Today, I finally submitted my labour of love, the journal article that I have been working on, intermittently, for the past year and a half. The project started off as something to keep me occupied during the long monsoon of 2017 when I was back home battling my demons. When I was in the pits, working was out of the question, but as I started clambering out, the paper gave me a sense of purpose. And, I was quite proud of my effort, not just because of my frame of mind when I was working on it but also because of the final product. When my supervisor concurred with my opinion of it, I felt proud of myself after a long time. I had done quite well in my master's course in the previous year but as things had started to go pear-shaped up there, I hadn't been able to appreciate my achievements.
Of course, the paper went through subsequent revisions. There were a couple of points where I was quite satisfied by it, but my supervisor kept pushing me to do more. And, it is much better for the extra effort I put in. I also decided to bring my supervisor on board as a co-author, realizing that she had already gone above and beyond what was required of her as a supervisor. I am glad I did because she subsequently rewrote portions of it and made it much better.
The paper is an outline of my early journey as an academic. It was criticized heavily at a workshop last summer, which deflated me. It was praised heavily at a subsequent conference and won a prize at yet another conference (yes, I hawked it to many conferences) which elated me. So, when it drew some sharp criticism right towards the end of the journey, I had matured enough to take it in the right spirit.
Finally, I reached a point where I was sick of it and not open to further suggestions. The formatting and logistical labour took much longer than I had anticipated and there were quite a few moments when I tore my hair out. But, I have finally set it free to seek its fortune in the world of academia. Let us see how it fares.
Of course, the paper went through subsequent revisions. There were a couple of points where I was quite satisfied by it, but my supervisor kept pushing me to do more. And, it is much better for the extra effort I put in. I also decided to bring my supervisor on board as a co-author, realizing that she had already gone above and beyond what was required of her as a supervisor. I am glad I did because she subsequently rewrote portions of it and made it much better.
The paper is an outline of my early journey as an academic. It was criticized heavily at a workshop last summer, which deflated me. It was praised heavily at a subsequent conference and won a prize at yet another conference (yes, I hawked it to many conferences) which elated me. So, when it drew some sharp criticism right towards the end of the journey, I had matured enough to take it in the right spirit.
Finally, I reached a point where I was sick of it and not open to further suggestions. The formatting and logistical labour took much longer than I had anticipated and there were quite a few moments when I tore my hair out. But, I have finally set it free to seek its fortune in the world of academia. Let us see how it fares.
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