In Defence of the Defence
I finished my thesis viva last week after waiting for 10 months since submission. It was not a complicated encounter and was done and over in about 10 minutes. I was glad it was done – some of the feedback was valid, some not. Yet, it reminded me of the value of doing a thesis – the research, the time, effort, attention to detail and grit to see it through. And I was glad I did.
Of our batch, a majority have not completed their theses due to various reasons. It was my reminder of how many don’t understand the value of doing one. As an undergrad, I remember how much I researched and finally submitted my thesis. And this time too, I did almost 2 years of research – in the middle of Covid, in the midst of the economic crisis, I persevered. And I am glad I did. I spent many hours in many libraries and was happy to be immersed and among books again.
However, I realised that with the advent of the smartphone, my attention span had dwindled. I found it hard to concentrate at a stretch in the library – I was constantly reaching for my phone and had to fight the urge to keep doing it. It was a startling revelation – because I was one who could read for a couple of hours at a stretch without a problem. Now, it was an effort. It made me wonder if all of us at work or wherever have lost our attention span and time to this wretched gadget. It would explain why I have stopped my voracious reading of books as well. I was not pleased.
Yet, the thesis was something that got me back in that frame of academia. It was my renaissance into Sinhala, research, history, books and many things I had forgotten about. It was wonderfully enlightening and it reaffirmed to me that I did posses the grit and discipline required to finish something I started.
In a world where people are paying for MBAs, Doctorates and even basic assignments, I can proudly say that all my work is my own. In doing my own work, I know that I can do whatever, wherever without having to resort to deceit and blustering. And that, is truly liberating.
