Excellent news re your chapter Alpacalover. Well done and good luck with moving on to 2 and 3!

As for me sleeping, it's all over the place at the moment. I sleep for up to 17 hours a day due to the neurological disease, and I sleep at strange times as well. I only woke up at about 6pm yesterday, so I hadn't been up for *that* long when I was doing something useful thesis-wise in the middle of the night. It's definitely my most productive time of day.[/quote]


Thanks Bilbo, been on course today and got nothing done yet, but had my tea, got a nice cuppa and going to get stuck in for couple of hours! Well, you're doing fantastic to be keeping going, i really admire you and others on here with such problems (if you don't mind me saying?). It seems so many students who face such difficulties are so determined, makes me feel pretty pathetic sometimes :$
I think evening/night time is my most productive really, when i have whole days at it, i struggle til late afternoon and then get a kick and get going! unfortunately i'm still running between writing and lab for the next few weeks so can't get the benefit out of my late night productivity! maybe best though as i really struggle to flip my clock back once I go! :p

right, into the last section I shall delve! good luck, hope you've had a productive day!?

Hi Bilbo,

Thats brilliant, good for you! its so nice to see things get scored off! :) I had a pretty productive day yesterday after 3 bad ones and just have to finish one section in my intro and thats the final draft ready for corrections!!

Then its on to chapters 2/3....!! really good to feel at last like things are moving forward and I can say one chapter is complete!

You seem to have been up for alot of hours, make sure you get some sleep!

Hi Bluejogger, well considering the circumstances, and potential problems of other students I would just politely say you just want to get on with your own work!! getting the PhD is the only bit that counts! see how you get on over the next year and depending on your progress could always take on small extras later!!
Best of luck :-)

Good luck Lara, go in there and knock their socks off :p

Hi Bluejogger, how far into your PhD are you? is this lab work or papers/supervising etc? I have had the same situation throughout my PhD, being asked to take on other lab projects/supervising students/helping with papers/books, and numerous other random things! I am person who struggles to say no to anyone - especially my supervisor!

I think dependent on what work it is, it can be best like Sue said to say no and explain you really want to put all your best efforts into your PhD! However, the job market is very competitive for getting postdocs, and is only going to get worse. If you can get a balance of work commitments, then you might find you can still submit close to 3 years, or on it if even, and improve your CV dramatically by taking on other things!
I am just about to pass the 3 year line, and am writing up at the moment, with plans to submit by xmas/jan. If i hadnt taken on extra duties it might be almost complete, however, my CV is much improved for these extra opportunities my boss has given me (with a job already).

Also remember, your supervisor might have been doing this for sometime, look at his track record for previous students, what seems like a side track from your work to him might be one of the most important bits of your PhD. (i don't mean this to sound condescending in anyway, i know nothing of your abilities, just putting ideas out).

Good luck (up)

======= Date Modified 26 Sep 2009 13:24:32 =======
I think we've possibly scared BenM away for ever!! haha! What a silly person for throwing away what could have been a good opportunity for him/her! But i guess we're all just too stupid for him/her (IT?) ! ;-)

I'm just completely stunned still!:-s

Hi Sue,

Sorry to hear your workload has just increased! I'm sure though even though you have to change focus, much of that will be writing what you have into a different style? The work you have done to date is not lost and will always be valuable. I feel for you though trying to work as well. Just remember to get an evening off a week, or a day at the weekend, you don't want to burn out, its not worth it! Don't stress about the xmas deadline, just work as much as you can towards it and i'm sure it will all fall into place! I think for me stressing about deadlines actually makes me less productive, and just relaxing and trying to get into it gets me there faster. I hope the same can apply to you, and i'm sure whatever happens you'll get to enjoy your xmas,even if just a day or two off, we'll definitely deserve it by then!!!

I'm struggling to get going today, still in my PJ's, with work surrounding me, but need to get going before i procrastinate all day with household chores and weekly shop and don't get anything done! :(

Keep up the good work Sue, (up)

Andrew, Congratulations on the offer, I'm sure if you have been offered the job you are more than up to it! Is this a PhD? If so then remember it is a learning post so you're not expected to go in running, its like a mountain you climb, so just remember to enjoy the view along the way! :)

As for etiquette in asking these things, do you know if the stipend is coming from the university or a funding body? On average PhD stipends work out about 1000£ a month, and remember you're tax free and get deduction on council tax too :) i'm not looking forward to losing this soon!!

I think it is more than accepted that in a situation where you have family to support you need to know what you're getting into first! possibly the best people to approach is the HR department rather than your direct boss and if they don't know then approach your potential boss about it, making clear that you are very interested and want to take the post, but need to make sure you can meet all your financial commitments before firmly accepting the place! academics understand money situations as we never get paid that much :-s

best of luck

Hi Sue, thanks for reply! sorry if my post sounded like I was moaning about the opportunities, i do realise i'm quite lucky and I just really didn't know how to handle the situation and not let anyone down, or mess them around!

I went to college this morning and met my new boss! :) discussed my situation abit with her, letting her know that I have got applications in for full time positions but would make sure I gave her plenty of notice if I had to leave! She was very understanding about it all and still offered me the job so i've taken it!

very nerve racking as this will be my first proper teaching other than on one to one basis! but they've offered my loads of support and the whole team seems lovely and helpful so looking forward to the experience! I've just added significantly to my workload though so going to have to work longer into the nights and full weekends I think!

re other interview I have told them I can not start next week as I have prior commitments, and she was fine as obviously they havent given me much notice! so i am clear if i get an interview for science centre!

Right, i better get back to my intro, if i can get last bits finished over weekend then i'm still meeting my writing schedule as planned! hope you're managing to get work done on your next chapter inbetween work?

Maybe see you on nocturnal thread over teh weekend,

KT

Hi Sylvester! hmmmm, tea and a biscuit to keep you going :)

ok, i think i'm becoming obsessed with food in the process of writing up, and unfortunately not fruit and cereal! :( I think i'm just going to go to bed, want to be bright and cheerful for tomorrows meeting and not dragging my feet!

best of luck for your chapter summary, i'm sure it will all come together soon,

haha! everything makes sense now! if only I'd realised this years ago! ;-)

Get a good nights sleep Moonblue, good luck for PhD and we'll see you on here soon!

i'm off to bed too, winds up again though, booooo!

Hey, anyone on the midnight train? I'm at last starting to feel ready to sit down and do something productive :) unfortunately got meeting with potential new boss first thing tomorrow morning and want to have my wits fully about me, so should probably go to bed!??!

hopefully have a full weekend of writing though!? need to stop the procrastination and put a rocket up my a@@e!!! :$

maybe could do an hour.....?

except you didnt respect mine, or anyone elses on here really did you!?

ok, i think i still have swear words stuck inside of me!! and its very difficult to have written that post without any (being from Scotland and all!), however I feel the moderator would probably bump me off (actually surprised we haven't heard from them yet - probably so annoyed about this t*sser, they're letting us keep going :) )!!
so here goes: !^&* $^*$ ^£@£ %^%&&* *()*)()+) (&*& ^$$@ @£@£@£ $@^!% &&(*() )££$ !@£$!!!!!


now, thats better!

I have been reading this thread on and off all day, and have nothing to add that others haven't already said really! just feeling completely outraged that you could actually come on to this academic forum, full of very clever people, capable of highly informed debate, make such a ludicrous and unjustified statement which you seem to have not thought about rationally for more than five minutes and then when the debate gets started and EVERYONE on here tells you the facts you slag them off!!!!

(i'm so angry I can no longer punctuate!!!)

The fact you can even turn around and tell people they can't take criticism when clearly it is you who feels backed against a wall because your post was completely off the mark with no evidence (and completely insulting) clearly indicates that it is YOU who cant stand being wrong/criticized etc etc etc!!!! And also shows that you know you are in the wrong, have nothing real to say to back up your theories and are now just lashing out at people who are just trying to debate the issue with you!!!

I don't think there is such a thing as research that only benefits teh UK anyway, that is the point of publication and the science community, conferencing etc!!! why do you think we reference!!?!? any research that is interested in teh UK can probably for some other study somewhere else in the world have sound investigations/knowledge/theories/findings that can be used to benefit other research, AND VICE VERSA!!! also, although a PhD is about the research topic, the main thing is what the student gains from this learning experience, its all about the skills! and thats the point everyone here is trying to drive home to you I think!

Like PhDbug said, this is a community, where people over time make friends! I havent been here too long, but I already feel part of that community, with friendships forming through daily forums, and its very upsetting to see you come on here and treat them this way!!

Either make a decent point or apologise!!! :-s

ahhhhhh, that feels better, been burning up inside of me all day!!