Hi Cakegirl,

No I didn't buy the Murray book, though I had been planning to. In the end I plumped for the Tinkler and Jackson book ("The Doctoral Examination Process"), having been able to flick through both that and the Murray book on Amazon, and deciding that it was more what I was looking for. Hoping it arrives early next week.

I've just been burning my CDs to go into the back of the thesis. Now I just need the sticky poly pockets to arrive tomorrow to stick them in.

And then it's a weekend of rest, before submission next week.

Been a bit numb over the last few days, but now very relieved to have got to this stage.

Good luck everyone else.

Bilbo

Hi all

Just a quick rant - and will have a look at posts when I have a bit more time. I've been at a conference all week, it's an annual conference in my discipline, and normally it revs me up, inspires me and sets me up for the year. But this time, I just felt stupid, like I couldn't grasp the bigger issues, and once again lamented my hopeless networking skills.

A couple of peers have just snagged lecturing jobs, which depresses me, even tho I know I should be happy for them, I'm not (and doesn't that make me an awful person!?). Spoke to other people about jobs, and they all told me how difficult it is living on short term research contracts. I want to research, not lecture, as I'm not all that good at thinking on my feet. So, that worries me too.

Wanted to do a funding application for a project to start next year, and I'd have to start work on it now and I can't as I'm writing up, so that's out the window too. And to top it off, it looks like I won't be graduating this year - even if I almost kill myself and finish in June, by the time the examiners come back, then I make changes, then it goes through uni committees, it's really unlikely that I'd make the Oct graduation.

That really, really depresses me. Would mean that I wouldn't graduate till May next year!! 15 months away!! And to work hard, and still  be so far off, for jobs that don't exist!!

Have had enough and just feel like I can't be bothered, altho I will keep going. What a complete s!!t. Fri evening here, bring on the beer. Had vowed to work even harder to be done by June, but now I can't see the point in rushing... :-(

Sue,

yeah, just have a few beers and shout out loudly how fed up you are regarding it all!
Just try that, it may make you feel a bit better.

Later you can then assess what it all means. Not everything is lost!!

======= Date Modified 05 Feb 2010 22:10:44 =======
Is the graduation date really critical Sue? If you are awarded the PhD the graduation is a formality, and you'd effectively have the PhD (and that should count for jobs too), with the graduation just crossing t's and dotting i's afterwards.

Here in the UK our graduations are typically held in June/July, so many PhD students graduate the following year. Sometimes there are graduations in November or so too, but people are accepted as having their PhDs after the corrections are approved, even if they graduate many months later.

======= Date Modified 05 Feb 2010 23:54:22 =======
======= Date Modified 05 Feb 2010 23:46:19 =======
Hi Bilbo

I'm not sure when I would actually finish - need to check this out with uni. Postdoc jobs say tho, that you need to have graduated to be eligible to apply and am not sure if this means accepted by the uni, with the precious letter saying you're done, or actually graduated. Will still aim to be all completed by the end of the year, with thesis back from examiners tho. Which means I do need to be done by June - so back to work. For today tho, am going to have a day off and try and get over being depressed/shitty.

Hey Rick, grand that you've gotten a draft back!! Keep going!! And thanks for the support - I did indeed have quite a few beers, a real whine to my ever-so-supportive partner, and am somewhat more resigned (and not even hung-over!). Am now quietly seething at my thesis, it's not my friend today, so will hang with better ones for a bit...

And CG, yes, this was the first week not working in an office, next week will be back to me and the dog studying at home. Hope you're progressing well.

Maybe it's different in Australia then. Over here post-doc adverts typically specify the requirement "completed" for PhD, and also often accept applications from people close to completion.

It's a bit essential when graduation can happen up to a year after the degree is finished.

Good luck!

Sue, I hope you're feeling more positive and enjoying your day of rest! We'll get there, don't worry! I will not get to graduate til June next year either, but as long as its written and bound then I guess i'll be happy! As Bilbo said, i'd investigate this as graduation is just a formality, and in this country anyway, is not compulsory, you just need the certificate!

Well, i've at last just put the final parts to my introduction, it just needs a read over and check of the referencing and it's ready to send! Sup was pretty happy with it before except for a few extra figures and tables, so hopefully won't need much more input!! Now to get on with Chapter 2, results chapter 1, which just needs a bit extra to intro and then the discussion (I hate discussions - i think i actually Fear them!!!).

So that's me for today, going to make a yummy prawn risotto and chill out with my partner! Think he's pretty fed up of me at the moment so going to try and be fun and cheery for the night....! :)

Hope you've all had productive Saturdays those who are working. (up)

Hi AL

Nice to hear from you! Sounds like things are going well for you, which is great.

Thanks, had a lovely day off, first one in ages and ages. Read a novel (!), cooked, slept, watched telly, walked the dog. Lovely - just like a normal life!

Gosh, bring on that virtual party for us in May/June next year!! Comforting to know that it takes so long for all of you to finally graduate too. So, am sticking to my deadline of needing to finish by June, which means I have 10 weeks to get the first draft done - yikes!!! I'm already behind, according my revised timetable. And my sup wants me to co-write another article with her...sheesh, too much work...

Ah well, we'll all press on.

Well, its taken a week but i've managed to sit down today and edit intro, sort out some styles, sentence structure and referencing etc! It's taken me six hours, and i don't think i've really moved cos my back is in agony, but just sent a nice 12,000 words to supervisor :)

Everything seems to be happening so slow - like a week to just get back round to opening the doc and editing! and then six hours just to do a read through, check all references and readability etc, and i've not even been procrastinating!!
Best start doing some more nocturnal week night working I think if i'm going to meet any deadlines! Really hoping sup is basically happy with intro redraft and don't need to do much (if anything to it).

Maybe going to do a bit of work to chapter 2 tomorrow, but it's Valentines and would be lovely to manage a day off with partner to go for a walk and nice lunch or something, we'll see.....

Right, time for some accountability - next tasks for fortnight:

Chapter 2 Introduction - one section to write (800-1000 words)
Results - tidy up and sort legends into style etc
DISCUSSION!!! :(

Is it just me or are discussions horrible, or am I just dreading the getting started and once i'm into it it will be ok? I seem to have a fear of it! (might have to start a thread on this).

signing off for the night, good luck if you're still working.
AL x :p

Hi AL (and others)

Good to hear you're back into and making progress!! Yes, read-throughs do take a long time, as does everything...but you sound like you're going well. And discussions are hard, but once you start you'll get into it. I have yet to write my massive discussion chapter - but have a fair idea of what I'll say.

Well, I've had an up and down week. Last week-end was really depressed and angry and just hated the thesis - partly because I had a chat with my sup about jobs, which left me v. depressed. I was hoping she'd be able to offer me a nice project after I finish, and I know she's starting some new ones, but nothing going...so am applying for a job in the civil service, which I don't really want and the timing is wrong, but should take the opportunity I suppose. So was depressed about that too. Oh well. A life without academia also makes me sad, but mustn't think about that...

Musings to myself. But have had a really productive week - have entirely rewritten 25,000 words and I think they're good. Have done nothing else apart from write, go to the gym, walk the dog, cook and eat.

I think I can actually see a pinprick of light - is it the light at the end of the tunnel?

Must get on. 9 more chapters to write/rewrite in just under 10 weeks for a full first draft.

Work well everyone. Let me know how you're getting on!

Dear Sue, Alpacalover, others,

good to read that everyone is making progress, albeit, as with me, in small steps.

I have had some feedback on my thesis and need to add various large bits. How does one avoid that the document gets too long? I mean, can you say: More information can be found in the appendix and just add this? Or does everything need to be in the main text, with the risk of getting a document which is comprehensive but difficult to understand and which lacks cohesion?

Would be interested in your views.



:-)

Hi Rick

I think it depends on what it is - is it integral to your argument or are these bits asides? If they're large chunks, this suggests they're meaty, important bits, and I'd be tempted to put them into the text, and do a rewrite (sorry Rick!). And I'd use lots of sub-heads to break things up and make it a bit more coherent.

Dear Sue, Rick and others,

Rick, I would agree with Sue, if it's integral then get it in, if there are parts of it than can be put in appendix and won't affect the readability and understanding then i'd get them in the appendix. You can always put it all in and then see if your sup wants any put into appendix?

Sue, well done on your massive re-write this week! its scary that we want to be finished around same time and that gives us approx 10 weeks, but i;m getting very little done with job on top (must work in evenings I think, or at least a couple a week!) You'll get there though, you're so determined and working really well, just keep pushing and then pin prick might be a needle point by the end of the month :)

Really sorry about job let downs etc, but you never know what the future brings, if you have the civil service job then at least you've got some security and who knows what doors might open when you have the Dr Sue title! Have you looked at fellowships you can apply for yourself?

Well, i dont know what to do today, really want to spend some time with partner, so might try get a couple hours done, sort out some papers ready and a plan for the next week or two and then ditch it and go see some disney at the cinema! :)

have a good day all! (up)

Hi Sue, Alpacalover,

thanks for your replies. I feared already that you would say something like that. You are right, probably needs to be in the main text, and therefore also have to rewrite larger parts to make it coherent.

Had a good day though, made some progress in what I need to write. Still need to find some bits and read a bit to get my head around it completely. However, happy with what I wrote today.

See your points regarding having a job aside of the thesis writing. It is hard to have to concentrate on two different things.

I am afraid I cannot give explicit advice on jobs.

Wish you both a pleasant (rest) of the weekend.:-)

Hi AL and Rick

Thanks for your encouragement - AL, I like the idea of a pinprick becoming a needlepoint soon! :-) Up to rewriting chapter 3 of 11. Have thought about postdocs, but I think they say that you need to have graduated to apply - so that means May next year for me, realistically the round of post docs after that won't be till end of next year!! And I was looking at the past recipients of one the other day, and they were all associate professors!!! I don't know if you guys have the same gradings we do in Aust, but here an Ass Prof is someone who is at the second top tier of the academic rung, earning around $100,000 a year I think. Hard for PhDs to compete with that!! What a crazy system...

AL, am surprised you're not working at nite already - not fun and I know how hard working and studying is. Hopefully only a few more months of this tho! And hope you had a nice day with your partner.

Back into it. Take care everyone.