Saturday, January 19, 2008

Light at the end of the tunnel...

I am officially hard at work on my thesis. I’ve decided to break the project down and refer to it as a ‘chapter,’ ‘introduction,’ or another term that does not specifically refer to it by name. Actually saying the word ‘thesis’ keeps reminding me that this will be the longest, hardest, yet most rewarding piece I will have ever written. Somehow refering to the individual components is not quite as intimidating!

That said, I’m in the midst of writing and have reached a bit of an impasse. My advisers have been most encouraging by exhorting me to, “chain yourself to your desk and write!” In the past, I would have wholeheartedly agreed with them, knowing no other way to conduct myself during the semester. My typical MO was to spend the majority of my time holed up in my room doing homework. But recent events with Mother have changed my outlook on life. I know I’m at the end of a very long academic road, but I don’t want to look back with regret. We only have the opportunity to live this life once, and I don’t want to let a moment go by.

My goal is to find a way to balance my academic perfectionism with living. I want to get out more socially and have time to goof off. These desires make it more difficult to convince myself to actually sit down and do the work required of me when life beckons! (I blame much of this on an acute case of advanced senioritis!) Christina and I were talking about our futures the other day, and I’m excited about mine. Post graduation is a blank slate right now, and I am okay with this because I know God has the perfect thing in store. However, before I get there I must complete this little task. For now, I will console myself with knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel. One hundred pages can’t be that difficult to write...right? :)

1 comment:

The Howard Bunch said...

I think you are smart to break it into little pieces. Honestly, I continued to do that until the last month or so - when I finally read through it as a whole. I gave myself little deadlines, like "You must finish the introduction and background by Friday." Then, before I knew it I had 100 pages, easy! You'll do great, I promise!!