MB-Eish: Post 24: 0

**"Eish" is a South African slang term expressing surprise, dismay, anger or frustration.** 

As I mentioned two years ago, I have joined the droves of engineers who have sold out to the dark side: Banking (and more recently, the elite league of the dark side: Asset Management). To make myself more comfortable in my new, murky surrounds I have decided to do an MBA part-time. This is the twenty-fourth in a series of posts about my MBA experience.

Zero days!

The business school is located in an old prison building, and the tradition is that when you hand in your thesis you ring the prison bell. This morning I rang the bell! I am free! I handed in my research thesis just before noon today! I got through most of what I wanted to include in the end and it is too late to stress now about what didn't make it to the report. 

I cannot believe this is  finally over.

The acknowledgements in my thesis read as follows before I trimmed it down and made it more serious (edited for anonymity): 

To my fiancé, it’s hard to put into words what you have meant to me over the last two years. You have supported me in ways I didn’t even realise I needed. It has been a more turbulent journey than I could ever anticipate but you have been my oxygen mask time and time again! Thank you for being a sounding board, for supporting my new friendships, for even staying up with me on many of my late MBA nights. I started out on this program wishing to make our lives better in the long run and at the same time hoping the process itself would not pull us apart. Well, it did not; quite the contrary: I began this journey as your girlfriend and I end it as your fiancé. Someone once said “Life is like a Rubik’s cube. At times you have to make things worse before they get better.” Well, we have just swiveled the last blocks into place, love. It just gets better from here!

To Mom and Dad, thank you for being so understanding when I could not be around as much as I used to be. Thank you for the little things: offering to help with laundry, encouraging me when I felt like I was running out of steam; and for all the early morning wake-up calls before work after the late MBA nights! I look forward to spending more time with you now that this has been conquered.

To my bestie, you have your friend back! Thank you for being my unrelenting cheerleader; even though much of it had to be digital. I look forward to many lunches, many afternoons playing with Little Miss F and most of all, to resuming our place as 30 seconds champions.

To my class mates, my syndicate group, my new friends, and in particular to Mrs D, your camaraderie and friendship have made this process such a beautiful journey when it could have been a traumatic ordeal. I would never have imagined that I would feel like I am in a syndicate room full of friends working together on an assignment at 2am, when in fact I am just on our Facebook page at my desk, but with you all that has been the case. Above all, thank you for being so open with your experiences and insights. I have learned so much and hold you all in high esteem!

Lastly, to EU, my lecturer and supervisor, thank you for your patience and for being an invaluable sounding board through this project. From the outset, your approach has set me at ease and given me the confidence to tackle the task.