The Almost Drop-Out Diary: Weeks 4&5 - Stressful but Survived

Last Monday, I was incredibly stressed because the final progress review was just two weeks away, as mentioned in my last post. Now, I can say I almost dropped out — but I didn’t. Perhaps you, too, could hold on a bit longer before making such a decision. I passed the final progress review this past Friday. Although my results did not satisfy the external reviewer, I still have six months left. I’m determined to improve my results while writing my thesis like my peers. Fortunately, I passed the internal review, and my current work and research plan for the next six months have been approved by the panel.

Reflecting on the Experience:

1. The Hardship — The last few weeks have been a test of endurance and commitment.
2. A Mindset Shift Saved Me — Adopting a new perspective was crucial in overcoming the obstacles.
3. 3. I Made It — Despite the challenges, I succeeded in meeting the panel’s expectations.

1. The hardship

I worked extremely hard over the last two weeks:

• Four days were spent trying to develop something new for the review presentation.
• Then, I spent three days writing the report, approximately 20,000 words over 50 pages. well, 10,000 of it was directly…