After what seemed like the start of a very long journey which began during Covid restrictions in 2020, my time as a PhD student is nearly at an end, although I still need to pass a challenging oral examination where I defend my thesis.  Today I submitted my thesis to the University for examination.  After three drafts, checking and re-checking every word, and a final read-through, I wrote the email, filled in an additional two forms, and submitted the thesis as a pdf document.  As somewhat of a perfectionist, it was difficult to let go and summon up the courage to press the “send” button.

My PhD has involved the capturing and processing of over 22,000 images, writing over 450 posts in this Critical Research Journal, drafting over 60,000 words and editing them down to 41,500 words.  I have spent many hours outside in bad weather, and small pockets of time enjoying good weather on Skye.  I have read a large number of books and academic articles and have just as many I would like to read post PhD.

The remaining time before my viva will be spent preparing for the questions the examiners might ask, having a mock viva with my supervisors and making plans for the future.  I also need to continue reading the thesis so I can refer to specific parts, sections, and images as appropriate during the viva.