Hi AL, yes, started back in office job today - was such a long day!!!! Would much rather be working on my thesis, but the money will keep me going tho...

Well done for starting studying again!!(up) You'll get the hang of it and be fine.

MODS: Can we kick this stupid Manboobs person off the forum? I don't need to read inane posts from this troll. Ta.

Hi Sue, yeah I know the feeling! I was thinking today about how i'd just started to get into a good stride, working at home on thesis and being motivated, excited by the reading I was doing and feeling it all come into place! and then i had to give it all up to start work! (which of course was also good)! but its definately tough doing both!

I guess we just have to think of the pluses - extra money for security while doing the writing! Also I guess we get a bit of variety, and see people of the outside world! :)

Yes, not sure about this manboobs person! sometimes we seem to get some normal advice etc on threads and then the rubbish spews from his fingers....maybe he's just got his own form of craziness (i'm sure i have mine...!) :) MODS we need help!

Hope if you're working tonight you have a successful few hours at the desk!

Hi Sue,
Glad you survived your first day of work. Is it a research job or something you're just doing for some income but doesn't involve too much brain power? I've done both of these along side PhD and not sure which is the best. Either way I hope the office time goes quickly and doesn't wear you out too much.
I have found that doing non-thesis work, like job applications and job stuff makes thesis land so much more appealing and a relief to get back to! It reminds me of a t shirt I saw somewhere which said "I live in my own little world, but it's ok, they know me here and I like it"!
I don't have a proper job full time at the mo, but things seem to be more important than thesis - upcoming lecturing, which I really should plan so I don't look like an idiot, and also the final report. Thesis is my main goal but slipping down the to do list (does that make sense?).
AL - hope you are enjoying your well earned wine, I'm having some with this evening's work...but so far I'm on here...

I have started using the mytomatoes that someone recommended on a different thread - it's great. Right...onto the next tomato...

Hi AL and CG

CG - it's an office job that requires brain power, but it's OK as it pays quite well, will fund my studies for a bit longer. And I want a t-shirt like that! You're lucky lecturing tho, would love to do that sometime, but can't see it happening - my field is too niche.

AL - yeh, it's tough doing both - am lucky am only working for a mth then it's back to the thesis. But not long to go now! You'll get into a rhythm. Yes, re MB person, this forum doesn't need the s**t they talk, kick them off I reckon.

Hope you both have a productive day! Will be here working this evening.

Hello!

I've been lurking for a while - naughty I know!! - but thought I would finally speak up! This forum has already proven helpful and will hopefully continue to do so as I become an active member!

I have just over 6 months left - I hope to submit in July. I think I'm mainly on track, but think the finalising process once I have a first draft is going to take longer than I expect. My supervisor thinks I will go over and hand in September time, but am determined to prove him wrong!

Good luck to everyone on the home stretch! (up)

Nice to see lots of posts here and welcome back Alpacalover.

I got my final thesis draft with scribbled feedback in the post today, so will be back on the work track soon, working through that. Not too many things to fix, so that's encouraging. It looks nice and thick in the envelope, with the title page, contents and everything :)

I had a thesis monitoring committee meeting recently as well, which was a bit of a formality since I'd just handed in a final draft to my supervisor. Rather than checking I was on track for the thesis it was more about asking other things specific to my situation. It was really nice to have a relaxed discussion at the end of the process, and see the end in sight. Hope yours goes well too Alpacalover.

Off back for another lie down. Not functioning very well today so won't be tackling that draft until later, or possibly even tomorrow.

Hi everyone and a happy new year - it is the THESIS year! Sue, I am impressed that you are working daytime, and do PhD work in the evening, hats off to that, it must be tough, especially now, coming to an end of the PhD. I am trying to get back in the swing of things, but my progress (especially today!) has been slow. I am trying to ramp up the internal urgency to get stuff done, but something in me is all serene - what is happening? :p Anyone feels the same?

Anyway, guys, this is just to say "hi" and thanks Sue for this thread which should help us all get there in a few months time! Hopefully.

Hi Poppy,

I feel the same - I thought I would be in major panic mode come 2010, but have been ok so far.  Yesterday was getting back in to the swing of things and this morning was a bit of a write off due to a poorly moggy. So fingers crossed tomorrow panic will kick in - just enough panic to get me working properly would be nice!

======= Date Modified 05 Jan 2010 20:17:47 =======

Thanks Sue2604, My parents and I appreciate it.
(turkey)

MODS MODS MODS MODS MODS MODS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Bilbo, hope you feel better for some rest! wow, must be so good to see it in its final stage, with all the little extra pages too! CAN NOT WAIT to be there! the end is in sight for us all, i'm just feeling a little short sighted at the moment (or is that long sighted - my brain is tired today!)

In from work and really should get some reading done, but its snowing outside and i just want to curl up with hot chocolate and a book - keep telling myself its ok, just need to slowly get myself back into it! however, i think this is bad of me and I should just get on with it before a month has gone by!!! how pathetic on my first day, maybe i'm just not up to this afterall?

poppy and Dr Seeker - i feel the same, maybe that is half the problem, but i dont' have the panic i need to just get on with it all!!

CG - is that the thing were you spend 25mins with the sound of a timer ticking down and then quick break and back to it? I really like the theory of it, but when i hear timers i usually just freak out about what time i have and my brain freezes! does that get better over time? maybe i should try it, if i could just do 3 or 4 tomatoes or night i'd be happy with my progress over time i guess?

Hi Dr Seeker, welcome to the thread! Nice to have you along for the ride! And Hi Poppy!

AL, you'll get back into it, don't be too hard on yourself, Sounds lovely, snowing outside and you all warm and snuggly. I use http://mytomatoes.com/ too - it does help. It keeps me focused and shows me that every minute is important. Unlike you Poppy, I don't feel calm but have an underlying sense of urgency, which is also good I think. I've also been studying before work too - am going to achieve my January goals!

Am tired today - the neighbourhood where I live is getting to me - robberies, car theft, last nite someone dumped a washing machine in the creek across the road, which just incensed me. There's a council rubbish tip 10 minutes away they could take it to!! So am thinking about moving, but really don't think that's a good idea at this stage...

Well done Bilbo! Must be lovely being so close to the end! Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well - hope you recover and get back into it.

Have a good day everyone!

well, i've managed to sit down tonight and work for 2hours, feeling pretty shattered now though! :( been reading and refamiliarising myself with what i have previously done! looking over my introduction I am still happy with the last 3/4 that i'd done most recently, however some of the older work may need a bit of rewriting! :( I have also managed to go through my pubmed searches and get some new papers that are significant from last few months so that feels good!

I know that science and social science dissertations are very different - i guess every individual one is! however, my introduction/lit review is 50 pages, approx 12,000 words, does this seem short for lit review? i will have 5 research chapters on different elements of my work, some short, some longer! i guess in back of my head I always remember hearing a thesis is around 100,000 words, however with my lit review being on 10% of that, and although chapters will be long in space, alot will be figures. Does this seem reasonable to you folks? my sup seems happy with intro as it stands, and they do say shouldnt be much longer than 200-250 pages?

possibly fretting over nothing, but just musing...! thoughts welcome!

well, that leaves me with organising papers and starting on TMC presentation for next week. If i can get them done i have met all my targets for this first week back, and i have tomorrow night and all weekend! better also get some aims for next week decided on! (they'll probably come when i organise papers and find all the reading i've been hiding from :$)

Hope you've all had a good day, or Sue you've had a good sleep! :)

hi Sue - unfortunately the loveliness of the snow has dissipated into slush, grey and absolutely baltic freezingness!!! (snowman)

I might look into my tomatoes on the weekend, i do have a ticking timer in the kitchen so maybe it would help.
I really hope you are feeling better, its terrible how the community around you can drag you down! we used to live in a really bad area, lots of fights and annoying loud people, garbage everywhere, needles etc - YUCK!!
It was a small dingy flat anyway, but we decided to move last march - which originally should have been 9 months before my planned submission. it seemed like such a massive daunting task to undertake at the time, and was very stressful with basically one day to move in around running round the lab etc!
We only moved 5miles away to suburb of city, but makes such a difference! lovely flat, lovely quiet area and it makes such a difference to my productivity and overall feeling of wellbeing. What i mean to say is, if it continues to get you down and it is affecting you then for the sake of a move then maybe it is worthwhile in the long run!? I don't know what your situation is obviously, we only have a 2bed flat, 2vans worth of furniture to move ourselves, however if you have a house and alot more stuff then obviously the stress of moving is alot bigger.
Something to think about anyway.

Bilbo - I hope you've had some rest and are feeling much improved today? best wishes for speedy recovery to get that heavy envelope opened and a final read through! :) WOW!

night folks!

Morning AL!

Well, sounds like you've had a productive nite, that's fantastic, well done!! Especially good meeting your goals, and in the first week back. I've also been working hard this week, my sup and I are writing an article which is due in 10 days and we haven't even got the first draft done yet, but she's fab and the article isn't long, so we'll get there.

Yeh, thought about moving. This neighbourhood is physically nice, with parks and trees and close to things, it's just some of the people here...we own this house (well the bank does!) and so if we moved we'd have to get this fixed up a bit before we sold it or rented it out. So that'd be lots more admin and organising...and I have so much uni work to do I can't spare the time...so am going to stay till I finish.

Well, must start the evening shift of studying. Have a good day!