Just to give an update of my situation and some tips as Maree looks like she is in the same situation. When I wrote this post I really wasn't producing anything. But with the timed and short term planning I managed to finish the first draft of my paper (but with a night-write). I tried to write pieces of work rather than one whole 'paper', so, it was reading one artcile and jotting down what I thought about it roughly then after 4-5 articles I managed to go back to computer and wrote those by putting connections between them. I got up from writing abt every 3-4 hours and came back to it. First read what you like or articles that looks interesting to you or your work. If its a study similar to your lab exp. then you might want to read it and see what they did and get ideas about improving or limitations of that. However, allow yourself to have some lazy hours. Hope this helps I'm going back to sorting my results sections.

Gayathri, they wont normally fund write up as it a small fee to pay £350 for home and 650 for internationals. So for living costs you will have to find a way in my university, I doubt saving will be enough as rent etc can go up and if monthy earning is not there then it will be too tough to handle when you have to spend some extra money that was not planned.

Abt living on 12,500-it is enough if plan well -outside london.How abt showing them you will save £100-200 p/m by setting direct debit from your account. since studentship is certain you can show it will add around £2000 year for hardships. As suggestions,ask your parents for their savings & assesst details(statements,deeds)& letter to immigration that they will support you if needed-if possible maybe they can send around £300 allowance p/m.dont need to spend that money but keep it in a savings account.Another point(slight doubt)-if spouse gets visa then will be able to work fulltime here without restrictions to my knowledge(dependent spouse visa-home office website.So,if your spouse has qualifications/work experience,good salary, mention these in letter saying that there is POSSIBILITY of finding work here and adding to the budget. Address each point made by im.officer & quote that in the appeal letter-show how you have planned for each of that.Good luck

Oh great,thanks to all! I have worked a lot today and feeling a lot more confident (but still not finished, maybe night-duty). Would really like to apply some tips that was given for my next task. I like the idea of small tasks and setting the mobile alarm to go off in 2 hrs etc. When I get absorbed into writing then it really works but the problem is that either I have stop for a class or library closing etc so when I break the flow its hard to go back, but I guess setting small tasks for short periods is the best way So back to my motto "Draft 01 by June 09"

just two things, this might not be enough but;
1) Can you show them that £12,500 is enough for both to live on. write a detailed account of what you pay for rent (backed up with tenant agreement), travel expenses (monthly x 12)and show that you have some for saving also. Try to a good budget plan. Although this amount is minimum, I reckon you can show that its enough.
2) Is there any possibility that you can show some assests (house, land, savings) with your name, wife's or inheritenace from parents or a relative. Show them by bank statements of those and if a relative will help you -a letter confiming that they will support your wife. A saving account or deposit in your names.
P.S: would the international officer in uni help you in sorting these? or a support agency they might know?
As I think its just detailing how the living expenses will plan out for each month and multiplying it by 12 to get the yearly expenses. try UKCOSA website (I think this right).

I seem to be moping around than doing the task list which I was so proud of making. Somehow, the time flies and the list is undone! I was planning to finish an article by last week, but for the past two days just got about 2-3 hours work done. The annoying thing is-I make good task lists, plans and organise things (maybe not...)how I can actually do this? really frustrated with myself and Arrggh!I wont be able to finish this by next June :-(

If you just want her to be there for you, then dont get married soon as you will have to put PhD first. Having said that, got married before the end of first year and were together for more than 5 years. when I did the degree and all that we managed just fine as keeping days for each other and finishing assignments early so we could be together.
MARRIED life needs compromises and a lot-at the same time PhD is all about that, so double the time juggling and although I have no regrets of marrying during the PhD or even having babies, it has to talked over with the partner so carefully to avoid any major heartaches that could ruin it all, relationship and the PhD. Think carefully, talk openly about things that could happen in write-up stage etc. and be wise when making decisions!

Just read the post from "slackjack" few minutes ago and was encouraged by it to do more on writing part I had a similar folder called Thesis but probably it didnt make much difference to writing cause it didnt have those e-copies of articles and somehow it was just there for a long while now. So thanks that was a good idea for me, I will do that by the end of today (hopefully as my deadlines always need twice more time)

I think it varies depending on what you achieve and fail to get during your time but if you have the long term goal of getting to the end of PhD always at the back of your mind, then confidence grows, but very slowly as time goes by. Also, it helps when you set goals at the beginning with room for failures and each time you reach the goals and see you are going in the right direction, confidence grows. However, it has to have a planned route and alternatives.

I was so excited to see someone else trying to submit in oct 09 as I am hoping to do the same and so far managed to make a plan on my own and it looks good (so far) Lets keep in touch doctor? through the forum and see how it goes. BTW I'm in social sciences. According to the so called calculator I'm behind 3 months as by Jan 2008 I should have drafting chapters. so not worried yet but there are loose ends that I need to tie up and might take longer than I think!

Having a stress headache and everyone seem to blank me out when I need to gety things done. PhD life is getting double difficult today. but my other half is being so lovely to me. I'm half sad and half happy! does that make it zero ?

Its like being in a playground with see-saws &slides. When u get into the see-saw it either my pvt life is up & phd life is down or reverse, when try to balance & stay like that neither my PhD life nor my Pvt life goes up or down which isn't healthy for either life..moving to slide, I'm at top in slide with my PhD doing well but the slide for going down swiftly with my Pvt life..what else..oh the merry-go-round..it will take u in circles & throw u out when money runs out. So, moral of my playground story-u have to sacrifice one for the other at one point in time & make the other be neglected so u could move up in one part of your life. This should not have to be always factor but at one point you will have to do the sacrifice either its sex, booze, going out, having children, marriage etc. Keep your fingers crossed & hope that the other life waits for u wih some similarities left for u to connect back. (is this booze talk or new year depression hitting me? whatever & who cares!)

Does Adem come from the Adams family? your comments seems so harsh and lacking human understanding. I have written so many similar posts like dazedandconfused over the 3 years and doing a PhD for majority is a motivational struggle. When things get tough the comments in the forum has lifted my spirits so many times and I think that is why some get the wrong idea its all blues and moods. But let me emphasise it's only sometimes and somedays that we have that its enough feeling. So, people who think a bad mood cannot be something that last only for a week, I have had bad mornings which I think what else could i do if I quit and the reason is that we so much want to do this that it becomes the enemy of our struggle to go forward.

Congratulations! well done. Although it seems impossible, submitting in three years is amazing. what subject area was your thesis on? Imagine, you will be a mum when you sit for the viva!

H, what area was your research on, I'm on social sciences final year and its going to go for a fourth year. It was not possible at all to finish data collection. Also, I'm at the start phase of my writing. So well done on keeping up . I have not seen DanB in posts for a while now.