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My Invisible Scrolls


I have done theses, dissertations and courseworks for many people in this life. From Law topics to business administration, from diploma to Masters certificates, name it - I have done them all. Most of them were of course either classmates, friends or so-called 'friends' (who only befriends you when they need help).


I have burnt midnight oil and carried panda eyes just to complete their theses; work which they were supposed to do themselves. However, they pleaded profusely that they did not know how to do the allocated project. Seeing their plight, I gave in and helped them. Some stayed with me to learn how to write the projects, while most of them just abused their right as 'friends' and left me to do the projects for them all by myself instead. Some of these courseworks were at least 70% towards their final mark.

As though that wasn't bad enough, some just 'used' me and as soon as they wore their graduation hat, they forgot completely that I was the one left alone in the room doing their courseworks while they went out to play. After graduation, some got pretty mean too - especially with all the egoistic air that they now hold a 'Masters in Law' in their hands.

Seeing these seeming injustice, someone asked me: "Genevieve, why did you do the work for them? Don't you feel stupid now that they are doing all these to you? You were the one who did the all the courseworks for them but you do not hold the qualifications! THEY DO! Why didn't you do something for yourself instead of wasting so much time and energy for these ungrateful people?!" Referring to someone in particular who got me to do almost all her courseworks for her Masters in Law, this 'someone' added: "Now she holds a Masters in Law and you don't! Yet, she is walking as though she earned it herself! Don't you just feel stupid?!"

I paused and thought for awhile. From a quick glance, it does seem very stupid of me to have spent so much time and effort in getting their courseworks done for them, especially with my perfectionist attitude. I did not do these courseworks with a 'just pass is enough' attitude. Instead, I made sure that they were at least a 2:1. Some projects even got First Class ratings even though the subjects were not what I majored in.

I remembered how some pretended to be very close friends with me all because they needed help with their theses. Did I not see through them? Of course I did. Did I end up helping them still? Of course I did.

"BUT WHY?!?!" she asked again. "Why so stupid?!"

I stared at her and replied, "They may have gotten their scrolls because of my help and then ended up betraying me. Although I have helped them for their Masters degree theses, I do not hold the scrolls for MBA or LL.M (Masters in Law). So what if they are happy and showing off just a piece of paper; something which they did not rightfully earn in the first place? Why should I be upset? I know that it was my work and that is enough. The fact that they held the scrolls means that my work was up to standard and it is my pride.

They can lie to the world, but can they lie to themselves? They may take the paper, but the pride is still mine. All they got was just a useless piece of paper to meet society's expectations, but I got the knowledge while doing their theses for them; knowledge which I am sure they do not even know because people who know how to just throw their work at others will definitely not spare some time to read the entire 14,000 words of thesis that I have produced!

Having done so many theses in my life, I can easily produce another thesis with a snap of a finger because I have had so much practice. They, who have thrown their work to me, would have lacked practice and it would therefore be more difficult for them to reproduce the same work with the same quality. They walk around with their heads held up high in the air because they are now 'Masters holders', but is that fake pride or genuine pride? Think about it. Is it my loss or theirs?

Who knows? Maybe my First Class distinction for my Ph.D was all thanks to them giving me so many opportunities to practice writing thesis after thesis that writing non-fiction items, which many still struggle with, has become so natural to me now."

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