I've been trying to go to one conference a year - presenting or with a poster. One conference gave me some funds, otherwise I have to fund myself - no hope of getting funding from my dept. I think it's been worth it - but I only go within europe - can't afford to go any further.

As Krondike says. I have 2 friends who got their PhDs while working as research assistants.

But I'm not sure that that is what you were thinking of - it reads to me as though you want to apply for a funded PhD using the work experience in place of a Masters. I'm surprised you need a distinction rather than a merit - does your tutor know the competition in your chosen field? Perhaps that is the case if competition is fierce (it was the case in my field which is a borderline humanities/science area).

Me too Olivia - that's what I'm doing right now. And now it's time to get off the pc and get on my bike and go to my dept.

Yup it's the same here. The thing I would complain about though is haveng the lectures after the seminars. That has happened here a couple of times but it really shouldn't. I teach a broad range, much of which is not in my field - I just do the reading and try to keep one step ahead. That's easy with first years but I would try to stick closer to my own field with second and especially third years. I give marks by term not paper, which is easier I think. But there has been no training or guidance - that's the norm it seems.

pipeline, even

If you know the area of study and the possible institutions try contacting potential supervisors directly to see if there is anything in the poplein and laso to see if any of them would be interested in discussing an indiviual application for funding (bit late for that this year though - that would need to be next year as the deadlines are generally March - April).

When you are geographically constrained (I was too) you have to be more proactive.

I know it's hard but you are going to have to be very proactive and self-motivated, and make a plan of action for yourself. I know this is hard - it's how I work too and the second year is the hardest because you are kind of lost in the middle. This year I really want to finish so in a way that's easier.

That's a great plan but unfortunately I will be in a writing frenzy all summer

I finally quit when I was pregnant. That gave me the motivation I needed - could you try that....

Yes - I'm in my final year and now that I actually have my data the work pressure has exploded. It's quite a shock to the system.

Shani - I spent A LOT of my second year teaching and alas - I'm spending too much of this year doing that too (not really by choice). It really eats up your time.

Oh dear, according to that claculator I should have just finished my draft chapters but in fact I'm still doing the analysis.

I would consider amending it after review with a note to the editor (keeping the changes minimal). Chances are very high that you will have some amendments from the review anyway.

I'm like that Xenao - in that I am have bursts of intense activity but stretches of apathy. I sometimes wonder how much more I could get done if I were more stable but that's how it is and I don't think I'm going to change now. Sometimes I need a little change or tweak in my project to keep the motivation up - thankfully that has tended to happen as otherwise I would be pretty fed-up with it by now.

This whole process, from MPhil to submission will have taken 7 years - longer than anything else I've ever done (and I'm not young). I never saw it as taking so long. Well you know what they say - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Jan/Feb were spent in a kind of panick-come-paralysis that I am just starting to come out of (I have similar problems, bela). I just feel as though this year is a huge mountain to climb in order to submit. I also feel further isolated in having a young child and therefore being in a very different position to the other students I know. I think I am suffering from severe cognitive dissonance regarding putting my daughter in daycare while I finish. It just seems contradictory to everything else I try to do as a parent - it is entirely selfish and I'm not even earning money. And yet I do it. And so the guilt is driving me crazy and I keep it down to 3 day/week which is just not enough.

I agree - there is no point otherwise. It's a very insecure and stressful career path. My interests have changed over the years and were probably in the process of changing the first time around. It also didn't help that I hadn't a clue how to do sustained work of any kind. I think I've got that hang of that now!

Hope your new project goes well - it is very stressful quitting a PhD, but I have met a few people who have done so and started again.