======= Date Modified 02 Jan 2012 14:35:54 =======
I actually got out of bed at 4 in the morning shortly after submitting and crept downstairs to check my thesis as I suddenly became convinced that I had submitted the version with 'track changes' on it including notes by supervisor such as "you're really losing the sense of the argument here", "not sure what you mean" etc etc. Thankfully I hadn't but it's a recurring nightmare. Then I thought I had submitted a version with some of my own notes such as "get full ref before submitting" and "check what you say is correct" :$ I hadn't done that either but I am convinced that there is something waiting to jump out at me the night before the viva itself.

My viva is around the corner and I am not sleeping and keep imagining the poor external's and internal's Christmas ruined by having to trudge through my thesis! Somebody wrote on the forum recently that their external is well known for not reading the thesis - oh I can only dream!!

Best of luck Delta landing THE job, but you will - this is your year(up)

Me? Health and happiness for my family and friends, my twin boys (aged 14) to leave the angst behind and to STOP fighting pleeease, my husband not to have to do so much overtime which will be achieved by me also landing THE job!!!

======= Date Modified 01 Jan 2012 11:21:09 =======
Check and see if your uni library subscribes to Springer as the different chapters should be available there. My library does subscribe to Springer but unfortunetly I still was not able to download the chapter pdfs as it said 'only available to subscribers' so it must require a higher subscription than the one my library has - sorry about that.

A lot of it is up on Google Books at http://books.google.ie/books?id=ZCXCaX76Kx4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=jurisdiction+and+arbitration+clauses+in+maritime+transport+documents&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SUAAT8GnNIO2hQeOmJzECg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jurisdiction%20and%20arbitration%20clauses%20in%20maritime%20transport%20documents&f=false.

Good luck acquiring it

Only a few people know the actual date but quite a few know it's January. I say 'January' unless somebody actually asks me specifically when it is. I couldn't bring myself to actually lie if asked the date. Of my friends who do know the date I think they have played it really well and haven't really asked me about it. I wish one particular friend would though as I would value her advice beyond all others - I'm never happy!!! Hoiwever, I have gone to ground a bit email and phone wise. For those outside academia, they think I already have it and don't 'get' that it's still very possible to fail even after submission. For them, the thesis or as one person said 'your essay' is the PhD. If it doesn't go well in the viva I won't be telling these people anything. For those who do understand the possible moritification if I fail is stomach churning.

not wishing to put a spanner in the works and yet putting a spanner in the works :$ my supervisor advised me to devote a couple of hours to google scholar just before the viva and read some abstracts of recent articles, just in case I'm asked. His words were "a real typical viva question is 'are you aware of...?' or 'have you come across...?'

Any post viva people reading this - were you asked anything in the viva that you simply didn't have an answer for? That's something I am dreading...:-(

good idea Delta, thanks, I'll might just go with that!

I'm with you Sneaks; it's actually really difficult to get back into it. I had to summon up the courage to read my actual thesis and got majorly demorialised every time I spotted something wrong despite me being so careful. I keep imagining my examiners reading it and thinking - who does she think she is submitting this load of ****:-(

Um well me, I have my viva in January. I can think of at least three others but I'll let them annouce themselves.

I will admit to being supremely nervous about the whole thing. My supervisor suggested I ask to give a small presentation and I was happy to do this. My chair put it to the examiners who agreed. Happy Days! However now I can't think of anything to put in it that's not already between the covers of the thesis. My thesis doesn't have lots of tables or graphs and I don't want to just rehash what they have already read. I want to make a good start in the viva with an interesting presentation but thus far am drawing a blank.

Good luck to all other January viva-ees!

No real advice Artista except that you have to keep focussed and ensure that you keep all the plates spinning! I did my PhD full time with four children and also did quite a bit of additional work for my department throughout my three years. At the moment I'm working full time whilst prepping for my viva and only this morning was dreaming that maybe, just maybe next Christmas will be the first one in ages when I don't have to study, or even think about study...

It is tough no question about it but most PhD parents are expert project managers and get the job done despite or in spite of their other committments. It's always a bit full on at Christmas when everybody is around, including in-laws (sic), and you yearn for it all to get back to normal. No too long now :-)

There's lots of parents here on the forum and somehow we all seem to muddle through and get it done; you will too (up)

Hi Huhu

I have emailed them both to you :-)

Merry Christmas Dunni and to all on the forum; hope Santa was good and that everyone has a relaxing few days however you chose to spend it (tree)

HI HuHu

there are a number of ways to access theses online. One is via the British library; register for free and you can get free pdfs downloads sent to your inbox - http://ethos.bl.uk/Home.do;jsessionid=B70CA576E236A5092E3BF910B921342B.

There is also the ProQuest database which some libraries have. Have a look through your library's databases and see if you have it. Not everything listed on it has the full thesis. Some theses just have a preview of roughly 22 pages - so near and yet so far! Some posters have put up a ProQuest thesis request up here on the forum.

No doubt there are also other possibilities. It's always worth putting the title into Google scholar as some, though very few, are freely available. I have seen theses pdfs on an author's university webpage so it's always worth a shot.

How exciting; new year, new job, new start - Many congratulations (up)

Sorry to hear that Delta. I got rejection after rejection and then suddenly like buses I got a couple of offers in one week. Hopefully things will happen for you soon (up)

Hi Milo

I can get it for you; pm me your email and I'll forward it on

Hi Emmaki

I'll send it on to you - Happy Christmas (tree)