Hi Caro!

Sorry to hear about the tech troubles with your data - annoying when things like that happen, but good for you for not letting it mess with your head - something like that can totally kill my productivity... Hope you got it sorted.

You're lucky that your supervisors are open about where exactly you are and what still needs to be done. I have some major work left on the one hand, and on the other hand I'm "fixing" things back to what they were before they told me to change them the first time... It's starting to feel a little circular and subjective. Oh well, I guess we have to jump through their hoops and hope for the best with examination. :-) I'm still really benefiting from the Tomato Timer - whenever I have to do a section that I'm really dreading, I tell myself I only need to work on it for 40 minutes before I can have a break - it works every time! Can't thank you enough.

But wow, another three weeks of this... It's so difficult to stay motivated! But one day at a time, right?

Best of luck to you!

Thanks Nautilus! Where are you in the process?

Caro, hope you achieved what you set out to do last week? I'm a bit behind schedule after the weekend, but I've been making solid progress all morning.

Question: are you/were you guys able to tell when you moved from making changes that were fundamentally important to get the piece examined/passed to more superficial or cosmetic changes that were more subjective and "nice to haves" to make examination (hopefully) go smoother? Difficult to know how much is enough....

The Tomato Timer is my new favourite thing! It's really boosting my productivity! Thanks, Caro, your suggestion really helped - I still don't know if I can finish in time, but I'm at least giving it a proper go. How are you getting on?

I'm sure you are getting loads better - I'm so proud of myself when I compare the standard of writing in my research proposal with what I'm doing now - but sheesh it doesn't come naturally to me!

I googled the Pomodoro technique you mentioned and it sounds amazing - not only because I have a pretty short attention span too, but it seems like a great way to take baby steps. At the moment I'm so overwhelmed by the "big picture" of what I still want/need to do in the next month, it's paralysing me when it comes to actually getting stuff done. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow.

I have to say that this forum is a total lifesaver, it helps just to know other people are out there, dealing with (some of the) same stuff.

Wow these people are machines! I'm a slow writer (at best) so I won't be able to manage that! :)

But, like TreeofLife, I'm submitting for approval first so I guess that helps a bit. Although, it will take my supervisors a month to read it (their estimate) which only leaves me with two weeks til final submission. The other good thing is that they have seen most of it already, but earlier drafts of it - so hopefully, if I put in solid work now, I won't have too much left to do in those final two weeks. (Which will be hectic because of work and family stuff...)

Caro, sounds like we have similar things left to do, although I still need to do some serious work on my theory chapter as well.

Guess the best we can do is just use the time we have to do what we can... (Easier said than done though, whew I am really panicking!)

All the best to the both of you! And thanks so much for commenting - writing up is so lonely!

Hi Tulip!

Everyone else has said it, but you are not alone. I think the last few months are the worst because that's when it consumes you. I actually think it's a good thing - it's how you get it done and know you're ready to move on. That being said, it is tough on the people we love.

My strategy was two-fold. Firstly, I had a discussion with my BF, parents and group of friends where I explained what a tough time this is, that I will need space but also support, that I will be absent-minded, aloof, distant etc. I told them that this is the way it has to be for me to finish in three months. Secondly, I make sure that I try and be as productive as possible when I have time to work on my PhD, so that when I'm busy with other things I don't feel guilty. When I've had a good day I make sure to tell my BF (instead of only talking about it when I'm frustrated with it). When I've had a bad day, I usually write a quick entry into my "PhD journal" - I've found it a great way to vent to a non-person and it also helps me move from phd-mode to person-mode.

I don't think you should have to pretend to be chirpy, but I do think a positive and upbeat attitude will be beneficial for everyone - so gripe a little when needed, but don't get caught up in it and try to make him part of the process - the ups and the downs. And remind him that it won't last forever - before you know it you will have submitted.

Finally, it's okay to be a bit selfish right now - most people can't understand what you're going through or what it takes to get a PhD, so do what you need to do, and just do the best you can.

Hi all

This is probably a vague and weird question, but given the (years of) isolation of post-grad life, I hope people will be understanding of my need for affirmation and advice! ;-)

I have one month left before I have to submit my PhD dissertation, and I've set out as much time as possible to dedicate to completing it. But it feels like I've left too much work for this period, and I'm completely overwhelmed. Can anyone share what they think you should be doing/focusing on in the last month? I initially hoped to do only editing, but I still have some writing to do, and only about 90% of the research is done. Can I make it? More importantly, will this be enough time to submit something that will get me a pass with only minor corrections?

I know every project and person is different, and if someone is a strong writer I think this stage will be less stressful for them, but I would love to hear what other people are/were thinking at this stage. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.

Your different viewpoints definitely helped me to see me situation from a few other angles and to consider options I wouldn't have thought of. I am surprised to hear that other people, especially women, also feel this way. Shirakawa, I'm sorry you're dealing with something similar. I'm in medico-legal, which I think is less male dominated than the pure hard sciences, although I guess hostile or patronizing people are everywhere. Good luck and believe in yourself - we may have a different way of doing things, but maybe that is exactly what our fields need.

Thanks for all the support and suggestions! (I feel loads less like an unlikable moron after this :) )

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who responded. It was such a relief to type this and to hear that I'm not crazy and that other people can see my point and also think things aren't as they should be.

So, really, thank you for taking the time to respond, especially with such helpful suggestions. I am going to try and be less shy and a little more assertive and perhaps if things do not improve, try to build up the courage to speak out (might need more than one shot of tequila/vodka though!) and challenge them to treat me better. I will also try to take the mocking less personally, as this might be not be intended in a mean-spirited way.

Awsoci, I really like the idea of joining an association that supports women, perhaps I've been a bit ignorant about how many of the problems I'm experiencing have also been experienced by other women. I certainly got a great deal of comfort and encouragement from this forum.

Kelpie, the meetings aren't technically compulsory, but my supervisor also attends quite a few of them and he started the group. The understanding between him and his students are that we have to attend these meetings. I don't think I would be kicked out of the program if I don't go, but it will reflect poorly on me, so I have to try and stick it out. Thanks for sympathizing though, it means a lot - it really does feel as though they are showing of to each other by seeing who can put me down the most so your comment of them flexing their academic muscles is soooo true, haven't really thought of it that way before.

Thanks again everyone!

I need some help please... Hopefully at least some people on this forum will understand that some people choose a career in research because they enjoy the solitude. Many social situations cause a lot of stress in my life and I have some difficulty understanding "normal social interaction". I work closely with a research group and we meet regularly to discuss our ideas, give feedback etc.I am all for robust academic debate, and will gladly respond to constructive criticism but these sessions are very hostile and aggressive on the one hand, and on the other hand I am often ignored (every time I open my mouth I am interrupted, my suggestions are ignored until repeated by someone else or I am being mocked or heavily criticized, usually with a personal overtone so they are not merely responding to my work). This is a terrifying experience for me, because I am shy to begin with so it takes courage for me to speak up during these sessions. I also know I struggle to articulate my thoughts well (especially when nervous) so I have explained this to the group and instead sent drafts of my work in advance so that they are at least in part familiar with my arguments (this is allowed in our group and done by others) to stimulate debate. Somehow no one ever finds the time to read my things. I just feel as though everyone thinks I am a moron and shouldn't be in the program. I feel so much dumber than everyone else. Also, and please know I am not saying that the reason for my unpopularity is because my group is sexist or anything like that, but I am the only girl in the group so they are all friends and have loads of things in common, while I feel like a complete outsider with nothing in common with them. I have looked into some of the things they often discuss, but this has just made me more of target for ridicule because I am trying to fit in. Any advice please?

Oh and Zutterfly, thanks specifically for the idea of using his "type" of feedback to challenge myself, I will definitely try to do it.

Hello everyone
Thank you very much for your comments, advice and suggestions. It has given me some perspective on the matter. As per your suggestions, I sent an e-mail to a department member for a meeting to discuss the option of perhaps getting a second supervisor. I think this will actually benefit me as well as my "main" supervisor because then there is also less pressure on him in this difficult time. Thanks for the kind words, I am definitely feeling more motivated and hopeful again today. Good luck to all of you as well!

With a title like this, you are probably expecting me to complain about my supervisor and comment on the terrible job he/she has been doing etc. But it is quite the opposite actually. I have a dedicated supervisor and we get along reasonably well. So what’s the problem then? Well, I’m in my final year, I’m supposed to submit my completed dissertation in about 6/7 months and my supervisor has just been diagnosed with cancer. He started chemo yesterday. The prognosis isn’t too good... Of course I am very worried about him and don’t want to make this about me and my fears and this is why I am posting about this on this forum, to get some advice form elsewhere so that I don't bother him with my problems. I counted a lot on his guidance to get me through these last few months, and now I just feel scared and lost and unsure whether I can do this by myself. And I don’t feel the quality of the end product will be the same without his critical and probing feedback. Has anyone been in a similar type of situation? Any advice or even words of encouragement out there? (PS English is not my first language, apologies for any language/grammatical errors.)