And so, the last leg of my PhD experiences came down to this:

Thesis correction list received from external examiners- read.
Thesis edited as per corrections listed – done.
Corrections sent to external examiners for approval – yes. 
Corrections approved by external examiners – yes.
Final check of thesis for other typos etc. – done.
Final version of thesis – submitted (online). 
Thesis received by university administration – approved. 

And that was that!

Throughout my PhD I thought the final thesis submission would be this big deal. Like some fireworks or trumpets or, I don’t know, some kind of “TA DA!” sort of moment.

In reality, it felt more like a quiet sense of relief. I think the run up to the viva and the aftermath that followed was certainly the most memorable point of my (UK-based) PhD experience. Everything that came afterwards had this sort of bureaucratic feel to it. I suppose emotionally I was less involved, so when I pressed “submit” for the last time, I felt very calm, almost detached. It wasn’t a negative feeling or an overly positive one either. Maybe once I print out the hard copy of my thesis this will all feel more “real” but for now, I’m glad this part of my PhD experience is over.

(Comic by Jorge Cham via http://www.phdcomics.com)