My M.Sc. - Part I: Begin at the End

Just because I'm bored and procrastinating, I pulled out of my ideas file "write about my M.Sc."

So, logically enough, I'll begin with the end.

Last friday was Convocation here at SFU for the faculty of Science. I didn't go, but I did pick up a convocation guide thing, because my name is in it. Also last week, I picked up the bound copy of my thesis from the department graduate secretary here. I think that, more than a long, boring ceremony, clearly marks the end of my Master of Science work. It was quite good to hold my (surprisingly slim) completed thesis in my hands.

It's only 50 pages, and it's on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper - which I had printed at the campus printshop (not the expensive fruity one run by the university, the cheap and friendly privately-owned one that opened recently). So in some ways it doesn't seem like a real book. Oh well. It think there are 5 copies in existence, which is the same as the number of copies in existence of my father's PhD thesis. But his was bound upside down.

I also picked up my "parchment", the physical repressentation of my degree, from the Dean of Grad studies office. That was quick and painless, unlike what I imagine convocation was like.