❤ Love Letter to Your Thesis 2024 - winner’s letters part two ❤

Welcome to part two of Love Letter to Your Thesis 2024 winner’s letters!

Below you will see a bit bio of each of our winners. After each winner’s bio, you will see their wonderful letter.

🏆 As a wee reminder, our other three winners were 🏆:

🤩 Most Inspiring - Eleanor Dickson-Murray
🤔 Most Thought-provoking - Michelah Brown
👋 Best Goodbye - Katharine Childs

Many congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone for participating. Your letters were so creative, genuine, and wonderful to read. We are so proud of all the work and efforts you put into this ❤❤❤

Thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy them just as much as we did !! ❤

Love Letter to Your Thesis 2024 Winners

PhD student in the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, studying the palmitoylation and regulation of the cardiac transient outward current.

Dear thesis,

It’s been almost two years and we are fast approaching half way! You were so easy to say “yes” to and undergraduate me never imagined I would have this opportunity. Everyone told me the novelty wouldn’t last, that I was a naïve excited first year but I’m still waiting for the honeymoon period to be over and I’ve been told that the best relationships never lose that feeling.

People have told me about how hard you will be, how difficult and long the years might feel but I cannot imagine that happening to us, we’ve made it this far! I can’t wait for the challenges ahead (of which, there has been some already!) and I can’t wait to try and find the answers. This is what I signed up for and I know you will be there every step of the way. All of the hours I spend in the lab, reading papers and analysing data are worth it for you. Don’t get me wrong it’s not all for you, I am learning so many new skills and you are providing me the start of a career I have always wanted.

You constantly occupy my thoughts and to keep you at the back of my head, because I do need a break, I have taken up new hobbies. For trying new things, even if it’s to have some time apart, I still have you to thank. I want only the best for you and you have my promise, that you will have my best. I am not oblivious, I know there will be bad days, but I know we are in this together and there is a comfort in that. When things in my personal life are difficult, you are a steady constant and something I have that is just for me.

In these quick two years you have already given me so much, and for that I would like to say thank you. Because of you I have met some incredible people I now call friends and I have been to some amazing events. I am excited knowing there is so much more to come as we go into our final year. You make me hopeful for the future whilst being a constant reminder of my past hard work to get here. Every day you remind me of what I am capable of and that I should keep believing in myself, for that I am more thankful than I know how to express.

All my love,

E

Michelah Brown is a PhD researcher in the Film and Theatre Department, she researches The Metaphysical Dilemma of the Black Body in Performance. She is also a GTA in the Film department. She holds a Masters in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, and a Bachelors in Broadcasting and Communications with a Minor in Digital Media and Music.

Dear Thesis,

I feel very distant from you, like two strangers passing in the night.
Sometimes I feel that we barely know each other, forcing ourselves to meet and usually the rendes- vous is an unpleasant one.
I wonder are we the only ones in this lovers quarrel?
I pass strangers in the street; see them carrying their bags and wonder what burdens they hold.
I wonder if their shoulder carry as much as mine do
If they too are wavering under the pressure.
Have their genes experienced this before?
Are their generational curses hindering them as it seems to be hindering me?
What does a Doctorate mean for someone like me?
Am I worthy of you?
I used to think the more degrees the more respect I would receive?
But if the world can’t give me applause as I am what makes me think I would ever receive it with Dr. in front of my name.
Please be forgiving, as I have no precedent for this, no guide or map to guide me through.
But I know we will get through
Find our way back to each other, as I know you hold my truths.

Katharine is a first-year PhD student under the supervision of Dr Maria Kallia in the School of Computing Science. Her work aims to explore how to broaden participation in computing through the use of physical computing in primary and secondary education.

Dear thesis proposal

I know I said we’d stay together when I got to university, but now I’m here, things have changed. We need to talk.

Frankly, it’s not you, it’s me. Since I arrived here, I’ve been meeting new people, talking about new ideas and thinking new thoughts. I’m becoming a different person and I’ve realised that what we had when I wrote you for my PhD application was great, but it’s not right for me now.

I thought for a long time about what the problem is. We’re both looking for different things, let’s be honest. You wanted to explore dimensions of interest; I want to look at conceptual understanding. I respect you too much to try and carry on half-heartedly. I wish things were different, but we both know that our hearts aren’t in this any more.

I really hope we can stay friends. I’ll always cherish the times we spent together when I was writing you. You taught me so much and I’m a better researcher for knowing you. You’re a great thesis proposal and I’m sure you’ll make another student very happy one day. It’s just not meant to be me.

Wishing you all the best

K