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Pineapple, CHarls, Pjlu and Bakuvia

I am glad to see that I am not alone. Pineapple....I understand your dilemma, and feel similar sentiments most of the time - I too have written way to much, and at this last stage the motivation is dragging, and I know that I am really only a few weeks away from the end. Just keep remembering your achievements! Celebrate how far you have come!

Bakuvia - great tip for cutting out words - thanks I will try that too.

To you all -remember that there is a great community here on the forum, and we all have many of the same worries and concerns, we really don't mind if you feel the need to vent, share, moan etc ....get it all out, we understand.

Matilda

GreyGeek

I don't want to discourage you, but twice I was successfully interviewed by the OU, twice promised I could teach a group ( once I was even given the teaching materials to start familiarising myself with) and then both times there were "insufficient student numbers" and so I ended up with no work. ( I had successfully taught for them several year previously too, so not a new AL!)
I read that you'd already had this experience at an institution - don't be inconsolable if the same happens with the OU too.
Matilda

Hello all

Well Sue, AQ, AL, Bilbo it seems that a lot has been happening since I was last online. I submitted my first draft 5 weeks ago and have been unable to do anything until I get the feedback...there seems little point in editing until then. I thought I would be good and get some biblio stuff done ( i.e.; try to make sense of my HUGE excell database) but guess what. I managed to take a proper break! After a fortnights holiday, housework and making cupcakes I got the hang of relaxing.
But now. I am worried!
I get the feedback next week. How should I prepare for that 2 hour meeting? I have almost forgotten what I have written because I managed to switch off so successfully!
Another big event is taking my concentration at the moment....I am pregnant with first baby!
How on earth to I bring my focus back to getting this darned thesis completed, examined etc before baby arrives! EEK!

Any advice.....anyone????
Matilda

JoJo...I am at the same stage of waiting for feedback on the first draft and I have to agree with Bilbo, there isn't really that much you can do. It has taken me about 2 weeks to wind down and stop feeling guilty about not working on it.
( I have distracted myself with bits of DIY and baking!)
But you will feel so much better or a complete break, so that when you get feedback you are fresh to look at the work again.

I also plan to allocate about a week per chapter to revisions, but of course his might change dependent on the feedback!

If I get truely restless I might start to tidy up my bibliography spreadsheet so that it is ready to import into word later, or do a bit on any appendices ( if you have any)
But make sure you have a proper break!

I have the luxury of being able to treat myself to my first holiday in 4 years! So getting away from internet and computers should really help. If you are not able to do this, at least close the door on your office, or tidy all your files away for a bit so they are not there tempting you to work.

Hope this helps
matilda

Many congrats on the job interview!
matildaL

Hi everyone.
Its been a while since I have been on the forum as I had my head down to complete my first full draft. ( Finally done and sent to supervisors 1 and 2 !) But my question now is what should I do until I get the feedback....which due to various holidays is going to be in a months time?
I am having a fortnights holiday ( first one in 4 years!) but I can't justify wasting the other two weeks. But then again I cannot go through my draft again because I might waste time changing bits that don't need it.

Humph! I am stuck....although with this weather I am tempted to just sit in the garden eating ice-cream all day!
Any ideas of what I can do that is productive?
Thanks everyone.

Hope it all goes well Chris.

I have just completed another chapter draft,

and although I am one chapter behind the target I had set myself I am very tempted to have the afternoon off now.

So friends, should I take a break or get on with looking over my notes and plans for the next one?(up):$
Love Matilda

I've sent you a PM.
Matilda

I think I have developed some sort of Social anxiety syndrome. I feel that I have had 3 years in solitary confinement in archives and my office and I just can't cope with social situations and have little tolerance for people talking about frivolity ( fun, clothes, celebrity tattle,etc). Surely this solitary confinement is some sort of torture technique? It can't be right....perhaps that why we all feel so desperate for so much of the time?
How on earth did PhDers cope pre-PhDforum?
Thanks for being there virtual-friends!

Sue
Don't despair...I felt like that a week or so ago.
I don't put a huge amount of hours in, maybe only 6 or 7, but still that is a full day. ( I compare myself to office workers, and thank my lucky stars that I am not trying to work in an open plan office with all those distractions)
If I work any longer than 6 or 7 hours I just get tired...work inefficiently...then get frustrated...then exhausted...then it seems overwhelming....then i despair.....then I wonder why am I bothering.
But I have found that taking enough time to rest, eating healthily ( step away from the coffee and chocolate muffins Matilda!) and doing a smattering of exercise it doesn't seem so bad.
I treat it as a full time job, with time off at weekends, and the occasional day holiday ( usually as a treat when a chapter is complete)
I think we would all go mad otherwise.
M

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Are you a member of any academic or professional societies that relate to your research area? This might be a start, but they might be after PhD co-authors...I'm not sure, I am not a scientist - just humanities where collaborative work is rare.

Also look at the academic mailing lists on Jiscmail You could perhaps send out a message to people in your research area through that.

Thanks for getting this going again AL.

In the last few weeks I had a bad bout of writers block...then got over it; now things are going well. Well almost according to plan at least. Only one week behind my self-imposed schedule - and that was the writers block week!
How is everyone else?

;-)

Are you registered on academia.edu yet.....that tells you when people search for you in the regular google too!

Again exciting....but a bit sad too.

It seems that costs vary wildly.
My uni has just controversially put up the "writing up fee" for registering in year four to £500.
That didn't go down well.