I received two theses today. Yep, I did that again; I flipped to the acknowledgement section. Out of expectation, I found my name in both theses. This is actually my first time acknowledged by someone outside my laboratory. When I first arrived till the last students defended, I was acknowledged in those theses because it is a “rule” to mention everyone from your own group/lab. You just have to out of courtesy and by tradition. But these two students, one from another laboratory at the same floor and the other from another floor are not obliged to do so.

I am not particularly close with either of them. Sometimes I hang out with either one or when we bump into each other at work, we’ll stop by and chit-chat a bit. Yeah, I’m such a chatterbox, that’s really nothing new. As such, I really don’t think I am worth acknowledged. Nevertheless, I’m really delighted and flattered about their warm gestures.

The duration in working towards the degree is not short. I know there are many people that I have to acknowledge from the day I stepped in. But we can be a little forgetful most of the time. We tend to only remember those who are still around when we are about to write the acknowledgement chapter. You know the out of sight out of mind? I try not to forget everyone who has really helped me or supported in one way or the other. Perhaps I should start putting their names down on my list so that I will not leave out anyone especially those who have left for other places or soon to leave before my thesis writing-up, which I do not know when that will be.

So June is a busy month for many people. Well, other than busy preparing for my own mid-degree check point examination, I shall reserve two lovely evenings for these two friends’ dissertation party. Geez, it’s not even my own dissertation party, but why am I so looking forward to them?!