It started last Monday morning when I read this mail from the guys supervising the practical course I had saved for last:

Hi Michiel,

Congrats, your solution just passed our tests without any problems, so you passed the practical!

Not long thereafter, an email was received stating my grade had been submitted, followed a few hours later by an automated mail confirming that fact.

These messages were received after several weeks of hard work and even an all-nighter right before last weekend (which was both a really nice thing to do and a gruelling experience). There was a certain pressure, as I was rapidly approaching the ten year of studying that a student is allowed before he or she has to repay their grants (studiebeurs, OV) received from the government. I'm not that proud about taking the whole ten years and finishing that late in the semester (1 September - today - the new year started), but here I am, being a Master of Science at last.

The last few weeks have been quite stressful, not only on my part but also in my wife's head, who I owe big time for her worries and love. I had taken a lot of time off from work to finish the last practical works left on my list and every evening and other waking hour was spent staring at my various screens. I'm really glad that's over now and I can use them to watch my favourite series, play some casual games or just idly browse the tubes!

This also means I've freed up a lot of time in the evenings after work in which I might even start updating this weblog (dammIT) again. So stay tuned for a more regularly updated weblog (I know I've promised so in the past, but I really intend to rant more often) and expect to see my face more often :)