thanks Ady! i will definitely give that question a thought. i have no option but to show up on time. LOL.

mmmmh... i like that idea Chuff. its on trial now!

======= Date Modified 02 Jan 2011 15:25:31 =======
my greatest challenge right now: Keeping nerves under control. anyone with any techniques that work?

i try to keep my focus on the end... that works for a bit and then i start to feel nervous again. i then remind myself i've prepared and my supervisor said my work was alright and my examiners and i agree on everything..... that works for a bit and then i begin to feel nervous again.. sigh.. sometimes am so nervous i scheme read my work or other papers am reading. not that am not having a positive attitude, i am. i think the enormity of it all is what my mind is struggling with. any ideas on how to see this experience in a more manageable / sensible way? i have tried Olivia's breathing and that works great, then i forget and after a while the feeling is back.:$ i only get the nervous feeling when am doing non-phd stuff and then the viva comes up particularly when am hanging out with friends when the topic comes up... lol. but i find that i have a wonderful way of switching off and watching tv, reading a novel or doing something totally unrelated when am alone. my family have also worked themselves up into a state of expectation which makes me nervous. its like they're all holding their breath for me in a way they didn't for other exams. i've tried to push this to the back of my mind but i can't help but notice it. any ideas on how to deal with this would be helpful. including memorable phrases i can say to myself that have worked for you. "i can do it" is not getting me anywhere for too long. lol.

are there any psychologists on here?

oh all the best Algae. i know how it feels two weeks to. am just glad it will be over for you too soon!

======= Date Modified 02 Jan 2011 15:09:03 =======
thanks all..

@chuff - my viva is on Wednesday! meant i'll spend Tuesday going through Bilbos questions.

my plan for today and tomorrow is to finish reading the thesis and have a few mini vivas with the mirror and a friend. and also finish that typos list. i'll also print out typos list and slides tomorrow. i intended to go in with my slides which have my short notes rather than an annotated thesis with stickers all round. am also going to the hair dresser's on Tuesday!

@Dunni - i work best under pressure so its reading til the last minute for me. that's the way i've always done it.. and its worked for me. if i did nothing i'd be too worried and nervous so actually going through my short notes focuses my mind and calms nerves.

as i live away from uni..... i've booked myself into one of the top hotels near the uni where i'll give myself a little treat - good night sleep, peace of mind and a great breakfast - before the viva that afternoon. 8-) am not taking chances with the trains on the day of the viva or with distractions from family & friends! last thing i need is to miss it because of transport problems or be down or nervous and under-perform because of someone else.

back to the reading now.... :-)

all the best everyone!

i'd say however long it usually takes you to prepare for one paper of other exams. i think 2 weeks is ok! too early can result in a burn out. all the best Algae... sigh. hope i woke up and it was all over! lol.

Bilbo am spending my last day going thro your 5 questions and relying on logic and preparation for the rest.

had a mini mock viva infront of the mirror and i was quit surprised by how well it went.. :-) i hope thats a reflection of whats to come. i could remember stuff even from chapters i haven't read yet. lol.

putting the outfit together.... ;-)

======= Date Modified 01 Jan 2011 17:38:35 =======
hi one and all... hope you're all having a happy new yr!

(gift)

revision is going ok. i've been ill for the last few days.. suffering from some flu like symptoms only without the actual flu, but am ok now. i managed to read most of my externals work and so far we agree on everything, so am well pleased. i have even managed to find typos in his work (so hopefully he won't be too harsh on me for mine!) and answered one of the areas for future research he identifies in his work. so am well chuffed!

am still on ch.3 though.... :-( so its gonna be a marathon doing all the remaining 4 chapters in 2 days. but that's ok because i'll be more of reading it like a novel seeing i have a pretty good idea of what to expect from my examiner as well as the content of the thesis. (Yes I really do know my thesis. i keep telling myself that.) mock vivas haven't started yet. maybe tomorrow or the day after. i'll have just one! :$ just to make sure i can talk about my stuff or at least i can remember it. (You can remember it Jojo!)

otherwise am still very optimistic yay! and looking forward to completion of what has been my life for the last 5 yrs! yipee! time for new things now.

happy 2011 everyone!

sounds like i'll need an entire week just working on posture and eye contact otherwise i'll have to go in naked. lol. i wouldn't have to defend my thesis then. thanks for the tips.

i will definitely look at them both. :-) sigh...

am so bad with eye contact and actually never make it - ever. but i have a way of faking it and looking like am making it. so that will come in handy.

i will try hard not to hide in my hair while am thinking. lol.

first impressions count yes... i agree but i want to be as comfortable as i can be.... and that's not in a full suit. i should actually have a poll on whether i should wear my suit jacket or not just for that first impression.

meanwhile am enjoying reading my examiners work and so far we don't have differences which is good. am so amazed at how similar our work is... its like we talked before! the only difference is that he draws a lot on his experience to make a point, whilst i - having no real industry experience - make the point in the abstract.

i hope things stay this way lol.

thanks for thinking am prepared, but i do not feel that way at all. lol.

:-)

Hi Pink.. congratulations on submitting. you still have lots of time. take a week off and enjoy yourself! don't worry too much about the viva! its toooooooooooooo early to do that. though i know its easier said than done.

try to relax... whilst you still can. taking a few weeks off really helped me. :-)

am glad you're finding my thread useful.

So far so good... am enjoying reading my externals work. it's like he's writing my thesis just on a slightly different variation of the subject but our arguments are the same. WOW. i wonder why i didn't come across his work before now! i suppose that is because he hasn't published in conventional journals.

i wonder why - if our interests are so similar - why he would want to waste a precious 2 or more hours on theory instead of having that rare discussion on similarities between work, new developments and testing arguments that we've both come across as 'academics'?

am actually looking forward to meeting my external. lol.

taking a short break before coming back to it. i can't stop reading his paper since i picked it up!

Tip: read your examiners work, it might actually put you at ease. Worst case scenario, it will prepare you to defend your differences!

:-)

yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! am out of the woods with ch.2. the rest should be fairly easy now.... just about to have a look at my examiners paper. and wow.......... isn't it hard work writing a theoretical framework? i think my entire viva or a good chunk of it will focus here because i make so many decisions which seemed rational at the time. :$ i just have to hope that my examiners will be impressed that i waded through it nevertheless!

thanks Olivia for your vote of confidence :-) and dressing ideas. am working hard at being positive and confident!

heels! word! i'd never try that. lol. am more of a tom-boy. i'd fall down in them. last time i wore them for an occassion was my undergrad graduation, i was so worried i'd trip over and fall. i'd bought them that morning and learnt how to stand up in them. hehehe. superorganised me! thankfully all went well. you must have looked stunning in your viva lol. wonder if that helped :P

comfortable... seeing am a tomboy, we're going for as a simple as it gets. flat shoes especially. i don't wanna be thinking of my feet or anything else like you said. am thinking of chucking out the sweater (its just not me!).... instead wearing a polo and short sleeved shirt. that's more me. to look like i can rule the world...... am hoping to achieve that with a stunning hairdo..... which am hoping to hide behind when things get hard. lol. hair that covers my face a little and definitely takes the focus off my ears by covering them as they'll probably be proper red! i will think more on the confidence part. maybe i should add a suit jacket but that may look sooooooooooooooooo serious esp if i find them in sweaters. the suit jacket may also make me look nervous. without the jacket i look a bit more at ease. like am ok with the whole process even if they're in suits. am a student anyway? what do you guys think?

======= Date Modified 27 Dec 2010 18:15:36 =======
======= Date Modified 27 Dec 2010 17:59:51 =======
great to see i wasn't the only one working yesterday. so people actually read this? lol. that's encouraging. :-)

glad my diaries are helping someone out there.

Corrinne - Happy belated boxing day! I might as well say Happy new yr! Don't be discouraged. Take one day at a time. Energy? lol. It's the will to see it through driving me. Lol. yeah cake would be great!

Dunni -congratulations on handing in! Not long left. I'm trying to keep it together!

Chuff - Well done on handing in. Sounds like you're really disciplined with the publishing. I totally get you. When i was writing up I didn't want to stop. I feared if i stopped i'd have writers block and have to go through the mill of relearning everything again. Speaking of relations with people, am still making that adjustment. I wonder if it'll ever be the same again. lol. Awwwww.. am touched you find my old threads encouraging. thanks!

Pink - you need to PM Lara. Her questions are general and since they are hers its best to ask her for them. the one's i've made are quite specific to my thesis tho in the end i'll probably come up with general ones. all the best in your viva prep. when is your date?

i still have 5 pages to go on ch.2. looks like i made all my decisions in the first 2 chapters. should easily skate through chapters 3 and 4 because they are descriptive case studies and then spend some time on ch.5 which is my discussion chapter and less time on ch.6 my overview and ch.7 my conclusion.

Timeplan:

Mon 27th - finish ch.2 & read externals paper 1
Tue 28th - read thro case studies ch. 3 & 4 & read externals paper 2
Wed 29th - discussion chapter & read externals paper 3
Thur 30th - discussion chapter & make expected questions from external's work
Fri 31st- chs. 6 & 7 & make expected questions re externals work
Sat 1st- internal's work & oral practice of answers
Sun 2nd- scheme thro latest publications & oral practice of answers
Mon 3rd- memorise my definitions & oral practice of answers
Tues 4th- memorise answers to main questions & oral practice of answers
Wed 5th - freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait. 8-)

back to it!
:-)


ps: oh i need to think of what to wear...... :P. am thinking of going for formal skirt, formal shirt and sweater... (where do i get a sweater from!). can't wear a full suit lest i look toooooooooooo serious. my examiners are old and therefore they're more likely to be in sweaters. black stockings and flat black shoes. oh and i need to make my hair presentable. have to book an appointment with my hair dresser. i also need to keep jewellery to a bare minimum. and ofcourse carry my boring black handbag.

i don't normally wear a watch. do you think i should bother? usually use my mobile. :$

what did everyone else wear? what colours did you wear? did you stick to dull academic colours or did you do a bit of colour?

looks like am the only one back from Christmas! can't believe am still on Ch.2. am being a perfectionist. lol. anyway.. not complaining, since i was told my external is into theory.. i best know my theory chapters (literature review & discussion). :-) i feel bad for quitting my job without notice but a decision had to be made. having put in 5 yrs into my phd the last thing i need is to not be able to give it the best chance at a pass because i was working for a fiver. i will find another job. hopefully a more decent one.

happy boxing day everyone!

thanks Dunni. i think my chapter 2 could have looked very different and been a lot more focused had i known where the study would lead at the time i wrote it; but then i didn't have the information then. therefore its more like a walk in the dark. i need to come up with a strong case for how it links to the rest of the work and its necessity to avoid major corrections whilst at the same time acknowledging that other frameworks could have worked better or provided a smooth (er) transition to the next chapters. at the moment it looks like a list. :-( like moving from the very general to the very specific not just area wise but also from an interdisciplinary angle.

am hoping that using that general to specific line will work..

merry Christmas to you too. unfortunately for me its work as usual. ten days to go. still stuck on ch.2 and determined to get out of it tonight. have at least 20 pages to go so its gonna be a late night! so happy for you - you managed to hand in. what a relief it must be!

enjoy time with your family!
(tree)

* Question: How do you explain what you would have done differently without shooting yourself in the foot?