From Rejected to Defended: A Recap of our Thesis Journey

Hello Everyone! It's me Jean, back again with another blog. For today's post, let me reminisce those challenging days that I have been through, it was during our thesis. So without further ado, let me start.

As I have said in my previous blogs, I am a student in morning and a call center again at night. It was hard for me to balance work and school specially the time where we need to accomplished our thesis. It happened on 3rd year 2nd semester until 4th year 1st semester. There are five persons in one group.

Right after the announcement of groups we immediately created a group chat for our thesis and planned things that needs to be done. We assigned each other to find a topic that we are interested so that we will be using it for our study.

After how many studies and discussions, we have finally agreed to use impulsive buying behavior as our topic and started to search for literatures and studies that will support the topic. During the first semester, it was bearable, despite the other activities, assignments from other subjects I was still able to give contribution to our group. However, it was also the time where I can no longer focus on my work,there was a time where I suddenly slept during work hours, and the grades of my performance was low. My team leader talked to me with regards to my performance and tell him about my situation, luckily they understand and put some adjustments so that I will be able to make it through.

As months pass by, we started to work on other parts of our thesis such as related literatures, Scope of the Study, Statement of the problem, related studies and etc. In the first part of our thesis we had to defend the chapter 1 and 2, a week before our defense, I have requested to my team leader to have 3 days sick leave on work for the preparation of our defense and they have agreed. In that 1 week, we barely see our parents at home since we always had an overnight in my classmate's home to review and refresh our minds.

Defense day have come, we prayed and encourage my group that we can make it. However, It seems like the timing isn't in our favor that time and our study got rejected. Despite that, we still manage to smile in front of our professors and had a breakdown right after we go out in to the defense room. We almost lose our hope that time and think that our efforts and sacrifices is not enough.

But it didn't stop us to push through, after how many days of comforting ourselves and giving time, we do the revisions according to the suggestions of our professors,asking help from others is not a big deal as long as it help us to improve our study and learn something as to what we need to do.

As for our final defense, we faced our professors with full of confidence and knowledge about our study and by that time, smile slowly form in to our lips and tears full into our face not because we got rejected but we finally defended our study. In a span of seconds, I was able to reminisce those days where I have no sleep, rest, bearly eat and lose weight, but it is worth it since it was finally paid off. It was a rollercoaster experience but worth remembering. It takes so many time, money, effort, emotions but at the end of the day, when it is already paid off, you feel so much satisfaction and be proud of yourself for making it through.

College is stressful,draining, costly and challenging but it is very important to choose your circle of friends that would help your college journey bearable. In my case, I am fortunate somehow, to meet my friends, groupmates and to my team leaders (tl's) at work because they are very patient and understanding with what I am going through.

So that is all for today, I hope you enjoy reading this new blog. Thank you so much for taking time. Stay safe everyone and God bless.