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Hi Someone3

I hate to be disloyal to PGF (and I'm not, not really!!) but you could try www.phinished.org - it's another forum for PhD students, based in the U.S. and it has a chat room. It might not suit your purposes tho - people use the chat room as a motivational tool rather than as a forum to discuss work, but I think it's pretty good. I don't know how many science people are on there tho.

And I won't even mention stars! I just like being helpful!

Hi Jojo, I'm also doing case studies, 5 of them. I'm keeping them all separate and then drawing out similarities and differences in the following analysis chapter. I did start of by making comparisons as I was writing, but this got too cumbersome, and my supervisor thinks it flows better to keep them separate. So I'm writing each one up, then discussing in their respective chapters how they relate to the literature and findings of others, then pulling it all together in an analysis chapter, and then will follow this with a conclusions chapter. It seems to be going OK so far. Have written them all up (tho they need rewriting) and am just about to start making a bit of a map for the analysis chapter. Hope this helps.

Congratulations!!!! (up) That's fantastic! Now enjoy your lie-in and holiday!

======= Date Modified 06 Nov 2009 02:47:05 =======
Walmisnski, if you put your genius to good instead of evil, you might have that PhD!!

...and your threats don't frighten me, I'm perfectly secure in my star status. And remember Walminksi, it can be lonely at the top! ;-)

You need to talk to some unis then, to see how you can be accepted if you haven't done research. I'm in social sciences, and you do need research experience to do a PHD, but am not sure about a masters, your degree might be enough to get you in to a research masters. Also keep in mind that with some PhDs, at least with my uni and my discipline, they're making at least a couple of course work subjects compulsory, so you migyht not be able to avoid them altogether.

No, don't use big, complicated words if that's not your natural writing style. To some people this comes naturally, and fine for them, but if you need to go out of your way to write like this, don't do it. You'll just sound pretentious and like you're trying too hard. And I get suspicious when I read unnecessarily complicated language, that the author is trying to cover up a lack of substance/poor research. Write as you have been. Just write and follow your own style. 

Yes, a double degree is better than a standard u'grad degree, but not sure how much better this is viewed. Could you do a masters by course work, with a research project, then the PhD? You need to show that you have research experience to get into a PhD, and if you don't have hons, then try and do a subject in your masters where you can do a research project.

Hi Postwoman

I haven't done a viva and so can't offer you specific advice, but just wanted to say good luck! And don't panic!

In regards to your questions, you know why you became interested in your research - so maybe the problem is more one of nerves rather than content? Good that you're practicing, also do other things to calm yourself - breathing exercises, drink herbal tea, think positive. Think beyond Fri - soon it'll be all over and done with and you'll hve passed!!

Your answer to your contribution to knowledge sounds good, and as for next steps, haven't you covered that off in your conclusion? Does your thesis raise questions that are yet to be answered? Or if it's methodologically based, wouldn't you want to see if your methodology could be used in other research/gave different outcomes etc? This is vague sorry, don't know your topic.

But you do. You've worked on this for years, and you'll be fine. Breathe, and don't panic. Good luck! Think how good you'll feel afterwards!

And from the other side of the world, yes, students are pretty demanding here too, but I haven't come across too many rude ones. Students do expect value for money, and it's hard not to blame them really - a basic arts degree can leave them $40,000 in debt (not sure what that is in pounds...). But they don't have the basics, and get supplied with everything, all the readers, and yeh, never have to go to the library. Last semester my postgrad class had to write a lit review as an assignment, and even though we explained how to do it over and over, most of them just didn't get it.

And as one of the earlier posters said, yep, undergrads absolutely do want old style lectures in tutes! They don't want to have to think, and talk to each other, but would just like a repeat of the lecture. Some of them were quite miffed that I wouldn't repeat or recap the lecture in detail. I'd try to get other students doing it, but they wouldn't. So much for independent learning...

...aren't we a grumbly old lot!;-)

Thanks for those suggestions everyone, will try them out. Bilbo, I think my overall structure is OK - my sup hardly ever rearranges the order of things - so I think it's more at the paragraph and sentence level. Which also needs to reflect the big picture structure of course. But will do everything people have suggested, and a copy of Strunk and White is coming over the seas to me.

Hi Elia

You should do a search of the threads - this topic has come up recently and I seem to remember a thread with lots of advice about how to give presentations. Good luck!

Hi Leanne

Yes, absolutely do feel the same - altho aiming for different things. Yes, I can't wait until this period is over too, I have things I want to do, also want to move to a different city, get a job etc etc and have to get the thesis out of the way first. I keep telling myself that It's not long (I dunno, should be finished in 5-8 months - groan!!) and it will go quickly. I also tell myself that doing this PhD is a great opportunity, and I'm lucky I can do it full-time. Reasoning which doesn't always convince me....

I also think life doesn't completely have to stop while we're studying. Couldn't you get married while doing your PhD? A good wedding can just be a party and doesn't need to be expensive. Or have a party and then have the expensive one when you can? Or plan when you want to have kids as part of the PhD - a friend of mine timed it so she handed in her thesis, then she gave birth 2 days later!! Was really hard for her, but what a week she had! And her life went on as she studied. So, maybe life doesn't have to be so linear?

Hi all

I've been writing away madly for months now, going OK, but slowly, and my sup is generally happy with my work. However, she's been mentioning that I need to improve my style - that I need to get a better flow into my work, that it needs to be more discursive, that's it's still a bit too stilted. I rewrite and rewrite, but it still doesn't seem to get there.

How have other people improved their style? I've bought 10 Lessons in Clarity and Grace, and it's really hard going. I know it would also require me to sit with my work, and go through the book and my work, making changes as I go. Which sounds really tedious and time-consuming! And I don't have a lot of time as I'm concentrating on writing up and trying to churn out chapters.

So, any tips on how to improve writing style? Am also going to talk to my sup, but would apprefciate any thoughts. Thanks.

Hi AL

Yes, will talk to my sup - she just mentions things like my writing needing a better flow, and being more 'discursive' - things which are hard to learn! Then she rewrites a par of mine, and it's just lovely!! I know it's practice, and I also have a style book which I'll probably need to use. Eska was talking about this on a thread - maybe I'll start a new thread and see what people say.

Yes, don't work AL, get to it when you can. You need to have a break and get used to your new jobs, thesis can wait, altho you probably do need to write your funding report!

So sounds like we're all going well. New day here, in a lovely clean study, have almost finished the article I'm working on apart from refs which I'll do tonite - am going to crack on with some brain work! Once I take my sweet dog out...

Hi Teek

Sounds like you've been busy! Good for you for ploughing through the boring, repetitive tasks! You'll get the 10,000 words done by Xmas - once you start you'll get into it and be fine. And excellent you can see the end!! I still can't, progress is too slow and patchy...ahh well, consistent work will get us there.

Found a new way to procrastinate today, rearranged my study. Completely necessary of course!;-). Not such a productive day today, will be better tomorrow.