The Final Presentation
Despite the completion of all my projects and assignments, there was still one hurdle left - the Final Year Project presentation. I had everything that I wanted to say well understood and ready to spit out, but I had one worry - my project assessor who during the mid-point presentation incredulously claimed "Your project is on the brink of failure" while other project assessors gave their students scores like 18/20 for plagiarised work done the night before the mid-point presentation. Let's call this dude "Project Ass". Short for assessor. Shame on you for thinking that way. Tsk, tsk. Project Ass was the only aspect of the final presentation I was worried about. My supervisor, although reassigned to me during the final two weeks of the project as my original supervisor took maternity leave, was someone I was comfortable with and respected to understand the nature of my robotics project. In my view, the G iz kool man. He tight.
So there I was, all set to present my work. My desktop had been set out, program files copied from the submission CD to the desktop and everything was set. Cue PowerPoint slides...
Me: Let's start, shall we? As you know...
Project Ass: Uhm, before you go on, I want to ask you about this....*proceeds to ask question*
Me: Uh, well sir, in my opinion...*proceeds to answer question*
This went on repeatedly. As I strived to talk about the work I had done, I was constantly interrupted by Project Ass with some form of inane questioning. My first 6 slides took 30 minutes to present. By that time I had 20 minutes left to finish presenting my slides and go on with the robot demonstration. As I was struggling to finish my explanations and handle his barrage of questioning at the same time, he said this:
"Perhaps you should just run throughor skip the slides and move on to the demonstration?"
Bloody hell, he makes me spend so much time answering his endless questions, then has the cheek to ask me to skip my presentation on my work??
Me: Well sir, I think these areas warrant some explanation. Perhaps I should briefly explain them and then move on to the robot demonstration?
Project Ass: Sure, if you think it is neccessary...
So I finish up and move on to the demonstration. This is when I take out my secret weapon!
No , not that weapon. The other one, the robot.
All this while my supervisor just intently listened, popping in now and then to ask a couple of sensible questions. He's the man, I tell you. He actually seemed interested in my robot.
As I demonstrated the different modules, both Project Ass and my supervisor had fun playing around with the robot's touch sensors, purposely blocking the robot's path so it would reverse and change direction. They were like widdle kids playing with a new toy. At this point I had also built up some semblance of an audience witnessing my robot navigate its way around the tiny confines of the presentation room.
After the demonstration, more questions were asked by Project Ass. For the record, Project Ass' line of questioning had more to do with criticizing my project than actual interest in it.
The presentation, which had me on edge for the last week, was then over - 15 minutes later then scheduled. One hour and 15 minutes total. I thanked the dynamic duo of Project Ass and my supervisor for their time and interest and wished them all the best.
As they walked out of the room, about 25 kg of weight magically melted off my shoulders. I felt so light I swear I started floating a couple of times.
And so it is that at 6.15 pm on the 8th of September, my final piece of work as a student of the great institution called APIIT was done. This is it! The chains of academic work have finally been unshackled! I am a free being, an escapee from the boundaries of the shitloads of work that APIIT has dropped on me for the last three and a half years of my life.
I'd like to thank my robot, Susan, for her patience in dealing with the dynamic duo and for not acting up at the wrong time. I am truly blessed to have a friend like you, Susan.
Susan now shares the same space with Joe and Smurf. I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a beautiful threelationship...
So there I was, all set to present my work. My desktop had been set out, program files copied from the submission CD to the desktop and everything was set. Cue PowerPoint slides...
Me: Let's start, shall we? As you know...
Project Ass: Uhm, before you go on, I want to ask you about this....*proceeds to ask question*
Me: Uh, well sir, in my opinion...*proceeds to answer question*
This went on repeatedly. As I strived to talk about the work I had done, I was constantly interrupted by Project Ass with some form of inane questioning. My first 6 slides took 30 minutes to present. By that time I had 20 minutes left to finish presenting my slides and go on with the robot demonstration. As I was struggling to finish my explanations and handle his barrage of questioning at the same time, he said this:
"Perhaps you should just run throughor skip the slides and move on to the demonstration?"
Bloody hell, he makes me spend so much time answering his endless questions, then has the cheek to ask me to skip my presentation on my work??
Me: Well sir, I think these areas warrant some explanation. Perhaps I should briefly explain them and then move on to the robot demonstration?
Project Ass: Sure, if you think it is neccessary...
So I finish up and move on to the demonstration. This is when I take out my secret weapon!
No , not that weapon. The other one, the robot.
All this while my supervisor just intently listened, popping in now and then to ask a couple of sensible questions. He's the man, I tell you. He actually seemed interested in my robot.
As I demonstrated the different modules, both Project Ass and my supervisor had fun playing around with the robot's touch sensors, purposely blocking the robot's path so it would reverse and change direction. They were like widdle kids playing with a new toy. At this point I had also built up some semblance of an audience witnessing my robot navigate its way around the tiny confines of the presentation room.
After the demonstration, more questions were asked by Project Ass. For the record, Project Ass' line of questioning had more to do with criticizing my project than actual interest in it.
The presentation, which had me on edge for the last week, was then over - 15 minutes later then scheduled. One hour and 15 minutes total. I thanked the dynamic duo of Project Ass and my supervisor for their time and interest and wished them all the best.
As they walked out of the room, about 25 kg of weight magically melted off my shoulders. I felt so light I swear I started floating a couple of times.
And so it is that at 6.15 pm on the 8th of September, my final piece of work as a student of the great institution called APIIT was done. This is it! The chains of academic work have finally been unshackled! I am a free being, an escapee from the boundaries of the shitloads of work that APIIT has dropped on me for the last three and a half years of my life.
I'd like to thank my robot, Susan, for her patience in dealing with the dynamic duo and for not acting up at the wrong time. I am truly blessed to have a friend like you, Susan.
Susan now shares the same space with Joe and Smurf. I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a beautiful threelationship...
posted by eldiablocorneo at 12:23 am
3 Comments:
Congrats - you did it and stayed cool :)
kudos dude! mine is tomolo then i will be free! free of apiit slavery. but what the heck are we going to do with work? hahaha... its like awe man we have to be adults now. find a girl, settle down, work, babies, more work...
ah...this dude finally became a man...love u man...all the best, will be there when u need me...btw, go get a chick for urself now man...
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