Wow, I've missed a lot here!

First off Sue, I'm so so sorry to hear about your dad passing away, I hope things are starting to settle for you a bit now, just take whatever time you need when you need it. But secondly, yay that you are so close to submission! Having the main part of the thesis done is a great feeling, you can start to see a little light at the end of the tunnel and it's just non-thinking stuff mostly from here on in, so bloody well done girl! I will try my best to get a little breakfast drink in with you so just let me know which morning it is and I'll see if I can get Skype up and running or something! I'll also try my best to get my remaining corrections done this week too, or at leastthe brunt of it so I can have a mini celebration with you!
As for everyone else, AL and Monte, you are both my white flags that keep reminding me that it will end, somehow so thank you for that! Enjoy your holiday AL and your little cat sounds really sweet! Can't wait until I'm able to get myself a pet, a nice bouncy dog perhaps!!

So sorry to hear about your Dad's passing Sue. But huge kudos to you for getting to this stage with your thesis. Hey it's nearly finished! I'd have loved to stay up and celebrate with you, but I'm very knocked out due to the neurological disease, so can't promise to make any time. But you have a big celebration when you've submitted. You've earned it.

Hi Sue,

like others I am also sorry to hear about your dad.

From a PhD point of view well done for your achievement, despite all the issues happening in your life. Perhaps the whole PhD experience could be seen as a metaphor for life; if you persevere, you will get there.

I think you mentioned earlier, that there is no need for you to do a viva and that once you have completed your thesis everything is done? If so, congratulations, as you are really nearly there.:-)

For me, I am in the process of arranging my viva and probably will know the date tomorrow. I am looking forward to completing the whole thing.

Hi Sue!

How goes it? Have you manged to get all bound and submitted today? If so, massive congratulations! Let me know how things are going and maybe we can get that celebratory champers out! :)

AL x

Hi AL and everyone

Yes...I HAVE SUBMITTED!!!!! Wooooo!!! :-) What an effort!!

Even at the last moment, the admin person almost didn't accept it, as I hadn't gotten one of my forms signed by the research co-ordinator....5 years, all that grief, and still hurdles!!!

But, I'M DONE!! And thank you all so much, especially, AL and AQ, you guys have helped me enormously and I couldn't have done it without your support. My deepest, deepest thanks to you.

I went and had a lovely celebratory dinner with my two supervisors. Then came home to find my dog has gotten worse, and we think we'll have to say good-bye in the next few days/week. So that's overshadowed everything, and will put the kybosh on me going away. Not to mention how horribly sad it's going to be. It's like she knew - the day I finished writing she got worse - she hung in there but now it's really hard for her...

Ah, why is it always complicated??? So, not sure about celebrations. But for the moment am going to relax...

Thanks chums, you're the best.


xxxx

Excellent news Sue! Very pleased you've made it to this stage. So do you just have to get a report from the examiners and deal with any issues they pick up? Lucky you with no viva!

So sorry to hear about your dog of course. But at least she's been with you throughout the journey, and you'll have provided comfort to each other. Sending you comforting thoughts for doggy things coming up. I lost a few cats and know how much it hurts.

Hoping this sends. I'm on dialup right now. Broadband's been down for hours, and for much of the UK!

Hi Sue,

well done regarding the submission, congratulations.

A the same time sorry regarding the worsening condition of your dog. That must be very sad, heart breaking. Perhaps the thought of all the good time you have had with your dog, may provide you some comfort. I am more of a cat person, yet recognise if you have an animal for a long time, then he/she is part of you and your family and it is very hard when the episode comes to a close. I wish you strength.

Kind regards,

Rick

WOOOHOOOO!!!! and a WHOOP WHOOP!! I'm so happy and proud of you Sue!! Congratulations! You just relax and chill out now!

I know what you mean about the hurdles never ending - even at the last second! I got my 4 hard bound copies back, and got them home to find they'd messed up two of them with the pages all jumbled up! Very annoying, especially as I'd spent time compiling all the pdfs into one big one so all they had to do was print!! Anyway, took it back to them and hopefully get them back in order in next week! They didn't even apologise though, which I thought was pretty sucky! Anyway, last hurdles, and its all done! I hope you have no more problems.

I'm so so sorry to hear about your doggy, like bilbo and Rick said though, she's been with you through the whole thing, been there for each other, and she has given you so much support and love throughout all this, and wanted to be with you to finish it. At least now I guess you can chill out and just spend all your time with her, with nothing in the way. Big hugs for the next week.

You are more than welcome for the support, you have been there for me just as much. Maybe we should start up a new thread soon on the post grad, for the class of Autumn 2010! :) Just cos we're all finished, or almost finished doesn't mean we can't still be there for support! :)

I'm still a bit of a mess from the whole thing, think its going to take quite a bit of time to get my life and emotions back to normal. Had an appointment with my counsellor yesterday, she's from the University, and as i'm now finished I can't see her anymore. I've been going to her for around 3 years, and she's helped me so much, but I still have so much to sort through in my life, and got pretty upset that I can no longer go to her. She has offered email support though so think I will be using that!
When is your session with counsellor Sue? I hope it goes well and it helps you work through things.

Right, I have friends coming over in afew hours and really need to clean the house, (lots of cat hair from our friend Sid!).

Take care all! And for those in the UK, enjoy your extra hour in bed tonight! :)

AL xxxx

MA-HOOSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Sue!! Oh my gosh I'm so so pleased for you finally getting submitted, how wonderful! What a massive weight off your shoulders, I can imagine how good it must feel. Although, like the others, I'm so so sorry about your wee dog, life just won't give you a break will it? I hope she's not in too much pain or anything, at least now that you are done you will have much more time to just sit with her and help her through it, like she's stuck by you. Dogs are amazing. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of down time to come to terms with everything over the next few months, it's been a crazy time for you and it will probably all just hit you one big whallop when you are starting to feel relaxed. But definitely try to get some celebrations in about your submission, it's really a massive achievement, and a total inspiration to me, so thank you for that!!

And don't leave us on PGF too long, we'll miss you!! (gift)(gift)(gift) - have loads of presents cos there's STILL no champagne icon jobbie, mods?!!!

Congratulations Sue! I'm so happy for you.

Try to take sometime off and just do nothing. Sorry about your dog. Whatever happens.. take time off to recover from phd stress and all other stress that comes along with it.

Thank you everybody for your congratulations and warm wishes!!!

Well, I almost had a day off! But couldn't keep away and ended up doing a bit of admin and a job application. It is starting to feel really odd that I can watch a movie or read a novel without feeling guilty. At the same time however, there's still work to do. I have to co-write an article in the next month, then I have three conference papers to give in the first 4 months of next year. I'm also planning to turn my thesis into either journal articles or book chapters. And I need to find an academic job. So - enough to keep me going!! Which is good. I can't bear a life like other people live, working, watching telly at night, doing nothing on the week-ends....crazy huh?

And thank you all for your support about my dog. Yes, I do treasure our memories, we've been a good thesis-writing team, her and I. My thesis has enabled me to spend long, long periods of time with her, which most dogs don't get, and we've had a wonderful relationship.

Holiday next week - no working at all!!! Thanks again friends.

Sorry this is late but CONGRATULATIONS Sue!! Well done you!!! (up) Super proud of you that you managed to get it done despite the number of difficulties along the way. I guess you must be on holiday now as I write. I hope you're having a super smashing time 8-) Very sorry to hear about your doggie though, it brought tears to my eye reading it. I'm sure she's so proud of you too.

My viva is next Tue, so only about 4 days left now, technically a bit less because it'll take me half a day on the train to travel to my old uni. I can't wait for it to be over and done with, but at the same time I'm really dreading it! I was only given about 2 weeks to prepare, and then for a week of that I was down with flu! I still haven't finished re-reading my thesis. I guess I've read about 3 quarters so far, and have found so many typos :( I'm finding it difficult to read too, the theoretical bits are so dense and heavy. It's strange to think that I was actually the person who wrote this! I think I haven't done much intense thinking since I handed it in, and now Im finding it a little difficult to get back to the mode... Also I'm full of self-doubts. I know I'm over worrying but just can't help it!

I def agree with Alpacalover - we should create another thread with another name. I'll surely still need support from you all lovely people. And it's so nice to log in and read about how you guys have got on.

Enjoy your well-deserved holiday Sue!!

Monte x

It's strange to come log in and there's no new development in this thread. But I guess this is a good sign as we are now mostly finishing/finished and everyone is busy with their new life/ holidays 8-)

I passed my Viva! I created a thread about it http://www.postgraduateforum.com/threadViewer.aspx?TID=16670 but wanted to come back to this thread and thank you all especially. You guys were my life savers and I can't thank you enough for all the support in the last year. I would have been a lot more miserable and struggled a lot more and probably would have taken longer to finish if it wasn't for your support and advice, and knowing that we were in the same boat. So a big fat THANK YOU! :-x

Hope you're all doing well. And would be great to stay in touch!

Monte xxx

Well done Monte!!! Congratulations, that's fantastic news!!! You must be so pleased!!

Life goes on, am busy applying for jobs, have found a couple of research jobs in the civil service which look quite good. Would keep me happy for a bit anyway. I'm also busy writing a journal article, altho I must say, am finding it very hard to get motivated to do any work - it's lovely not having the thesis hanging over my head. My partner says I'm like a new woman - he can't believe how happy and relaxed I am. Just shows how depressed I was doing the thesis.

Hope everyone is going well.

Hello everyone! Wow its been a while since I was on - i'm still in a massive recovery period after all of this, but working today and tomorrow and then what seems like my first holiday EVER away from everything! :)

Congratulations Dr Monte, that's fantastic (sorry its belated!) i hope its starting to sink in?

Hows everyone else getting on - Sue, AQ, Rick?! feel like i've been a total stranger recently, but just needed some time away from it all, hate even thinking about the 3 little letters - PHD! still sends shivers down my spine!

I hope you're all surviving this weather, I had to do some serious digging of the car to get to work this morning, i'm manager today so have to be in for staff - ok as long as I can get home....!

Have a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone and a great New Year - for some of us a whole fresh year, and also hopefully the last year with study involved for others! :) WHOOP WHOOP!! (gift)(snowman)(tree)