Resilient Coasts & Communities

Next milestone was to submit my research confirmation documentation to the examining panel, including my supervisory team and an external examiner Professor Joanne Ellis from Waikato University and an independent chair Professor Hazel Chapman from UC.

For this piece, I had to produce a comprehensive report and give an oral presentation to the panel, who then decided, if the thesis topic and methods were developed enough for this stage of study to progress further.

I was really nervous about this step. I had been up day and night getting my documentation ready, doing lots of deeper than deep thinking to make sure I had designed my study questions, structure and content correctly and that I had presented it all in the right way. Also I practiced and practiced my presentation till my mouth went dry.

In the end all the hard work paid off, I passed my confirmation! I can see the research shoreline, but it is still a long way away. Better swim on to the next stage… actual proper research.