I have an hour and a half this morning to work on my paper. Who would have thought that cutting down on words without losing the meaning could be this hard?

My goal for now: to work the third section.

Hope you all have a good day!

Same as MHK, no info on the spine, all on the front cover. Well done on submitting!!

Hello!

I think many of us feel that we have to work because there is much to do, but the reality is that a few years aren't enough to know and do everything (in my opinion!). This means we need to make choices and know when to stop. Having regular breaks and taking good care of yourself are really important things in the long-term even if it feels like a waste of time and/or it brings feelings of guilt in the short-term. There is honestly so much we can do and cope with until we burn out. After all, we are only human!

There are many things that aren't within our control in a PhD, data collection and results are just some of them (there are sups, vivas, etc!). Sometimes we just need to accept that this is how it is unfortunately. Please don't feel you need to be doing something as it's not your fault the cells aren't available. If you really want to do something, could you start writing your lit review, plan your chapters, etc? Alternatively, just relax and enjoy the moment. You're saying that you don't really have any friends, so maybe make the most of this quiet time during your PhD and join one of the many clubs within uni to try and meet people? It can be difficult to go back to the 'social scene' when we've been working too hard but slowly does the trick and joining a club is a way of already having an interest in common so easy to talk about.

I've been told that having had depression and/or anxiety in the past makes people more likely to have it again. Maybe you could see your doctor and/or your counsellor at uni just to talk things through? Regarding the medication, as KB said, there's quite a large variety so you could potentially try a different one until you find one that suits your needs.

Hi Clupea,

It sounds fine to me. I think providing you're using present tense when talking about a paper you're continuing referring to (rather than a stand alone mention) you'll be fine.

I had to look at my thesis for this one! I've done it similar to what Ady did.

As it appears we have different ways pending on the field, maybe you could check a few papers from your field to double check Naturalme?

Good luck with corrections!

Congrats! I'm thrilled for you!

Very well done (up)(up)

Lindalou, thanks for the support. I'm very impressed you managed to do work whilst poorly with migraines! Well done you. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm happy to report that everything went smoothly yesterday. Unfortunately, I've not done much today at all. Been on the phone for most of the morning and I'm working this afternoon so I might just do some minor amendments on my paper before lunch and call it a day as I have some errands to run before work.

Not sure if anyone is around this weekend, good luck if you are!

done!

I agree with Ady that it'll depend on your supervisor. Mine have always told me what they expected. Initially it was a 'very rough draft'. At that stage I think they just wanted to get to know the ideas and how they fit together. My first few drafts had my own notes on them(!) (e.g. 'add this paper about this topic here' or 'need to add something about this here') but this is what my supervisors asked me to do.

Lughna, if you're unsure about the length, you could potentially just send everything you have and your sup can give you feedback on what they think shouldn't be there?

I've just had an email saying I had a pm but when I logged on, it turned out I didn't have one. Anyone pm'd me? Or is the system playing up?

Miss Piggy, 'it's just the alcohol', it affects our memory and sense of time etc ;-)

Batfink, no I don't have a date yet, but I have a mock in a few weeks so must get **** in gear for that. I hope you feel better soon! Try not to overdo things or you might get worse. It's not fun being poorly when we have tons to do.

Day not been too bad so far. I've accomplished goal 1, then went food shopping and had lunch. Off to do goal 2 now, which will probably only take me a few minutes as I've not written that much, then off to plan the dreaded prep.

I have a meeting at 3pm, so I'll be happy managing these small goals for today. We all have to start somewhere!

Not sure if anyone is around. Doesn't look like this thread is being used that often anymore, but I shall try to pop in more often as work is not moving forward quickly enough. I'm setting myself only two (and a half) goals today:

1) To finish writing a small section for my paper
2) To review what I've written so far
2 1/2) to plan my viva prep

Hope you all manage to have a productive day today!

Couldn't agree more with Screamingaddabs!

I'm still to have my viva, have been looking for months, had a few interviews but still unemployed. I also know of others who are struggling so we are definitely not alone. There are cuts everywhere so make sure you get feedback from the interviews (which sounds like you're already doing!) and act on it if there's anything that you can do.

Unfortunately, the reality is that the market is extremely competitive at the moment and we just have to keep going. Sounds like you're doing everything right so it's just a question of the right job coming up.8-)

Don't give up! You can do it!

In terms of advice, I have been a bit cheeky in the past by asking the 'what sort of person are you looking for' question PRIOR to the interview, when I contact them to get more info about the job. Some people have answered it, which meant I could match my answers to their expectations, and others told me 'to ask after the interview'. Still worth a shot though!

Good luck and let us know how the interview goes!

I agree with Sneaks approach of being strategic and yes Human, I don't think academics are any different from other professions.

I think there'll always be individuals who are inclined to backstab or take advantage of others regardless of where you work. Although I'd like to think that there are workplaces out there where this doesn't happen, I simply haven't worked in one yet! So it's just about finding the best way for you to work there.

Note: I don't work in academia, just heavily involved in their 'politics' at the moment...

Hi Hiccup!

I'm not sure there's a right or wrong answer to your question as this will very much depend on your topic, how easy/difficult it'd be to replicate the study, etc.

If I felt my research would be at risk, I would be very careful not to let others know to be honest. Mine was pretty complex to set up so I knew I was ok. On the other hand, I once met someone who couldn't share with anyone apart from close friends because anyone could have replicated hers. She was only part-time and had been warned by her sup not to share.

The only advice I can give you is speak to your sup and use your judgement. Also remember, that it is possible that others may be doing the same thing as you but you may be able to incorporate their arguments/findings to strengthen you research as well.

At least, that's how I see it.