Can't Take the Sky from Me (Thesis, Req'ts, and Whatnots Today)
I can feel it. Three copies of my undergrad thesis ("Sunrise in the City of Sepulchers and Other Stories") are lying on a table somewhere in the SC, freshly hardbound, waiting to be picked up and paid for.
Yet I still can't believe it.
It's an amazing feeling, being able to finish that. Of course, I can't help but think how much better it could have been (the ambitious novella that I was planning never came to fruition) had I worked diligently from the get-go. But I learned a lot these past couple of weeks.
I said it on my thesis; the best part was when I was writing the Acknowledgments page, because I knew I was only writing that because I was done. I read on one guy's article that we should do away with lengthy acknowledgments, that if we really did mean it, we would thank them in person. But still. It's my personal space on that thesis, my own page that is not required. I had to enjoy it.
Here's an appended Acknowledgment section, since the one on the thesis is largely incomplete. (And sorry to Multiply users; this'll be LONG, since I don't know how to use an LJ-cut in Multiply...)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Perhaps there is no greater feeling than writing the acknowledgments, because it means I have finally finished my undergraduate thesis. I would like to express my gratitude to the following people who have helped make all of this possible:
To Professor Emil Francis Flores, my patient thesis adviser,for putting up with my pestering and sticking with me even though I kept bothering him during the Holy Week.
To Professor Gerardo Los Baños, for teaching us the fundamentals and preparing us for the long run in the program, as well as for being a thorough critic.
To Professor Jose Dalisay, Professor Anna Felicia Sanchez, Professor Jose Wendell Capili, Professor Charlson Ong, Professor Marie Aubrey Villaceran, Professor Carla Pacis - my professors in my CW major classes - for helping me in my quest to improve my fledgling craft.
To Professor Isabella B. Mooney, for helping me through 199 and the research paper.
To my family: Ma, Pa, Kuya Ronald, Kuya Robert, Ate Richelle, Nanay, and Tita Ning - for always being there for me and teaching me to become the person I am now. Your unwavering faith, support and love all these years has kept me going. (Oh, and thanks for the laptop again, Kuya Ron!)
To my beloved Roxanne Alexis Quilicol, for everything. I love you.
To my friends - particularly Lowe, Raine, Ron, Mayi, Cheska, Triccie, Nessa, Pch, Drea, Howie, Szu, Klaine, Neri, Dei, BOOM!, Alex, Michi, Joey - for procrastinating with me. Just kidding. I love you guys. Thanks for helping me through life day by day, for all the rants, raves, jokes, texts, YM conversations and cups of incredibly expensive coffee that we have shared and, hopefully, will continue to share.
ETA: SHIT ANDAMING NAKALIMUTAN >__< I SUCK, I KNOW.
To my orgmates and friends, lalo na yung mga medyo ka-close ko... I couldn't include some because parang feeling close ang dating ko XD
To D, Jin, at Tel, AME-sorta-blockmates sa CW ^^; Astig kayo. Good luck sa lahat.
To friends in the past who I have lost along the way, I'm sorry and I hope we can part as friends again.
(If your name is not mentioned above, it's probably because a) I was really dizzy at the time and could not recall you, but you're still special to me (REALLY! >_<), b) I hate you, and c) I was running out of space. Seriously. It's just one page. Besides, it's not like it's a big deal, right? "Thesis lang ni Ryne yan eh. Sus." I hear you.)
To our cats, especially Bangag, for lying down on the keyboard and messing up my work, even when I was rushing to turn in the draft.
And, lastly, to the Dude Up There.
It is to all of you that I dedicate this work.
P.S. Thanks to George R.R. Martin, Niel Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, and countless others who have inspired me through the years to pursue this craft.
-----
Actually, I'm not yet done. I have one more revision to make, before I call it a day. A sem. A year. A damn fine college life.
Interestingly, I saw a cute former classmate in FA, while I was having my thesis photocopied. She was printing out something for her FA thesis paper, I believe. It reminded me of my year-and-then-some stay at the esteemd CFA, and how I ended up in CW.
Anyway. This is tl;dr already. Time to work.
I love you, reader. Thanks for being part of my life.
Yet I still can't believe it.
It's an amazing feeling, being able to finish that. Of course, I can't help but think how much better it could have been (the ambitious novella that I was planning never came to fruition) had I worked diligently from the get-go. But I learned a lot these past couple of weeks.
I said it on my thesis; the best part was when I was writing the Acknowledgments page, because I knew I was only writing that because I was done. I read on one guy's article that we should do away with lengthy acknowledgments, that if we really did mean it, we would thank them in person. But still. It's my personal space on that thesis, my own page that is not required. I had to enjoy it.
Here's an appended Acknowledgment section, since the one on the thesis is largely incomplete. (And sorry to Multiply users; this'll be LONG, since I don't know how to use an LJ-cut in Multiply...)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Perhaps there is no greater feeling than writing the acknowledgments, because it means I have finally finished my undergraduate thesis. I would like to express my gratitude to the following people who have helped make all of this possible:
To Professor Emil Francis Flores, my patient thesis adviser,for putting up with my pestering and sticking with me even though I kept bothering him during the Holy Week.
To Professor Gerardo Los Baños, for teaching us the fundamentals and preparing us for the long run in the program, as well as for being a thorough critic.
To Professor Jose Dalisay, Professor Anna Felicia Sanchez, Professor Jose Wendell Capili, Professor Charlson Ong, Professor Marie Aubrey Villaceran, Professor Carla Pacis - my professors in my CW major classes - for helping me in my quest to improve my fledgling craft.
To Professor Isabella B. Mooney, for helping me through 199 and the research paper.
To my family: Ma, Pa, Kuya Ronald, Kuya Robert, Ate Richelle, Nanay, and Tita Ning - for always being there for me and teaching me to become the person I am now. Your unwavering faith, support and love all these years has kept me going. (Oh, and thanks for the laptop again, Kuya Ron!)
To my beloved Roxanne Alexis Quilicol, for everything. I love you.
To my friends - particularly Lowe, Raine, Ron, Mayi, Cheska, Triccie, Nessa, Pch, Drea, Howie, Szu, Klaine, Neri, Dei, BOOM!, Alex, Michi, Joey - for procrastinating with me. Just kidding. I love you guys. Thanks for helping me through life day by day, for all the rants, raves, jokes, texts, YM conversations and cups of incredibly expensive coffee that we have shared and, hopefully, will continue to share.
ETA: SHIT ANDAMING NAKALIMUTAN >__< I SUCK, I KNOW.
To my orgmates and friends, lalo na yung mga medyo ka-close ko... I couldn't include some because parang feeling close ang dating ko XD
To D, Jin, at Tel, AME-sorta-blockmates sa CW ^^; Astig kayo. Good luck sa lahat.
To friends in the past who I have lost along the way, I'm sorry and I hope we can part as friends again.
(If your name is not mentioned above, it's probably because a) I was really dizzy at the time and could not recall you, but you're still special to me (REALLY! >_<), b) I hate you, and c) I was running out of space. Seriously. It's just one page. Besides, it's not like it's a big deal, right? "Thesis lang ni Ryne yan eh. Sus." I hear you.)
To our cats, especially Bangag, for lying down on the keyboard and messing up my work, even when I was rushing to turn in the draft.
And, lastly, to the Dude Up There.
It is to all of you that I dedicate this work.
P.S. Thanks to George R.R. Martin, Niel Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, and countless others who have inspired me through the years to pursue this craft.
-----
Actually, I'm not yet done. I have one more revision to make, before I call it a day. A sem. A year. A damn fine college life.
Interestingly, I saw a cute former classmate in FA, while I was having my thesis photocopied. She was printing out something for her FA thesis paper, I believe. It reminded me of my year-and-then-some stay at the esteemd CFA, and how I ended up in CW.
Anyway. This is tl;dr already. Time to work.
I love you, reader. Thanks for being part of my life.