The external examiner asked, " How long has it been?" and I answered, " Shall I tell you a story?" I don't think they expected a story but I told them nonetheless. Here is a very truncated version:
I grabbed the Phd Studentship with both hands and lived to regret it for 8 years. During this time, I was crushed like a tin can at every supervision session for 3 years. When I started paying fees in the 4th year, I fired the supervisors only to fall into another disastrous, albeit short, relationship with a new set of supervisors. I got fired by the university on the grounds that I was a basket case. Thankfully, I found my own supervisor in another university and completed the thesis sucessfully. It was a very long and torturous journey but I made it.
So, to all of you out there who are experiencing the rite of passage, hang in there. Conviction and perseverence is most required when embarking on a Phd. Good luck guys and dolls!