Yesterday I put one reaction on and today I purify the darn thing to see if it worked (better cross my fingers...)

Although must quickly add, if I wrote my thesis soley based on all the reacitons that didn't work I'd have enough results for a thesis in about 6 months! (Last year was a pain to try and get any results)

There's not definitive answer for this one. The only possible answer I can give is to talk to your supervisor. It also depends on your project. If you're CASE funded, then your goals are very specific and you need to concentrate on a very small area (which sometimes feels like you're flogging a dead horse). The one thing I was told is that a thesis isn't all about experiments that did work, they're also about the one's that didn't and you are adding to the pool of knowledge with experiments that didn't work because in the future peoiple will see which reactions don't give the best results, i.e. research.

It is possible you just might not be sleeping much. Stock up on the Red Bull and tell all your friends and significant others they won't be seeing you for a little while. Good luck.

If he is a Vegan you could always send him some Vegan Cheesecake...

Has anyone actually made this yet?

Sorry, nicked the honour!

sun

Starting back today, not expecting to do too much. Lab is like a ghost ship. Think I may leave early to head to the gym, need to work off the Christmas excesses....

Wahoo! I'm winning, but for how long....

Just about to leave lab waiting for one fianl analysis to run. I'm the last to leave, listening to 'The JCB Song' on the computer. Just want to wish everyone a vary happy christmas and a fantastic new year. I llok forward to seeing what pposts appear on this website in the future!

Best wishes,

Andy

Running a few experiments, but nothing major. Added all Christmas wallpapers to the computers in the lab and generally talking more than usual. Tempted to put up some decorations but could be seen as a fire hazard by the safety officer. The Christmas spirit is defiantly in the air, especially with the Christmas party tomorrow, wahoo! Can't see anyone from the department in on Thursday morning....

beard

Frantic morning getting reactions on the go then coffee break. Quickly check all reactions are behaving. Lunch. Purify reactions/products from previous day coupled with a little bit of reading. Coffee break again. Tie up all loose ends and walk home listening to the i-pod trying not to think about the PhD for at least another 12 hours. Phew, what a day!

Since becoming a postgraduate my alcohol tolerance has plummetted which is very odd. My first year as an undergraduate would see me out most nights with my housemates to at least two in the morning (probably why my student loan ran out very quickly that year). If I treid to do that now I'd keel over :-) A sign of being a bit more mature and grown up.

In regards to curing the hangovers, lots of water the night before (as much as you can stomach) and a supply of pain killers near the bed for the morning after the night before. Happy Hangover!