Dissertation presentations

I was ready for the presentations! I had a box in the back of my car with all the paperwork that was needed. All the files that anyone would need were available on the module website, or on OneDrive. I had my laptop with me so I would be able to do some work.

I got to the venue, Reichel Hall, and it looked ready for us. I had a little chat with the lady with whom I had communicated about my booking. It was nice to meet her in person. And a different lady did the final touches; she made sure there was a sign by the door of all the rooms we were using, indicating what would be going on there.

My program just mentioned rooms 1, 2 and 3, so I stuck signs on the doors. And I put all the conference booklets and marking sheets in the rooms, ready for the morning sessions. And I had myself a coffee.

All ready for us! 

As far as I could tell, the morning sessions went fine! And I was just doing some work I hadn't got around to previously. I entered the marks and feedback of the second year presentations I witnessed two days earlier. I started assigning all dissertations a second marker. I answered emails. And then lunch arrived.

When the rooms emptied themselves, I made sure to remove the morning’s conference booklets, and replace them with the ones for the afternoon. And I checked whether there still were enough marking sheets and feedback sheets. And then I had lunch myself. 

The afternoon sessions had two small snags! One member of staff wanted to be kind, and thought they’d tidy up the morning’s conference booklets, not realising I had already replaced them with the afternoon’s. So that room had no conference booklets! My hard work down the drain. But they meant well. And the other snag was a different member of staff who seemed to have only realised just in time their session started at 13:15; not 15:00. But these are small snags.

In the afternoon coffee break one of the students asked me why I wouldn't join the session he was in. And I thought I might as well! Then he back-paddled a bit. He clearly didn't think I was going to do it! But it was an interesting session so why not. Yes you could successfully argue they were all interesting. But some are still a bit more up my street than others. And everything was rolling fine; I didn't really need to do anything organisational anymore.

After the session it got quiet; I think our room was the last one to empty itself. I went to have a look in the room where catering was served; there were brownies left! That's not good. I filled up a piece of Tupperware I had with me to take home. And I asked everyone who was still around if they wanted some. Even random strangers who were in the building for entirely different reasons! And in the end they were all eaten or taken home. Success. And then I could go home myself! And the next day would be even more interesting for me, as then I had my own session…

That day went well. There was some faff with the room we normally get the catering in being booked, and one of the rooms in which we held sessions having to accommodate coffee too, but it worked out. And by 4 pm I could leave the premises!

There would be one additional session for the staff who had been at the conference that week, but that was straightforward. The worst was over now! And with that out of the way, the academic year was now seriously petering out. And that doesn't mean there's nothing to do; there is plenty of marking, and planning for the next year, and evaluations, and all that stuff. But the end of the dissertation presentations for me is always a bit of a landmark. At least it is the end of almost all teaching, which means that you can decide yourself when and where you do the things you have to do. And that can be quite nice!