yeah, I know, but I got prism free and it does me fine! :) Cheers though!

wow, you lost me a bit there, i'm lucky having really one variable, progression of disease. I know the feeling, Starcraft came out and I struggle to get anything from him! :) He's been going to read my thesis for me for months and now its kinda too late, but hey ho, he's got to have his chill time and my thesis ain't exactly the most thrilling read! :)

Good luck, hope these work for you.

ah, ok forget that, they are repeated measures. But if thats the case, if you didn't use ANOVA style, would it be wilcoxon matched or man-whitney? ARGHHH, I hate stats!!!!

it's amazing what i've eventually started to pick up though just through waaaaay too many hours of data analysis!!! :)

Hope R works out for ya, and you get the results you need.

Hey AQ, I don't really use SPSS, i'm a mac user so got prism, but if you can't transform to do an ANOVA and its non parametric can you do a Kruskal Wallis? This is similar to Man Whitney but allows you to test 3 or more groups?

Don't quote me on it, but you could have a read up on it online and see if it fits what you want? Also, if you do post testing, like Newman-Keuls then this will test each variable against eachother individually if it finds that the original test is significant.

Not sure if that makes sense - I know what I mean, but i'm not good at explaining stats! if you need more help let me know and I'll PM you, my partner is a stats man, and although he's away will have email on him.

Good luck,
AL x

Oh NO AQ, that's not good! Get dosed up on something and I say - keep the PJ's on all day! Although to be honest I do that every day ;-)

Just writing the discussion, I want to get the write balance between summarising the main findings but also applying it to current research. But I think my brain is fully saturated and pubmed searches just make me hurt!!! I really don't think my brain can take in any more facts - so its a good job we're almost at the end eh!! I'm really hating this discussion thing though, I want to be concise and direct, and yet have all the right facts and for it to flow and make sense too! ARGHHHH!!

I usually work from home, but think i'm going to go into the lab office to study today as no-one will be in there and if i'm there I just have to read, and can print out papers etc instead of reading them on screen, which I think is starting to strain my eyes!

Also, it means I can print out final versions of all my chapters. I'm usually the most paper conscious person, and never use it unnecessarily, but there is nothing like seeing it all printed out like a book and being able to flick through it! It makes me feel better, like I have achieved something big! (especially now I have a title page!)

Have a good day, and good luck with the words! I ended up writing about 1300 yesterday, but most of it needs editing, just good to actually get the thoughts down on paper, 400 of it was my ideas for future research, which was the least painless!

AL x

Hey Sue, yeah i'm doing ok, just in the final stages and so excited to be almost finished, but also very tired, exhausted, crabby and just keep thinking its not good enough! But like I said in AQs thread, i need to leave my perfectionist ways behind me and just make sure its enough for pass with minor corrections.

I really have NO faith left in my idiot supervisor, which is worrying as I need to know that what i've written is good enough, but I just keep telling myself he's never had a fail yet. So however annoying he is being, and just seems to be giving up on his career, that he won't let me down at the end!

My partner has just left for Chicago, he's away for two weeks! :( He tried to get out of it, but wasn't happening, so sucks to be left to have to cook, clean etc for myself in the last stages, but on other hand I guess I won't have distractions, just total peace and quiet to get it all done. I'll just have to visit friends for hugs, but it aint the same! :)

I'm glad your partner is being supportive and would come with you if you got the job, keep us posted with what happens.

Right, i'm off to have a look at this discussion and see what garble I wrote at 1am this morning!!

Have a good day peeps! AL xx

======= Date Modified 07 Aug 2010 23:00:11 =======
Today was not a complete waste because I wrote 880 words of my discussion. Although I feel it is not very good and will need completely redoing, but its a template and its better than nothing! I've also found a few new good papers to discuss which will hopefully back up some of my theory.

Congratulations Matilda, that is brilliant news!! you must be completely over the moon, I know I would be!! :)

Like Sue says, it may give you that push to spur you through to the end. I also know afew people who've done this, and its all worked out for them!

Hope you're doing OK Sue, it does all seem never ending doesn't it, but i'm sure that everything will work out the way it should, just do what you feel is right, go with your gut and i'm sure your partner will be completely supportive whatever happens! Who knows, if you do get the dream job and want to go, then the thought of you going may make him decide that he will come with you after all. I guess you just have to go for all opportunities and see what you get when they all land, make your decisions from there, but try not to worry about it all just now as first things first...thesis!! :( and we are so close.

I know i'm not on here much these days, although don't think any of us are quite as frequent users in the final countdown, but i'm thinking of you all, and am so thankful to have this anonymous place of sanctuary!

Keep smiling (hopefully not toooo manically like this guy) :-s :p

Hi AQ, thanks, me too, it still doesn't seem real and I can't believe it might all be submitted soon. But the more I write things I think omg, what if they ask me about that in my viva!! I keep reading back over chapters and seeing things that i'm sure I could improve but I just don't have time to. I found a slight error this morning in a chapter which my sup has checked and told me not to touch again as its fine!! It was nothing major just needed a bit more info about the paper, but made me think about what else there might be that my examiners will find!! :(

It's gotten to the point now where I have to let my perfectionist tendencies go and just get it done!!

I'm so glad to hear sup got back to you, silly for telling you 48 hour, but thats sups for you eh!! dread to think when mine is actually going to get back to me, but think i'm going to pop into labs this week and see if he's there to speed along!!!

Wow AQ, all those things sound great, I have lots of visiting to do too, family down south i've not seen in ages and a few friends round london area! So will have to get some partying organised with them at somepoint! I like what you say about afternoon coffee's etc, its the simple things like that that i'm looking forward to most I think!!
When i'm done i'm going to buy a pocket diary for my handbag so I can start organising a social life again - much nicer than work diaries, mind maps, lists of things to do etc! :) I suggest we all get one and start planning some fun!

I've just written first draft of introduction to discussion (a small 180 words!), but really don't want it to be very long, as i'm already over 200 pages without ref and i'm scared its a bit too big!! Struggling today though, I live above a wee pub and the locals are so noisy on the weekend.

I'm working on my bed with papers around me trying to get as far away from noise as possible, but have a headache, i'm tired and I just want to sleep and watch tv!!! Really should have the determination and motivation right now cos i'm totally stressed out!! Guess I do really, cos I am getting work done, but my sore head is making it difficult to concentrate and formulate ideas!!

right, back to it, section 6.2......

Keep it up folks, the time is close....
8-)

oops, thats a short story, sorry!! :)

AL x

Hey folks, we've gone from year to go, 6 month count down and now this!! WOW, we really are getting there eh!

Well, I've just counted the days, and ideally, I want it in in 11 days.......HAHA, but otherwise i've got maximum 21, but want it in on 23rd (16days!) if possible! Sounds silly cos i've got afew days and not a definite, but that's generally cos my sup hasn't been back to me either so I know the feeling AQ!

I hope he gets back to you really soon! I submitted my chapter 5 to him 2 weeks yesterday and he's not opened email yet - this is after him telling me that I will have it in mid august and to stop complaining!!! he also still has my discussion to read and for me to correct (but I've not even started it yet, that's my job for the next 4 days, giving him very little turnaround!)

On the other hand I have tidied all references and checked each one in the text, done all my abbreviations and tables/lists etc of contents, acknowledgments etc. So I have discussion and summary to write (dreading both), especially the summary how can you possible sum it all up in 300 words?????

Anyway, this thread is not for a moan, but for excitement, and I do have some of that, I can't believe it's all going to be over sooo soon, I think there's a tiny bit of relief starting to hit in and its making me very tired (in conjunction with being off other job for 2 weeks so actually winding down from that and focussing on one thing!), but I can't be tired as I have to have full energy to finish this.

Coffee, red bull, haribo, crisps and soup is the answer!!

My partner and I have massive plans for finishing, although he's doing a masters so finishes next summer, and we're going to go away to France for a couple of weeks and hire a villa, and chill out in a home from home together. We also have other trips in mind such as 3 weeks around Europe and a tropical beach!! We just can't wait to start our lives, we've been together 6 years and pretty much spent all of it studying, so we have plans for the big stuff like houses, weddings and babies too - I can't wait!!!

In the meantime though while he finishes, my best friend just had a baby, Abby, and she doesn't live close by so i'm going to go for a much needed visit, and meet my little niece! and hopefully get a holiday with my other friend away somewhere in November! And apart from that, just spend time with my friends and family without feeling GUILT!!! :)

Anyway, i'm going to go and get my coffee and get sorted for a day of discussion planning...has anyone done there discussion, how bad is it going to be???

Good luck folks, we're all really really close now!!!
AL

hmmm, if it was me I'd just ignore it, but very difficult! You're in final months though, so could just use excuse of being very busy, and then just you'll be finished and can decide whether to ignore or not?

Haha, Wal, I love IT crowd!!! :) Did you see the one with twitter aswell, if memory correct it was twatter :) Can't believe the series finished already, but at least it was a great last one, with some Noel! :)

======= Date Modified 31 Jul 2010 22:55:03 =======
Congratulations Chrisrolinski!! That is fantastic news! :)

everyone around me seems to be finishing at the moment, and its great for giving me that last bit of momentum to keep going and join you all in post-PhD bliss!!

Well done on the minor corrections, i knew you would!! I hope i do too, I really don't think I could cope with more!!!

HOw was the viva? i'm starting to get sick to the stomach thinking of mine and its' still 2 months away!

Anyway, well done and enjoy, you deserve a relax, wine and some partying! :)

AL xx :p

MASSIIIIIIIVE CONGRATULATIONS Sue!!! :) I am so happy for you, you should be very proud of yourself!

So sorry for not being on here in a while, I'm just working away like mad, I have a proposed viva date of 30th Sept which I wasn't happy with, as need to submit by mid August (not far away!!!) but my TOOL of a supervisor wouldn't listen and did his usual so I just have to get on with it!

I am on holiday from my normal job for two weeks, but had a good friends wedding yesterday and tomorrow we're all going away to Amsterdam for two day holiday! :) so when i get back I have one week of full time study to tidy up chapters 3 and 4 (1 and 2 are done and finished!) and write my discussion. Send it to sup and hopefully get ch 5 back which i'm still waiting for corrections. So hoping I can submit by mid - late august, but I doubt i'll be sleeping for the next 3 weeks!!!

It's all just so mental, there is a light but it's a bit fuzzy! and my normal job has been crazy recently, we've had a very tough month with a good friend dying of sudden death syndrome, and then finding out another friend was in a serious accident in Mexico, he's on the mend though now, but it was terrible for a few weeks as we couldn't find out anything!

Anyway, enough about me, I hope you're doing ok, I had read some of your posts about jobs and your partner etc, if you're applying for the dream job does that mean you might be going long distance? I hope everything is ok and you're coping. Just focus on the end of this, you're so close and you've worked so hard, you deserve this, and your dream job.

So just keep hopeful and determined and we will be there very soon!!!!!!

right, i'm off to bed before my flight tomorrow am, but a final big WHOOP WHOOP to Sue!!!!!

:p(up)(gift)

Today has not been a complete waste because:

*I have written 500 words of results, and tidied up all my graphs and pictures etc
*I went to dry cleaners and picked up my dress for wedding in 2 weeks
*I cooked a very tasty chilli for my partner coming home

That's it :( But, i've done more than nothing, and have another day off work tomorrow to hopefully finish my results (or close to) and start compiling some papers for intro and discussion.