You will learn from your mistakes but try to avoid any major ones in 1st year. Not reading, not writing when you are supposed to do that happens all over the PhD. Thats what I am doing even now(as soon as I finish writing this I am going back to my thesis writing!). Just as a starting point, if you have to read 5 books, give them a priority order by relevance. Then start with the first most relevant book and the most relevant part or chapter of that book then you will get into what you need to read next. Maybe this would work for you maybe you will find a another startegy, anyhow just stick at it, there is no other way.

good advice from cc. Even though I'm not near completion, the follwoing useful tips are the ones which I wish I had known before.
1) Saving files with a date as you edit them, so you even have the first draft.
2) Writing at least one sentence,phrase that sums up the paper, report as you read, or why its important to you (in endnote using notes section or by hand in printed papers)
3)keeping a diary or blog of about how you got on with experiments, as little details do count later.
4) Have something written about what you did each year by the end in form of lit review, method, conference paper.

Thanks guys! really helpful I know I can count on the forum more than the uni sometimes, as they answer questions at their own time. Just needed to know the facts from "people in the know". I was getting worried specially about how long they would extend the visa, if its one year then thats a relief. I had a look at the homeoffice website but they dont say for how long the write up extension is for.

Are there any international(non EU) PhD students? What was the write up fees like? What about registering as a continuing students but paying less fees during write up stage? How did the visa work out for this write up thesis time? so many questions nobody seems to know exactly what or how for non EU international students?

Know the feeling as I think about about some of those issues everyday since I started my PhD. My thoughts are that you cannot get all that at once. But gradually you can. For example get married first, it does not matter if you are in which year of your PhD (probabaly not in end of final year or writing stage). Then if things are going OK then think about babies or buy a house with the help of your scholarship money. Just get one foot in first, outside PhD world people do face situations which are a bit similar to this. There are people who have done it all during the PhD, including getting the PhD, but its not a smooth road at all!

yep! you guessed it. Another moaning lazy PhD student. I've only written about 600 words and supposed to finshed the lit review a week before. The problem is I'm not lazy to do anything else its just writing that makes me freeze. Anyway the week is ending and maybe I could manage few hundred words more. Has anyone else had a similar week? Of course those who do just fine can be proud of themselves as you don't NEED to moan when you are doing your work, it only when you are down that this forum helps me to recover, just like a bottle of wine.

This is life I guess and it comes in packages which you open to find unwanted presents. Anyway, from my experience you can never be alone with a phd and completely focus on that, there are testing times as others said. Sometimes its relationships other times its money mental health issues or family problems. All of us will experience at least one of these as they are common life problems that get in the way of our peaceful life. So, don't take hasty decisions, learn from your lessons and prove to yourself mostly that you can come out of this with a PhD. Your supervisor will get around this by the time you finish and probably be impressed if you get through till the end. Have faith in yourself about not doing same mistakes again and put your head down and work harder to get through this.

seems like a good job to get you out of that lonly phd world into real world. Since its only one day if you can keep it to that and work the other days on your PhD, it might be good idea to take it. I am a full timer and I do waste more than one day a week doing nothing and I sometimes regret not doing a part time something. These things give you something to add to CV and opportunities to meet people outside. Think through of pros and cons, write them down and decide.

This post really got to me as I am coming to my thirties and have put off babies for at least another year. But now most of the time I'm thinking maybe this would be a big regret in my life. I am not sure I can manage both. Oh ! why can't men have babies?

Very sorry to hear about your situation BUT hope the funding will come through. Just as a thought, does your uni have any part-time Research jobs or teaching jobs or demo jobs that you can get. This may be of little help but better than nothing if you get something. Good luck let us know what happens and share your thoughts it has helped me in the past

This may not be suitable for you but anyway I will put this down. Would there be any chance of getting a postdoc or a friend who knows the area to give you an idea about cutting down some of your work. Does the uni have a person (grad school officer/welfare) who could get you in touch with a person to help you with the writing phase by going through your writing and suggesting parts which needs trimming.

Only once but the super went back on something he said and blamed me for continuing the project. It was so bad (angry tears)I thought he was there to guide me when I am doing things wrong. SO I ended up doing the whole thing from the begining.

I agree with sly (used a sort form). It can be a pain, but damage control is the key word, so you limit the damage of loosing all your work as sometimes it cannot simply be written again no matter how hard you try,.So do cost benefit analysis if you want but I recommend fast save at least.

Congrats! First go and have a good look at your contract of PhD if you get funded and then see what rules they have regarding maternity and taking time off etc. Gather your notes from these, or maybe if you have a good student service or graduate school someone might talk to you about these rules and guidelines. Then after doing this bit of work, remember everything and just drop the news at a meeting with all your supervisors. Its nothing to feel guilty about or feel bad about, just give them a chance to take it in and after the initial shock is over, try to explain a plan of study during pregnancy, as someone said do an extensive lit. review etc.
Main thing is confidence and show them that you have made alternative arrangements for things you would not be able to do or give up during next 5-6 months. Although not a good option, you could take a suspension from work for 6 months. Good luck!

Deepest sympathies, I have done that once or twice but not v.imp things. I do't know if you are using microsoft word for writing, if it is then go to tools -options-save it wil give you fast save and autorecovery after anytime you want (even 1 minute). so hopefully this will decrease your damage limit to a certain extent.