Larrydavid, I hope I'm not witnessing a transferance of guilt, or something, here. Your powers of making sweeping generalisations and 'creative' writing are considerable, but I find your comment to the OP every bit as insulting as the level of offence you have taken from the joke. It was a joke, an ill timed and badly received joke, but no harm was meant. Lets not make things personal. :-)

I'd like to think that was just cheeky humour; it was very blunt though, as in wham! You didn't mean any malice but obviously she didn't see it that way. Something I've learnt is that some people gel and some people, erm, don't. She's obviously not the last person you'd want to be on a desert island with - and I'm sure the feelings are mutual. So, apologise when you get the opportunity and take things from there.

The scenario: I have 5 chapters done and the methodology chapter nearly done. I've got 6 months to finish everything. All of the data analysis is finished and my questionnaire works.

My strengths: I can write quickly. I only have to write now. I have all my papers and my reading is more or less up to date. My supervisory team is fully behind me and will review and send my work back to me as quickly as possible.

My weaknesses: I'm as weary of my research as a vietnam vet is of war. My research is huge, there's lots to write about. It's mixed methods and my model is complicated. There's a million and one ways (well actually 2: integrate or segregate) to write it and, somehow, I have to integrate the phases and show how one has informed the other. It's going to be hard and horrible. I have to see my friends and mend relationships because I've let too many people down over just working.

My plan: Post on this thread everyday what I have achieved and need to achieve the next day - and so one. Gladly receive encouragement from other posters who are in or will be in the same boat as me. There is no plan B and I love it when a plan comes together. I have 50, 000 words to write and half a tankful of effort and inspiration. Lets see how far I can get.

There's a whole science around flirting, and I note that some of the key traits have been mentioned. Also be aware of the potential flirter leaning towards you a bit too much to listen to what you're saying. Often this may be at an angle, so that they can present their best side to you. Nodding a lot and agreeing with everything you say - even laughing at stuff you say in an exaggerated manner. Mimicking your body language is another trait of flirting. I think I can also add the use of suggestive language, double entendres and the potential flirter asking you lots of open questions.
Recent traits of flirting that I have come across, in terms of mobile textual exchanging, include: :-p, xxx, mwah [?], xox. I've also encountered instances of a flirter spending more time with the flirtee than anyone else. Also, the purchase of toffees for the flirtee is something to look out for.

All you have to do is, near the bottom end of the battery where it slots in, use a butter knife or your nails, just to hook underneath and pull it towards you. There may be a tiny bit of reisistance. Just make sure you hook the bottom end of the battery and then pull up towards you.

Firstly, you've been downgraded to an Mphil (unless I have misread your post and you've been actually upgraded to a PhD again), so it doesn't need to have quite the broad scope of a PhD - but I'd imagine the quality of writing needs to be just as good. Secondly, and more importantly, you have 3 months. So that means that you just have to get on with it no matter what. Jepsonclough, as ever, has provided you with some excellent advice: use the academic writing support network at your uni.

Exacty what chapters have you worked on so far? Have you planned out all the chapters that you need to write? The overall structure of your thesis? Can you get an extension on your submission date? I'm not sure 3 months is going to be long enough unless you're very disciplined and your supervisor is really behind you.

If you can't get an extension, I would just start to write the chapters, not worrying about them being top quality initially, and just fire them off, one by one, to your supervisor. That way, provided you get a quick turn around time, you can guage what level they're at and roughly what you need to do with them - then action this asap. Unless you've done all of the background reading that you need to do, remember it, have a very good understanding of your field and are good at writing a discussion, I'm not sure you can do it in that length of time. The editing, the proofing, the re-writes - it all takes time. But then, that's just me and what I'd be like with only 3 months. Best wishes.

Well, I've started to write up and I'm hating it already. But I can't moan because I've bought a laptop that has a lovely kepboard and have appropriated and installed Micorsoft Office 10 Professional Edition. And then I've also stuck on the new Invisio Premium Edition, Publisher and loads of proofing tools. It's ace. And it's almost stopping me from not enjoying writing up because I enjoy using it so much. And I've also got Endnote X4 - and it has much better functionality than my older edition of Endnote. Oh, and Medcalc - that's so much fun to use. You realise how bloated software like SPSS is when you use it! If I do have one moan, it's that I can't find enough uses for all the new stuff I have.

Hi Natassia, I would actively encourage with as many academics, who relate to your research, as possible. Although shy in real life, I'm not by any means shy when it comes to discussing my research with academics all over the globe. Networking is so useful! New Zeland, Australia, South Africa, America and Oldham - so many researchers from so many places have been instrumental in shaping my research. You can exchange ideas (cautiously), get feedback and really gain a feeling that your research is actually important and found interesting by many other people.
I remember when I first started out and didn't really know anything. I got in touch with a researcher, very prominent in her field and has written numerous textbooks, to ask her some questions about things I'm not really sure about. She not only answered them, but she actually sent me relevant chapters of her book and some papers. She even read some early chapters of my work and paid me compliments, which helped with my confidence. And then another researcher, who wrote a book that a lot of researchers in many fields start out using was just as helpful. In fact, through my networking I've got rheumatologists interested in and accepting honourary lecturing posts at my university and even my external examiner selected for my viva many moons from now.
Sogo for it. You'll doubtless read widely and you'll inevitably have many questions that you'll want to ask the authors. Many of them are only to happy to open up a dialogue with someone interested in their work. And, as I've alluded to above, there's so much potential in it. I can honestly say that without networking early and widely, my research wouldn't have been possible.

Wow, this is really coming on, guys. Lots of new suggestions and scores of fab tracks for me to listen to while I do my work. I'm thinking that Now That's What I Call Music 76 may be the best compilation album yet - certainly the biggest, stretching to at least 4 CDs!

I've got a couple more myself...

Electric Light Orchestra - Mr Blue Sky
Duran Duran - View to a Kill
Aha - Take on Me (it's a floor filler!)
And something for the intellectuals amongst us...Divine Comedy - The Booklovers....

God, how does that song go now...it's so clever...hmhmm (clear my throat): 'This book deals with epiphenomenalism, which has to do with consciousness as the mere accessory of physiological processes whose presence or absence makes no difference...whatever are you doing?'

Oh, and while mentioning 'clever' songs that can go in, we have to have a bit of John Cooper Clarke's Beasley Street.

I can't help imagine how things might have turned out differently for me if I'd have followed Shane Hall's 5 step approach to PhD success: http://www.ehow.com/how_5045989_succeed-phd-program.html

I'd probably have finished a year ago and have had plenty to write my own time smarmy list: register for programme, turn up, write often, publish, succeed in viva!

My supervisor said that she likes to think of me as a colleague rather than student and, as such, I have been given the mobile numbers of everyone I work with. I never saved them on my phone, though, as I prefer to e-mail and keep what I feel to be an appropriate distance. Funnily enough, my supervisor once rang me up and, because I sounded really tired on the phone, started accusing me of having just gotten up! I don't like phone conversations anyway. I hate those periods of silence and have to fill it with chat, even random chat, so not letting the person on the receiving end get a word in edgeways.

Well, it's not been the best of days today. I've been chided by my supervisors for being sidetracked with my data analyses. It does not a written thesis make. And then I've been trying to set a new laptop up, since my old one is dying, which takes ages since I've got to sort out all my software for it and transfer the files. And some of the software doesn't work with a later version of Windows and all that. I've written a methodology chapter, but it's really very bad and needs a lot more work. I've also got a lot of other chapters to write. So today has not been a waste in one sense. I have to work, I have to get it done and I can't really hang about. So no more playing out at the weekends, and far, far fewer posts from me on here. Something Chrisrolinski said in a previous recent post about having to write an awful lot to achieve a doctoral standard of work has really struck me and brought things home: trial and error, refinement of technique and composition takes time. I shall begin in earnest tomorrow.

It's different strokes for different folks, I think. Some people enjoy the solitude of living alone. It definitely has it's advantages when doing a PhD or Masters - few distractions and lots of peace and quiet. But then, if you're used to living with people and are very social, it can be quite a culture shock. I've lived alone, I've lived with flat mates I really hated (pot smoking wannabe Nirvana groupies) and I've lived with a partner. Out of them all, I hated living alone the most. Not because I didn't have friends or anything, it was just the absolute silence and coming home to an empty house that I hated. You might really enjoy it though. You certainly identify what you perceive to be the advantages.

Chrisroliski, I find your taste in music to be an education in musical culture - and I've enjoyed listening to a lot of them. I'd even go so far as to say that some of them are catchy enough to listen to again and again, so they're going in the Now That's What I call Music 76 album. Cakeman, I'll give those a listen to. The Pink Floyd track is definitely a good choice.(up)

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Well, it looks like Now That's What I Call 75 has just come out - so I've been pipped at the post with that one. So, I'm going to make a proposal for the contents of Now That's What I Call Music 76. For those of you unfamiliar, Now That's What I Call Music is a compilation album that features all the greatest music hits of the current time - and it comes out about twice a year. I haven't been best pleased with the series since about 1997, it's all seemed to go down hill since then. Atomic Kitten? Eurgh! Seal? No thanks! Vanilla? No way, no way! Indeep? No, last night I wanted to kill the DJ for playing crap music!
So, what I'd like to do is to compile a potential selection of tracks that could constitute Now 76. I'm doubtless that we all have an impeccable taste in music - we're post grad students after all. Some of us are even post docs! Often, I read the names of excellent bands touted on this site. Often, I have discovered impressive music through suggestions made on this forum. So, it only stands to reason that we should put together our collective knowledge of music, our eclectic tastes, and come up with the ultimate album, an album that reflects the highs and lows, the insanity of being a PhD student. Let's make Now That's What I Call Music 76!

Here are my suggestions for inclusion...

(Don't Fear) the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Dance with Somebody - Mando Diao
Les Joures Tristes - The Divine Comedy

Any recommendations are welcome, all tastes are appreciated, a multicultural selection is encouraged.