Yes, depends what field you're in. I'm in social sciences, and like Sneaks, don't use foot notes at all, everything is in the text. We tend to think that if something is important, it should go in the text and don't use foot or end notes. If your discipline hasn't required them to now, you still might not need to use them.

Hi

I don't think the issue is maintaining a relationship while one person does a PhD - this is entirely possible. Doing a PhD is hard, and long, but in the first two-thirds of the program people manage to live quite normal lives, go out etc etc. Well, I did anyway. The writing up part is when it's really hard, but that's for a finite time. Since you've been together for a while, and both studying, it sounds like you'd be able to manage finishing first, while he completes the PhD. It sounds like the real issue is whether or not you want to have another long-distance relationship - and this could be hard while you're both doing post-grad work, especially since it's likely that one or both of you would need to work a lot, including on week-ends.

So, ultimately, it comes down to whether or not you can maintain this relationship long-distance again - and only you can decide that.

Hey Rebel

I find that using word counts as a measure of progress doesn't work for me. Some days it will take me all day to write a page, if the material is hard, and that's not many words. I found that I was not reaching my daily word count target, so now am task-focused. 2000 words in a day is a lot I think - well, it is for me - and by setting this target, if you don't reach it you'll just feel worse. Would it help instead to break down the tasks? So tomorrow for eg, read articles on x topic, take some notes, read some more, take some more notes until you've read all the relevant articles. Then when you have that done - and try and realistically plan how long this will take - then plan the lit review. Then write each section, one bit at a time. This will take a while! But also aim to have it done by a set date. As Bolker notes, give yourself generous deadlines, so you don't set yourself up to fail. 

And read Joan Bolker - just chapter 3 will get you on your way. Good luck!

Yep, 31,000 words in 7 months is absolutely achievable, even with course work. Are you writing? Or having trouble and procrastinating? Have you read Joan Bolkers book, 'How to do Your Diss in 15 Minutes a Day?" If not, read it. She talks about freewriting - just sit and write, in short chunks. Do 5 minutes, write anything you can think of on your topic, then do another 5 minutes, then 15, then keep going, it builds up. And as Sneaks says, you need to have a plan, so you have goals to work towards, little steps, things you can achieve each day, week and month.

Don't think about it as 31,000 words, think about the lit review you need to write, concentrate on each section, and only that. Don't freak yourself out. Little by little, you'll get it done!

Ditto Chrisrolinksi and Sneaks!!

Me too me too! Finishing this beast, getting my life back and starting on a new phase are the only things motivating me at the moment. But it wasn't always like this....

Cobweb, I used to be motivated by the thrill of discovery, by the love of my subject, by the idea that what I was doing was important. I also loved doing field work, of seeing the results and the story emerging. This kept me going for years, as I slowly built up a body of work. Practically, I was motivated by deadlines - there was always the next chapter, conference paper, or journal article to write. Do you have enough concrete deadlines? Are you getting to see some final product of your work? These will motivate you.

Going part-time sounds like a good idea. You may find that once you have a bit of balance in your life that you're more productive. Enjoy!

Hi Eska, it's a shame there are so many dysfunctional relationships around you - they're not all like that. And you're generalising a bit!! In my circle of friends there are lots of long-term, equal relationships where the people involved are not deluded about each other, see their faults, love them anyway and are happy. I'm in a very long-term relationship too, and I don't think either of us is manipulative, worships the other etc. Just two people who still love each other and are still the best of friends.

It can work Eska! Don't get a cat for the wrong reasons - but do keep listening to Morrissey (!!). ;-)

Hi there

Depends where you want to do research. Some NGOs or government bodies have researchers, and you don't need a PhD to do these jobs, a Masters would probably be enough. Mind you, I'm not in your field, so it could be different in sport related areas. Have a look at the peak NGOS, government funded agencies and see if they have research positions - even call their HR people. I suspect that even in these positions, to get to the top you'd need a PhD.

If you want to do research at a uni, you do need a PhD. Lots of PhD students pick up jobs as research assistants as they study, this is a good way in.

Well done Walminski, glad to hear it's going well.

And a tip about hotels - you don't have to use all the tea and coffee sachets! You can take them with you, along with the little bottles of shampoo and conditioner they give you!

Hi Teek

I haven't gotten the job yet, but I know they wouldn't wait until I'm done. It's also the employer who said a PhD "shouldn't hurt my chances" in the selection process, even tho my PhD is directly related to their work. At the moment I'm really tempted to do a job that is so unrelated to my thesis that it drives me to find a job in academia, rather than a halfway decent job in my area, that is related to it, but where they don't value my knowledge, wouldn't let me publish and I could too easily sink in to the quagmire of settling for second best. If that makes sense. Gosh I drive myself crazy with this...

Am going to have an early nite, start fresh tomorrow, get back into the thesis and not think about this stuff. Thanks for your support.

Not all conference papers get peer reviewed, but most of the ones I've done have been. In my experience, conference papers have only been reviewed by one person. A journal paper, on the other hand, is reviewed by two people, who are exceedingly rigorous - and have demolished my papers on more than one occasion, requiring major rewrites. It's a lot harder to get an article into a journal than it is to a conference, at least a local conference. You should talk to your supervisor about all this, and see what they suggest, which journal articles are most appropriate, and to get their feedback on anything you intend to submit.

These are the main things to get onto your cv - teaching experience too, if you want to be an academic.

Hi there

A conference paper is what you submit when you're presenting at a conference. It's formal, and normally gets peer reviewed. It could come out in a volume produced for the conference. A seminar paper is a lot more informal - the seminar papers I've done haven't been peer reviewed, and have been slightly less rigorous. A conference will have many attendees, lots of sesssions etc, a seminar is just like at uni - a class essentially for academics and other interested parties.

A journal article is the best of the bunch, rigorous, academic, and peer reviewed. A working paper is also less formal, is a finished paper but may not have been peer reviewed. These don't get presented.

I'm in social sciences, could be different for other disciplines. Hope this helps.

Hey AL, glad to hear your work is going well - well done on making progress!! That's fantastic!!!

I've had the worst day today - spent most of the day in bed, crying. Have submitted a job application for a job I don't want, but will probably need, which will mean that I'll probably end up having to work through the last months of my thesis, which will be delayed if I get this job. :-(

I don't want to go back to the world of 'real' work, am worried that this will take me even further away from getting an academic job (not that there's any around in my field anyway), and frankly, the thought of this thesis dragging on even longer, while I juggle it and a paid job depresses the hell out of me.

I can just see my dreams of an academic job getting further and further away....am almost sorry I ever started this in the first place, but have done too much now to stop. I suppose I should be glad I can get a decent job at all, but I'm not...

Hi Still_Exploring

Bloody brilliant idea!! Much needed, and I'd go! I'd be there every week complaining about this torturous life-style!!! My only concern would be that it could get derailed my students going off-topic, and also that students may feel a bit self-conscious about going to a support group. Could you get someone from your uni's counselling service to attend too, so it has a bit more formality, and there's also professional help for students who are in real trouble?

Good luck with it, hope it gets up and running.

Hey Walminski, yes, talk to your sup if you're worried. But I think having someone who's top of your field is really, really good. Ths will give you lots more credibility when going for jobs, it will help with your networking, you'll be building a link with this academic. It will be really good for your career, much better than someone lesser who may be more likely to pass you. Your sup must think your work is good enough to be judged by this person, otherwise they wouldn't go to the trouble of organsing this. And the fact they god-like person has agreed is fantastic! Work towards this, I reckon, it will benefit you.