My uni pays an hourly rate for 4000 words an hour to be marked. I found that I could do that OK, and I could mark for 2 hours without going insane, then I'd need a break. So, how many you can mark depends on how long they are Eska! I think I managed to do about 20 hours of marking in a week, and that was quite enough.

Walminski, the novelty value wears off real quick! Like after the second one...The morass of average essays, all regurgitating the same info, gets old quickly...

And I'm probably the warmest, and from the farthest away place in relation to everyone else. And, I have no doubt whatsoever, I'd be the biggest Smiths fan on this site - which also gives an indication of my age! (tree)

Hi Walminski

Good to know that others forget things too! I'm in a similar situation - I wrote my lit review and a huge context chapter back in 2006, and now need to go back and rewrite and update. I've also written loads, but am a slow writer, and it takes me a long time to redraft so chapters are not a complete embarrassment to me. As the previous OP has said (sorry, forgotten who that was - see! Too much info and some just falls out of my brain! ;-)) you won't need to reread it all again. I'm intending to go back and flick thru all of the lit, as I know that now that I've completed my field work, other things in the lit are important as well as the initial points I picked up. It just has to be done I'm afraid, and there's no way around this.

So, you're not alone. I too have forgotten lots of my area and need to rewrite lots. I think once I get started it won't take me that long. It probably won't be as bad as you think.

Hi there

I think you need to talk to your uni to find out whether you would get in - some unis/faculties won't accept you if your average grade isn't high, others will. Call someone in admin and ask. If you've got a masters, this will help, and it shows that you can study. I had really bad undergrad grades but had done well in my masters, and in my PhD application I explained that I had matured over the intervening years since I had been an undergrad and had demonstrated commitment etc in my postgrad studies. The uni liked this - it showed that I was self aware, and had potential. Use the 8 year gap to your advantage. Working in industry is also good - shows that you're a bit more experienced than someone who's gone straight thru.

And don't worry about needing time to take things in - you can work at your own pace with a PhD, as long as you manage to keep churning work out. Good luck.

Ah well, being the token Aussie I'll have to defend Vegemite. It got me thru my undergrad days - poor, there was always Vegemite on toast to keep me going. Vegemite on toast is also the perfect hangover cure! All that vitamin B to get you going again.

When I was on holidays in the UK a few years ago, I could only find Vegemite in a health food store - there, proof that it's good for you too! ;-)

Hi EV

I am most definitely giving my sup a Xmas card, and a present too, something small, like a box of chocs. She's fabulous, and has done so much for me this year - employing me, supervising me, writing articles with me and supporting me academically. I think it's important to thank her as she's done so much extra for me.

Yes Romana, you can still have a life! Lots of PhD students don't work on week-ends, some also only work during the day, like a 9-5 job. The further in you get tho, the less free time you'll have - well, that's my experience anyway.

Hi Moonblue and Walminski

You're not alone - as in the other posts, I'm still here on the other side of the world and will be working all day. MB, I feel for you having to write that essay - I was also supposed to do a course like that, but I got my sup to write me a letter and said I already had this knowledge (which I don't think I did), and managed to wriggle my way out of it. Yeh! Doesn't help you tho - but my sympathies, I didn't think a course like that looked like fun at all.

And I do believe it was me who introduced tomatoes to forumites, glad to be of assistance.

Keep going!! I'm determined to finishe rewriting a chapter before next Mon, so have lots to do too. We'll get there!

Marmite!??!! Pfff! It's gotta be Vegemite!! :-)

Hi Jinkim

Glad you're feeling a little better - hope decorating the (tree) cheers you up. The others are right, you need a break. It's really hard to keep going at this time of the year, we're tired, need a holiday, and on top of that, writing up is really difficult. Have a break and do some things you enjoy, and don't worry about work for a bit. Your thesis WILL get done, believe in yourself, just take a break.

OK, for really stupid consumer stories. A while ago I was flossing my teeth, the floss got stuck between my teeth and broke off. I drove me crazy - the more I tried to floss to get it out, the more wedged it became. I was like some mad beastie, trying to get this annoying thing out of my mouth. Anyway, had to go to the dentist for them to remove the wad of floss. Complained to the company, and they sent out these torture looking devices they'd developed to replace floss - like wire strung across a little hand held gizmo. Well, looked like something out of a Clockwork Orange, so didn't use that. So, beware of nasty dental floss! Right, here's what my teeth need...(mince)

Hi Romana

Doing a PhD is difficult in lots of ways, but obviously your uni thinks you can do it, so you can! Don't worry about it being difficult, just get in there and start. Make plans, talk to your sup, and enjoy the work.

The subject matter can be difficult, but in a good way, it stretches you intellectually. The really difficult thing is working on something so big, for so long, with a lot of just by yourself. It's such a lot of work, and requires determination. There was another thread going around recently, and the consensus seemed to be that you don't need to be really smart to do a PhD, just really determined. You need to be able to hang in there, for a long time, and some parts can be pretty rough.

So have a look through some threads, keep in mind that people use this forum for support, so there's lots of unhappy posts, but a lot of people here also really enjoy doing their PhD. As I do at the moment! So, don't stress, just look forward to being really challenged. And welcome!

Hi Sneaks

Me too, me too. My 3 years is up in March, but no way am I going to be done by then - haven't even got a complete first draft done, let alone second, third and all the extras! I'm hoping to be done with an extra 3 mths to June, that will be pushing it, but if I work myself to death over the next 6 mths I might just make it. But this means I probably won't actually graduate until May 2011. AARRGGHHHH!

And Walminski, sympathies for your field work - I also relied on the participation of others, and my field work took me 2 years. You'll get there - a break through will come, data will start flowing and it will be lovely.

Hi Sneaks

I'm forcing myself to work, but it's a struggle. Am doing a bit more socialising, which is really nice, but it just makes me want to take some time off completely. I so need a holiday, but am only going to take a week off, then back into it. So I can relate. I'm working at the moment as I need to get lots done before Xmas, and just doing this thru sheer determination. No decorations in my house - that'd be too festive and then I definitely wouldn't work! So the decorations here will have to suffice...(tree)