We have the same system here Sue, but at different times of year. Actually my uni only ever used to have June graduations. So if you missed that for one year you had to wait until the next June for graduation. They've now added November autumn graduations, mainly for research students.

But, as I've said before, at least in the UK graduation at PhD level is a formality. Once the award has been approved by examiners you effectively have it, and it's just a case of dotting the 't's, and needn't stop people getting jobs etc. Actually my award was final when Senate conferred it, so I was a doctor from that date onwards, not from the graduation day.

Yes one of my supervisors said he always prefers a too-short thesis to one that's way too long. He rates quality over quantity as well.

My finished thesis was 70,000 words long, even though my department expects 80-100,000. I took advice on this, and was reassured by numerous people that it was ok to submit like that. Though some advised me to submit some of my large databses on CD, as an electronic appendix, to make it look more weighty.

Maybe you might be able to submit a shorter thesis? My examiners had no problems with it.

Would you be likely to be completed in time for November anyway Sue? I know you don't have vivas like we do, but isn't there still time needed for examiners to read the thesis, write a report, and possibly you have to do corrections to satisfy them? And university authorities need a bit of leeway to organise graduations.

Sorry if that sounds like a downer, but I'm just wondering if you're pushing yourself needlessly, and it might not work out time-wise anyway. In which case you would be better taking off some of the pressure.

I handed out a list of typos at the start of my viva. All the examiners were very grateful, and they were just added automatically to their list. No worries.

I was very relaxed before my viva, in fact in between submission and viva. I had a "Que sera sera" attitude. I'd done my best, they'd pretty much judge me on the thesis as submitted, and there was little I could do to change things. So no point making myself a nervous wreck by the viva ;-)

Good luck!

I have an iPod touch, but it's a few years old now, and very full, so I might upgrade it soon. It's full of apps, and I use it all the time. I also read books on it, which helps me overcome my disability problems with reading very well.

I considered the iPad, but it's too heavy (I have tried one out), and I wouldn't be able to manage it. And it's very expensive for something I wouldn't use. My iPod touch does what I need.

I've also considered a Kindle, but again it's a bit big for what I'd need, and I read already on the iPod touch.

I also have a MiFi for when I go away from home to hotels etc. to keep Internet access. But usually WiFi at home works very well.

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Just popping in briefly to this thread to say congrats to Alpacalover on submitting. I do hope the white blood cell count thing is sorted out for you soon. I've recently started a new chemo drug (I'm on 3 simultaneously now!), and am having weekly blood tests for the foreseeable future to check my white blood cells don't vanish off the face of the planet :$

Preparing for the viva needn't be so tough. I've shared my tips about doing this a lot here before, but here they are briefly again in case they help you and Rick:

My viva preparation involved reading a viva preparation book (Tinkler and Jackson) to demystify the process, rereading and summarising my thesis to familiarise myself with it and spot typos (I took a list into the viva on the day and handed it out - all examiners/convenor were very grateful), and thinking about and memorising my answers to 5 key questions: originality of my thesis, contribution to knowledge, methodology, weaknesses/gaps/mistakes, and what would I do differently if starting again. I found that higher-level approach to viva questions more helpful than looking at lists of dozens of potential questions that I would never remember the answers to.

And great to hear your good news Sue. I'm so glad your medical results were good.

I agree with Kaymoy. Don't leave preparing a presentation to the last minute. Finish it well in advance, then practice, practice and practice. Oh and revise and edit it, as needed. The main point of practicing is to work on your delivery and confidence, and also speed of diction. I record my presentation as I'm practising, then play it back. It becomes painfully obvious where the problems are. And, above all, sleep well before you give a talk. Don't stay up almost all night!

The first university where I was a PhD student offered training to PhD students and post-docs on speaking skills, including helping us use our diaphragms, and learning how to project our voice. I've never given a presentation where I've used a microphone, even at conferences, and can project my voice pretty well. Does your university offer any training like that?

It's one thing to be an expert in the field, it's another thing for the writing to be of stellar quality. So I think there is still scope for feedback, and suggestions. Though, as I've said, I'm trying to stand on my own two feet at the moment, with my current two post-doc journal submissions.

Crikey. Good luck. But doesn't that mean you risk going back to the less healthy, less rested, more stressed time?! Or will it be different?

I wouldn't be able to do another doctorate now. I have a progressive neurological disease, and it's enough of a miracle that I made it through this one. But I'm still studying, with the OU, but for fun. No pressure, no exams. No thesis. And no more PhD 8-)

My first chapter (combined intro, lit review and brief methodology overview) was about 7000 words long. My whole thesis was about 70,000 words long. I'm a humanities student.

21 again!? Hah! I wish ;-) No I'm much closer towards 40 than that. But not there yet. Thanks for the best wishes. And all the best for your final push. I found that really scary, but also nice to be getting near the end. And it will be one heck of a Christmas present if you finish for then.

Good luck Wally. How much more do you have to do now and when are you aiming to submit? Good luck with the last few stretches.

I'm up late opening my birthday presents early :-) I won't have time tomorrow morning. But going to bed shortly.

I think there's also another side to the argument though: when to trust your instincts and reject the changes/advice that you are given. Sometimes supervisors can over-edit a piece, and if you incorporate every change you may have added things that strictly aren't necessary, and could move it too far away from your own approach to the writing.

This struck me around my viva when one supervisor was very concerned about my thesis, citing some legitimate concerns, but I was confident that I had addressed them as much as I could do, and would have to trust to my own instincts, and see what the examiners said. And they had no problems at all. My other supervisor was convinced the examiners would want me to totally rewrite my conclusions: I didn't have to rewrite anything in my thesis, just fix typos.

It's all about maturing as a researcher. I've taken a big jolt of confidence lately in passing my viva and graduating, so I'm prepared to venture out there. But I will still ask other people's advice, and get them to read things. But ultimately it boils down to my decisions.