mmm Lamb with mint sauce...

but I will make do with the chicken curry my boyfriend is making while I pretend to study!

Watching the English

Don't think like that. ALL my decent results came in the last year. And when they came, they came after bursting the door down. It is normal for thesis work to be completed in an exponential rate.

Mu ha ha ha ... have a kit-kat instead.

Oh just stop whinning and enjoy it while it lasts... Doesn't sound like your supervisor can win with you. You kept complaining so much about how she was mean to you and now she is being nice to you and you still complain. And another thing. Stop gossiping about one supervisor to your other supervisor! On a regular basis. It WILL count against you! Do you really think that someone who slags another person off in front of you will not do the same behind your back???

answered your question on the other thread as well

I actually submitted my thesis, arranged to have my viva a month after and flew away on holiday to the far east for the month. So I can't take another holiday

But I don't feel that relaxed since I am still in full-time employment with the university and instead of thesis deadlines, I now have paper deadlines!

Hopefully I am never on a flight in which a fellow passenger has a heart attach!

Thanks guys. The viva lasted two hours. The deliberation lasted 10 minutes and I was told at the end of the ten minutes about the decision.

I started the PhD in October 2001 (part-time) in Computer Science. I was (and still am) a full-time research fellow as well. It has been 4 years 8 months. It seemed shorter somehow

Just had mine three days ago. I was strangely calm before I went in and through the viva as well. Your supervisor is right. It is a discussion of your thesis amongst equals. And you know your thesis more intimately than anyone else so don't worry, the defending part of it will come naturally. I found that after nit-picking and thinking my thesis over thoroughly while writing it up, the viva itself was more like explaining my thoughts and concepts to the examiners who had read my thesis in a short time and wanted to know more. My most valuable tip is to not study the day before the viva. Choose a cut off time, like 2PM the day before the viva and go see a fun movie, play or visit friends (Don't get drunk). Get up early the next day, eat well, dress comfortably and be confident but don't bluff. Be nice and accept criticism if there is truth to it. The viva is not a demon.

I have now got my doctorate (three days ago). The viva itself was really good and I had a feeling of strange calmness. This was quite surprising since I had heard so many horror stories. Gotta tell you that I feel lighter and quite proud of my thesis. Got really good comments as well from my examiners and therefore feel that the last few years have actually resulted in me becoming a good researcher.

One of the biggest fears I had before finishing the PhD was what I was going to feel like after but it turns out that the oppurtunities are actually endless. Just concentrate and get a good complete thesis. And if you have any holes, don't ignore it, understand why they are there and be ready to explain it. It will all be worth it at the end!

UCL. Love it there. It rocks as does London!

Update: The viva went well. I am now Dr. What2DoNext

I have submitted my thesis... yeaaaa... but I am going to be defending my thesis in mid-june. Anyone else submitted and going to defend?

My supervisors seem to think that I will be ok but they have also said that the viva can be a page by page discussion of your work. My thesis is 320 pages long including appendix. Even if I assume that they will only quiz me on the actual content minus the appendix, that in itself is 215 pages. How am I going to remember it all? Especially the literature review... Arghhhh!

Anyone else feeling the pressure?

I picked my main examiner. My supervisor picked the second.

Mine took three months but not continously... I have submitted now and am waiting to defend in mid-june. In the mean while I am in Srilanka for a holiday en route to a conference in Hong Kong.

Life is good once you draw that line and submit.

I am sure it will be better once the viva is over.