I got back 1 million and 2 corrections on my draft....ok ok fine..... I am exaggerating here... I got back 1 million and 1 corrections ... and then we played ping pong (American table tennis…...all same except the name). I would correct and hand it to my PI (Principal Investigator/ advisor) and I would get it back with strangely corrections on the previous corrections.... then I would hand it in again after I made those corrections and then the next round of corrections on the previous corrections on the previous se previous corrections....

My plight can also be represented as a series progression, where sigma (thesis); defined by variable C (as in corrections); ranges from infinity to infinity + 1 million.

My current status is "undefined for the given set of conditions". I am just waiting for my advisor to get tried of reading and just let me turn in my thesis....

Meanwhile during a particularly long volley (of corrections).....I realized that the Do or Die date is around the corner (to be read Defence Date: Friday, the 28th of August....O My God) and I had not yet started on my slides yet.....

I was fully aware that an example of a simple harmonic motion was brewing in the near future (i.e ping pong with my advisor about my presentation slides)

I mentioned to my PI that l want to show him my slides on Monday (today) so that I will be prepared by Friday ……. he said...."oh 1 day is enough for slide preparation; you are too smart to spend so much time on that"

Huh???? I have to give a public presentation, defending my 1 year research...... in less than 4 days!!!

So right now I am making my slides while waiting for C= infinity + (do you really have to know???)

If this drama was not enough.... there was an unexpected twist to my story just today morning.....1 of my committee members is not available on 28^th morning (my decided time to defend)......

[to let everyone know why this 28th ( O my god) is a sacred day ....it is the last day anyone who wants to graduate in summer should defend ( like for example me)]

So imagine I panicked and mailed the Prof back asking him for the times he is free on friday.

[this system is unique to America...you email stuff like "can I meet you at so n so" or 'r u free between so n so' even if that person is in the cabin next to yours.....it is the "American way" considered polite (might be too...but not every time) ]

Finally after no new email (in 30 minutes) I went to his cabin found out when he is free and walked to other committee members found out when they r free and fixed a time in absolutely Hindustani isstyle :) which honestly... took lot less waiting and typing but maybe a little exercise ;)

Well it worked so now if the 28 the last possible day was not enough I am defending at 2pm ( may be the last hour) on 28^th :D

Writing this has certainly refreshed me....now to get back to my slides....will update you all on "Final Showdown 'Shraddha vs MS' " as soon as I am done..