If the snow carries on - I'm in trouble. I have my viva tomorrow... and a job interview in London the following day. I need it to melt, desperately.

Sneaks - past participles not 'pals'. Tut tut!

a glass of wine - to get into the frame of the student - usually helps.

Good advice from PHD BUG. I felt exactly the same after my mock viva. Its hard to develop a thick skin. They've probably forgotten about it but I haven't.

Speak to your colleagues in the week and ask them how it was for them and why you thought they were particularly brutal. Brutality doesn't usually bring out the best in people.

MAC and Urban Decay do some lovely make up.

I've always understood that abstracts should be short and coherent (200 wds or so) - and not to use any references in it. Refs. are only for the main text.

You could look at this website about abstracts http://research.berkeley.edu/ucday/abstract.html

See also www.Theses.com. These don't have citations (generally).

Abstracts are the hardest thing to get right. They're what everyone sees and used to judge whether or not the article is of any use to them.

Ruby W - I thought so. I think I might be one of those 'older' women you talk of!

Rubyw - are you working in an art institution?

Books by David Crystal are usually interesting. Try 'Rediscover Grammar'.

I do not agree with hair dye. After 10 years of dying it - I've stopped bothering and started wearing silver locks with pride.

I know what you mean about the grey hairs..

What is the point of responding to a post sent 2 years ago. Surely it is no longer relevant?

I went through exactly the same thing - when 3 months work becomes consigned to a footnote!

With the benefit of hindsight (re-reading my thesis in preparation for forthcoming viva) I realised in an epiphany moment that a PhD is JUST a piece of research. You simply cannot do everything in the research. It's a natural part of honing and fine-tuning that much material must be edited.

I ended up losing chapters, cutting out huge sections and completely re-thinking methodologies etc... and I still exceeded my wordcount.

Don't worry, its normal.

well done!

Have a pint on me!