thanks guys.. the admin has no idea.

i will copy and paste that draft and send it first thing tomorrow.

i will also remove it from here incase my supervisor googles it. i doubt he'd be that bored but no harm in being too careful!

thanks all.. i'll let you know how it goes. :-)

======= Date Modified 25 Oct 2010 01:29:24 =======
======= Date Modified 25 Oct 2010 01:18:36 =======
hi all..

calm down.. :-) that's the zero draft of the email...

thanks for the suggestions.

softly softly approaches don't work with my supervisor. to get him to read my work i always had to ask him for a meeting. reminders never result in feedback.

[sample letter removed]

for the one who suggested i thank him for 'processing' my submission. i did all that myself. he did none of that.

Hi all..

Thanks for your posts. I wish I'd seen this earlier. I'd have emailed him today.

I have contacted the postgraduate office who said they would simply chase him about it, but its been over two weeks and i've heard nothing from them.

I think the best thing is to write a firm email to my supervisor requesting to know my examiners asap. If I wait for him he will never respond and its my life. I definitely need to do something about this!

the email will go something like this,

Dear X,

It's been a few weeks since I submitted. Don't you think I should know about my examiners by now - if only to start preparing for my viva? (then a sentence on why I should be examined before December.)

Yours faithfully,

Jojo.

what do you guys think? is it too rude? Can you help me make this a little more firm without coming across as rude but at the same time communicating the urgency of the situation? Do you think suggesting names is jumping the gun and acting like he's not competent enough to choose them. Plus if i pick names, then i relieve him of the responsibility of him picking someone who is likely to pass me?

======= Date Modified 21 52 2010 16:52:53 =======
Hi all,

I submitted my thesis two weeks ago and since the start of last year I tried to get my supervisor to discuss examiners. Instead, he would just ignore the issue when we had meetings.

Its two weeks post-submission and he has not said a thing. His previous students have always had this problem and some have had their vivas 6 months post submission.

I feel that i have a right to at least know my examiners by this point, even if I do not have an examination date. I certainly don't have 6 months to wait around to be examined. University policy says that examinations should be within 3 months of submission but nothing ever happens on time in my department. All of us who have stuck out the phd have taken 5 years instead of the usual three to finish.

Given its two weeks post submission, do you think I should email my supervisor asking him about examiners or viva dates? Is this too premature or should I wait for four weeks? What should I do because I don't want to leave this to him and still be waiting 6 months on.

J.

if the Bible is false, why is it such an issue for most of you posting on this thread? it's like if i said grass is blue.. i doubt i'd get a massive response saying it was green - because its pretty obvious. likewise, its pretty obvious that there is a god out there.. and we all instinctively know that. the issue then should not be if there is a god, but who is the true God.

i see nothing wrong with quoting a religious source if it lends weight to your argument. i also advocate for objectivity in research. sources should be chosen because of relevance of content to argument, not because we agree with content.. otherwise choosing only the ones we agree with will result in a pretty weak argument.

Jojo :-)

we're cheering you on Peljam!(up) sounds like you have concrete plans. the experiments should help to keep motivation up. am in humanities.. so its all reading. :-)

======= Date Modified 11 Oct 2010 16:16:17 =======
@bilbo - sorry to hear what you went thro pre-submission and how the journals are delaying feedback. i pray all goes well for you. you deserve it!

re the easy journal - its not that easy to get into. its easy in the sense that they publish monthly. as opposed to say twice a year. so there is higher chance of getting in SOON and improving CV and job prospects. the journal is ranked 4th in my subject area. After that i'll target the one ranked 3rd. My other publications are in one ranked 9th. So all in all its an improvement. Some of my work is good enough for the top journal but am not willing to wait til end of next year to have it published. i should be thinking of a book then. that's the plan anyway. :-)

J.

am impressed with what you've done Rick! congratulations!

am also just going for an easy journal first. i've just clocked in for the day. if i can do an hour or so I'll be happy. :-)

thanks for your encouragement. i have indeed achieved something. I will definitely find that book and make a summary - when am told when d-day is. before, publishing will do..

J.

congratulations!

thanks Bilbo!

hey..

would be interesting to know what those who have submitted are doing as they wait for their viva.

personally, i spent an hour today looking up journals where i could start sending out my work. i intend to open my thesis and read through it tomorrow which is a nerve wrecking experience because there is nothing i can do about an error i discover now. however the thesis needs to be opened and read and chunks sent out for publication.

i find that this is a very lonely road. whilst before my motivation was to complete a thesis - which i did - and to get a phd - which i can do nothing about at this point! - and maybe a supervisor to answer to now and then, from here its me on my own. publishing ever in life or continuing with research is totally up to me. no one will ever follow me up. the phd was a lonely experience. this is LONELY...

anyhow, it would be nice to find others who are at this stage to talk with and motivate each other regarding, publishing, jobhunting, holidays - what to do? where have you gone that's interesting? have you got any interesting interviews? what do you plan to do post phd? is it all working out?

J.

Yipee!!!! I have got the go-ahead to submit!!! a week after my official deadline which the school says i should not worry about but have almost fallen sick over. :-( supervisor is content with all corrections!!! am so tempted to read it again overnight for typos.. but I will refrain from doing so and acknowledge the fact that it will never be perfect.

Just so happy! its been such a long road to getting here. 5 good years.. restarting after 3 years.. i never thought this day would come. Will submit and wait for the viva..

Wow.. still can't believe it! I start viva prep on Thursday.. taking no chances. I've already had two weeks off.. plan to prepare by doing publications and then will formally prepare when I get notified of the date. Fingers crossed its soon..... before I forget this stuff. Yipee!!!

I'm over the moon.. :-)

thanks Sneaks and Bilbo. had taken two weeks off to recover from writing up and illness. almost myself now.. i think i'll go for journals. i have a fairly good idea on which ones i should go for so its just getting on with it now.. thanks.

thanks walmin! :-) you'll get there.. (up)

thanks Bilbo!


I have finally just submitted my work to my supervisor for final approval! woohoo!

It's been a trying experience with the illness and all... but to anyone who's writing up, all i can say is hang in there.. through it all.. you will see the other side if you don't give up. the trick is to keep going. every step you take is a step closer to the finish line.


All the best everyone and many thanks for checking my diary. That kept me on my toes.

Off for a treat and then some good rest. I'll concentrate on my health this week. :-)