Hello Hivers, it's me again @rufajane, a writer and a public speaker who loves sharing some of what I learn throughout my journey. Let me take you through one of my most nerve-wracking but rewarding moments of my academic journey: my research defense. If you’ve ever had to defend a thesis or research paper, you probably know the feeling. 😅 The mix of excitement, anxiety, and determination. After months of late hours, revising every little detail, and mentally preparing for this moment, it was finally here.
So I woke up before my alarm hahaha basic. My mind was already racing through my script, key points, and possible rebuttals. I grabbed my phone to check the time. Too early to get up, but somehow too late to fall back asleep.
Eventually, I got out of bed and went straight to figuring out what to wear. I needed something that said, "I got this," without trying too hard. I settled on a black blazer. Very simple, clean, and gave me that boost of confidence i needed. I wanted to feel comfortable but still look like I meant business.
After awhile, I arrived at our school and go on to sit in my usual sit. But honestly, I never felt nervous not even a single minute. In fact, I was so excited that It will be over soon.
And since this will be the final performance of our Practical Research 1 so it has to be a good performance. As we walked into the comlab,😉 I put on my best confident face. We greeted the PRAC teacher and launched into our presentation. My passion for public speaking ignited as well. If I could describe my PRAC teacher, I would say that he is the type of a teacher who is strict but knows how to treat his students well. That's one thing I like about his attitude.
Then after the presentation, we are asked to go in front for the Q&A. Though I never felt nervous, I still overthink of what would be the outcome. But to our surprise, our PRAC teacher were more interested in understanding our thought process rather than tearing our work apart. Some of his questions were challenging, but eventually we handled it. It was kinda funny, honestly we were trying so hard to look calm and confident while secretly overanalyzing every word coming out of our mouths. 😂 But each nod from the teacher felt like a small victory, a silent confirmation that we were holding our ground. 😌
And just like that, it was over.
We are so happy stepping out of the comlab. We felt a great relief thinking that it was FINALLY OVER. So we hurried back to our classroom happily. It was just a simple event in a student' life but it teaches me a great lesson. I learned that research defense is all about teamwork and resilience.
Though you may felt nervous at times but know that you know your research better than anyone else. So walk in with confidence, and no matter what happens, be proud of how far you've come. Because, in the end, surviving a research defense is a victory in itself.
That was all for this blog. Thank you guys, until next time.😀