A Story of Progress

I have always thought of myself as a work in progress. I engaged with the world from a tender age and I always pondered on how and where I fit in the bigger picture that is life. From my childhood I placed images on the future in my mind and constantly thought and dreamed of successful moments that befriended me. And just like I have developed to become a man, so has my thesis progressed from a mere idea to a substantial work of scholarly art.

The pace is now intense as I come close to completion of the PhD. And it reminds me of those beautiful days at the University of London where I strained and studied so hard, lived in the excitement of knowing I would emerge one of the best students. How so I feel now? I am even more confident and I know I am capable of making a great impression.

The PhD is examined through a viva. Basically, I have to defend my thesis to a panel of experts of international law. It must be shown that my work is original and makes a significant contribution to knowledge. That a whole three years of work will be determined by my performance in one or two hours is intriguing.

But it is the preparation that I embark on that is the full measure. I have now become my own critic and a perfectionist at that. I have notes and reminders posted on my wall. I continue to keenly read on anything with regard to the viva. Furthermore, I have been reading a lot, particularly on philosophy as well as watching debates and other communication material, including the Prime minister’s question time on the BBC news channel.

My confidence, eloquence and passion in articulating the subject has grown immensely. This is a significant page in my history and that of my family and all those that my efforts represent. It is a time of reflection, calm, peace, anxiety, turbulence and all the essentials of a healthy life. I write a thesis, but it is also an African story, my story.