Hi all,

I am asking advice for an urgent issue. Normally one gets an upgrade viva after 9 to 12 months of their registration in first year in a three-year PhD program. For some illness and some administrative changes in the department, one of the students in my department had to face it after 16 months. However, the upgrade panel had some comments about the project and asked for a second submission incorporating them within a specific period. It was done accordingly. But since only 14 months are left of the three year period, the student wonders whether it will be an issue in the upgrade viva for the second time. What are the issues that one should take care of while facing it? It seems that the panel is happy with the improvement of the report. Will it be enough since the student tends to be very nervous during any viva?

Regards

Thanks hypothesis. It was really useful. But I didn't meet my deadline and am too afraid to call my supervisor :-( I have an idea about what to do next, but not a concrete plan. Wish me luck!

This is actually the preliminary report for my upgrade. I have yet got 72 hours left. I have got some comments on how to improve and have worked my best on them. But there still are some areas that need to be worked on, though I am at a loss how can I do them. I have a guideline for the research protocol, but I am not sure I have done enough. Do any of you have any clear idea about what to be included in a research protocol?

For the past several days of working 18 hours a day literally drove me crazy. I submitted a preliminary report which have been regarded as an 'improved' one, but not good enough. I can concentrate no more. But I have to improve, as on this depends my studentship! How can I keep going, all the energy has been sucked out of me!

My supervisor is now taking what looks like a hands off approach . Why can't he understand that this as much as I can do by myself. What can I do? What should I do? I am in serious short of time as well...:-(:-(

Dear Dr.,

Congratulations...It's so inspiring to read this thread. I know that there are people who do it, fortunately or unfortunately I have too many of them around to be expected anything less of me. Therefore it is so hard for me to accept my failures time to time. Your tips were really very helpful. I personally experienced the part of forgetting everything I read about a lot of paper and the painstaking effort to re-read them while I have to submit a report. I do think that I will start writing along right now since I have 15 months left.

I also have a bad habit of not going to my supervisors without any 'complete' product and I am also a perfectionist. This makes my meeting with my supervisors quite rare, though they seem to be quite helpful.

So, I will now try to rescue my project, because I know that my friends are positive about its prospect.

Thanks again for the inspiring post!!

Please don't quit. I know, that I have NO right to say this as you must have tried hard enough not to for quite a while. I am also in the dame stage and almost the same situation as you are, yet I am trying. I just hope that if I come out of this spell, nothing will look like such a depressing, disheartening, disgraceful to me ever. My supervisor yesterday took the last hands off approach as he I think cannot see any light through the pipes any more. I almost stopped eating and sleeping. Last night I went to sleep at 1 a.m and woke up at 4 a.m.--since then I am trying to read and write, though haven't done much. I missed a deadline yet again of submitting a report, still I keep on trying. I wish I had this perseverance a little earlier. I logged on now to see if there is anyone saying anything that can keep me going. When I saw your post, I just felt so sad--with the fear that I might have to do the same thing :-( !!
Yet, I hope that you won't give up or give in. Please take no offense anyone--but even knowing that this is inevitable at some stage, it's hard to see anyone leaving.

Take care. I earnestly hope that a better tomorrow awaits you no matterwhat decision you take.

Please keep me in your prayers, while I struggle to meet a last-chance-deadline to keep my funding going.

Dear friends,

Thanks for your kind replies. These are really practical and helpful tips.

@Java: I also used to do the same. I also used to summarize each paper along as I read them. But as the reading list became most extensive, it became too tedious. And also I tended to forget parts that I have skimmed though. Another important aspect was that after several months, some papers, which seemed not-so-relevant turned to have contained a good content for some aspects of the research. So I needed to go through them all over again, having forgotten by then, the most I already grasped because of the newer articles included in the list.

@Siwee: Your approach is quite methodical and I am now finding it out, that I am quite forgetful (a new phenomenon added to the list of what I cannot do, after starting my PhD). The book title you suggest is "Teach from yourself speed reading", isn't it? Can I can it from amazon?

Thanks again.

Hi,

I have had a childhood habit of reading a-to-z of everything I had to read. It always gave me a clear idea about what there is to know about the certain topic. But now, in doing my literature review, this habit is not helping me at all. It takes longer time to finish each article and also make me read less papers in the allotted time. Can anyone suggest me how can I optimize my reading according to available time and deadline?
Since I am in social science, my whole research in based on reading rather than lab sessions, so it is vitally important for me.

Please help.

Regards

Dear PhDBug,

Thanks for the information. You know, how desperate one might get at times. I am trying my best to pull myself up from a dreadful situation and a fatal depression. Just wish I could have done better than this and have a 'remote' like "Click" to stop time or to visit future, where I can find my life's worth.

Take care.

Dear Payal,

Thanks a lot for your kind response. I am definitely interested in this. Should I send the information in your email address? Please let me know at your earliest convenience. And thanks again for this opportunity

Regards

Dear friends,

I am a second year PhD student in a 3-year PhD student. I started as the first PhD student of my supervisor who is a very bright academic and a nice individual. Everything started well, but after sometime, I faced some lack of communication with both my supervisors, the other being a very busy professor. I was outspoken about some of the bureaucracy in the system, for which I was penalized with bad impression. In the meantime, I was facing lack of direction from my supervisors and was on my own. This proved to be fatal in the long run. Therefore, after 16 months, I was mentioned to be a weak student by the supervisor, who is the professor and who was the very person, who recommended me to be outstanding 8 months ago.

Now, my main supervisor has taken the responsibility to cure my case when I have to overcome my de-motivation and serious work-lag, that was enhanced by a quite long period of sickness. I don't know how I can overcome this within the next 15 month to complete my work within time. Is there anyone, who could suggest or advise with some positive experience that one can do this? I still haven't done the field study for my thesis!

Regards