Submitting my doctoral thesis in Madurai, India
At last I was going to Madurai for 4 days, with the hope that I was going to submit my doctoral thesis. There was no excitement in my step as the bus stopped outside the University gates. I normally have a spring in my step crossing the road, as every trip meant I was closer to my goal of submission but not this time. This time the whole process felt like a drag, I was unsure if I would really submit yet again.
I had been firm this time asking my husband to call the guide and tell him to give the dates when he thought he would be able to give me time to complete. In India the man's word is respected more than a woman's, in most societies, so when my tickets were to be cancelled yet again -- I asked my husband to call the guide and ask him directly to give him a date. In other words quit fooling around and give me dates to book Dates were given and a different tone was detected by me.
Arriving in the department the next morning a couple of changes were effected all inbetween my guide's phone chats, support workers fights and student classes. The evening closed late and as I walked home in the dark I was unsure what the next morning would bring. For the moment the fact that I had to walk 2km in pitch darkness to the faculty guest house was unnerving to say the least. As I walked I spoke to the family in Bangalore, just to remain strong till I reached the building. I shut out the rustling noises in the bushes and the mournful cry occasionally of the peacock.
The next morning I went straight to the data entry operators shop and worked there till I was able to bring back an almost final draft, in a calico bound book form. Long hours in the heat, but this place called Shandlaks had a better space and some semblance of air-conditioning. Five long hours of working with the operator at the rate of 100 bucks an hour. I thought was worth the effort. Spiral binding can be a pain especially for examiners to correct. But they made a very neat calico bound copy for me to take back.
However the final draft took over a day to check and again changes had to be effected by me. Changes in a thesis are not that easy, simply because if something is changed in the text, the contents page also has to be changed and the page numbers as well. Writing a thesis is one part of the job, but presenting it perfectly is a huge chore. Nothing has to be aligned badly, not even the numbering of chapters. And the spacing as to be just so.
That was two days down and on the third day I was back in the data entry place. Sitting again with the girl to check all the tweaks and changes. It was only by evening that I was able to ask for a set to be printed and I put the sheets together as a sample. Then what I was dreading happened. The electricity failed and they said they could not do the other books, without my presence. Not having lunch had made me crabby and the situation exacerbated my irritation.
Luckily the owner showed up and we were able to convince him that they had to copy my original template book and finish the rest. How hard was it to make books identical to the one I had left behind?
It was only by the next morning that we were told to collect the bound books and then meanwhile I had to work speedily on my synopsis. Might as well finish it and get it printed there said my guide and it was a good idea, as the finish of the synopsis was perfect with calico binding.
Six CDs were also demanded by the University and that was done in the same centre for a price. The bill came to a mind boggling 7,500 which was ridiculous considering in the UK the University in Wales charged me just over 2 pounds per thesis. A relative told me that had been subsidized.
The next morning I went to the submission room and was taken aback by the aggressive attitude of the staff. Luckily I was warned by a previous scholar to expect it so I had all my documents in order. However she found one loophole -- my address had been changed and for that I had to pay Rs 1000 in the bank. An MPhil student who had come with me ran to the bank for me and did the needful while I hung around waiting after writing a letter requesting for a change of address.
Finally just before 5pm the job was done. Who was to believe that just the submission of my doctoral thesis would be such a headache?
I had been firm this time asking my husband to call the guide and tell him to give the dates when he thought he would be able to give me time to complete. In India the man's word is respected more than a woman's, in most societies, so when my tickets were to be cancelled yet again -- I asked my husband to call the guide and ask him directly to give him a date. In other words quit fooling around and give me dates to book Dates were given and a different tone was detected by me.
Arriving in the department the next morning a couple of changes were effected all inbetween my guide's phone chats, support workers fights and student classes. The evening closed late and as I walked home in the dark I was unsure what the next morning would bring. For the moment the fact that I had to walk 2km in pitch darkness to the faculty guest house was unnerving to say the least. As I walked I spoke to the family in Bangalore, just to remain strong till I reached the building. I shut out the rustling noises in the bushes and the mournful cry occasionally of the peacock.
The next morning I went straight to the data entry operators shop and worked there till I was able to bring back an almost final draft, in a calico bound book form. Long hours in the heat, but this place called Shandlaks had a better space and some semblance of air-conditioning. Five long hours of working with the operator at the rate of 100 bucks an hour. I thought was worth the effort. Spiral binding can be a pain especially for examiners to correct. But they made a very neat calico bound copy for me to take back.
However the final draft took over a day to check and again changes had to be effected by me. Changes in a thesis are not that easy, simply because if something is changed in the text, the contents page also has to be changed and the page numbers as well. Writing a thesis is one part of the job, but presenting it perfectly is a huge chore. Nothing has to be aligned badly, not even the numbering of chapters. And the spacing as to be just so.
That was two days down and on the third day I was back in the data entry place. Sitting again with the girl to check all the tweaks and changes. It was only by evening that I was able to ask for a set to be printed and I put the sheets together as a sample. Then what I was dreading happened. The electricity failed and they said they could not do the other books, without my presence. Not having lunch had made me crabby and the situation exacerbated my irritation.
Luckily the owner showed up and we were able to convince him that they had to copy my original template book and finish the rest. How hard was it to make books identical to the one I had left behind?
It was only by the next morning that we were told to collect the bound books and then meanwhile I had to work speedily on my synopsis. Might as well finish it and get it printed there said my guide and it was a good idea, as the finish of the synopsis was perfect with calico binding.
Six CDs were also demanded by the University and that was done in the same centre for a price. The bill came to a mind boggling 7,500 which was ridiculous considering in the UK the University in Wales charged me just over 2 pounds per thesis. A relative told me that had been subsidized.
The next morning I went to the submission room and was taken aback by the aggressive attitude of the staff. Luckily I was warned by a previous scholar to expect it so I had all my documents in order. However she found one loophole -- my address had been changed and for that I had to pay Rs 1000 in the bank. An MPhil student who had come with me ran to the bank for me and did the needful while I hung around waiting after writing a letter requesting for a change of address.
Finally just before 5pm the job was done. Who was to believe that just the submission of my doctoral thesis would be such a headache?
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