Rebel PhD does (and survives) Grad School

My holidays started with a trip to school to hand in the final version of my dissertation to Grad Studies. We were on our way to the Honey's parents for pre-Christmas frivolity, with a quick side trip to wind up 4 years of (painful, frustrating, agonizing) school, and expected no further problems from school. Wrong. They (THE UNIVERSITY) had to have the last word. Without going in to a long rant, doing a PhD has been a particularly trying process, with me somehow taking several unintentional wrong turns, never seeming to be able to follow the required protocol. So it should not have been a surprise that there was one final finger wagging to be had. Apparently, says Dr. Higher Up, I did not complete my final chapter as per "their" standards. They decided to let it go, seeing as how they still have a few "rebels" like myself in the system.

Hold on- Rebel? Is this an official addendum to my degree? Am I now a Rebel PhD? Wow, lucky me, I must be extra special to be granted such status.

Does it not make you wonder:
1) How they are planning on flushing the remaining rebels from the university system (since this appears to be their goal)?
2) Why conformity suddenly became a goal of the academic system which prides itself on innovation, creativity and leadership?
3) And most importantly (and yes most inflammatory and contentious) why is it that obtaining a graduate degree continues to be a process of degradation to the student who is constantly reminded that they are inferior to the more senior academics by a series of tasks, tests, and examinations which they will not pass if they do not show the "appropriate" degree of humility?

Cynical? Yes, so I have been told. Par for the course I retort. My experience in the past 4 years had a hand in shaping the cynic I am today. Pat on the back everyone.

I was going to include holiday news too, but I think now it should be seperate from my rantings. It was my choice to do a PhD, I survived, time to move on. As one of my cousin's said last night at a lovely wedding/party, I'm da Bitch now!!!