Hi Tractorgirl, oh dear what a nightmare!!! thank God you got the disks back!

and wow congratulations on having the thesis basically completed, that is absolutely brilliant! you are so going to meet the deadline, your hard work paid off!! i am sure it wont take long to correct chapter 7 and then you're done!

you've inspired me to get my butt into gear and try to finish off my chapters by the end of the week..

Hello Armendaf and Ruby, hope you two have a good day.

My aims:
complete chapter 5:
write zero draft of discussion
write up results section
write a short introduction section
transfer the zero draft of the discussion to 1st draft.
it's going to be a long day, but i really need to start finishing off my chapters, as am scared i am running out of time.

Hi Lara,

Sounds like a good plan for the day - it's the only way to try to stop panic setting in really. Hope it goes well.

My aims for today (thought I'd better state them on here, or I'll just make a lunchtime date with Dick van Dyke and 'Diagnosis Murder' and then it'll be downhill all the way, if I'm not strict with myself...)

I will choose my images for this upcoming exhibition and write the accompanying text.
I'll also finish scanning the pics and taking photos for the chapter I've already submitted as text, so I can go into college early tomorrow and stick a complete hard copy in the post for my supervisor as requested.

A nice easy day really, but necessary as I'm still a bit drained mentally after the last deadline.

Hi Everyone,

Just having a break so thought i would ask how everyone is getting on? Lara: Don't worry, you won't run out of time i promise!! You are nearly there, keep plugging away with Chapter 5, you are doing so well. As for me, although i guess i am getting there, i still feel i have loads to do! Although most my chapters are done (well in drafts at least!!) i am going over bits and finding i still have loads to do/add to the chapters!! I think i will run out of time before you!!!!!!! Then there is the issue of what happens if the thesis is not up to standard although i am trying not to think about that yet!!!! I think i an due to get terminated at this rate on September 30th eek!!!! We might have to put our plan of running away in action!!!!!
Rubyw: Diagnosis murder, fab!!! I love it!!! I am completley addicted to it!!!!!! What happened only i missed it today as i met a friend for lunch. He is so clever, although he seems to do most the detective work and not his son!!!!!!
Armendaf: Thanks for your message, i was relieved but am going to now make back ups of all my back ups! How is your football going? Have you been recently?
Anyway, hope everyone is having a good day. Now i am off to add more stuff to chapter 1 (lacking a few bits to say the least!!!)
Have a great rest of the day x

Hi again,

Just signing off for the day! managed to alter bits of Chapter 1 although did this on a paper copy so once home just need to change the electronic version then i am going to call it a day. Hope everyone has had a good day, see you tomorrow!!

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Hi,

I'm calling it a day as well, I just can't get into it. Decided on the images and accompanying text for the exhibition, and have written a rough draft, but that's all. And I fell asleep after lunch:$

Tractorgirl, sounds like a good day for you, but hope you don't have to resort to running away or termination!! What more can you humanly do but plod on?
Diagnosis Murder was about a deranged murderous secretary today, it had it's moments! I love the way Dick van Dyke often seems to squeeze Mary Poppins cheeky-chappie song and dance routines into it, really incongruous but quite endearing. And the number of his family members he gets into the cast- I counted 5 different van Dykes in one episode a few weeks ago, am curious to see whether he can top that for showbiz nepotism!!

Hope you all get stuff done if you're still working, see you tomorrow.

Hi Ruby, thanks so much for your message!
you're so right, only way to stop panic is to just keep to the plan and plod along.
and like you told Tractorgirl, what else can we humanly do, but just plod on and do as much as we can each day, we're only human!

---
Tractorgirl thanks so much for your supportive message, it REALLY REALLY made me feel better! i really was beginning to panic! thanks so much, today i felt so much more relaxed and just got on with it.

but yah, i might have to join you, and go running from the terminator! lol

i dont think you have to worry about whether your phd is up to standards., because sounds like your supervisor is happy with it! so don't worry about that.
and i have every confidence you will get it done by your deadline, you've always met your deadlines, you're doing so well!


although i worry about my phd, first of all its not even complete and then if i manage to complete it by some miracle by the deadline, i think its complete crap and the examiners will be like, this is rubbish, you need to rewrite it and then it will only be elligible for a mphil!

ps love the convo about that tv show, i think i've seen it once. its quite good. lol at the mary poppins comment Ruby

======= Date Modified 02 Sep 2008 22:23:13 =======

Ruby, many many many times i've fallen asleep after lunch too! so dont worry!!
----------
Tractorgirl:
dont you just wish they wouldnt threaten us with termination! that's so harsh, i would be happy if they just gave a fine of some sort.

but i will run out of time before you, trust me! i have to write whole big chunks for my chapters, and most of them are soooooooooooo incomplete, i just think its impossible to even think about me submitting. but like Ruby said, all we can do is just plod on and do as much as i can. i just have to try and just get as much completed as possible.

my update for today.

i have not finished my zero draft of my discussion :-( today i did 5 and half hours of writing (productive time) wrote 13 pages for my discussion (hand written- zero draft level!! so very messy!) and then wrote 3 pages worth of verbatim notes from a paper to include in my discussion.

i still need to include ALOT of information from the papers i have read past few days, in order for me to complete the zero draft. which will then need alot more work to make it to a final draft.

BUT now - I am going to treat myself and watch a dvd film. i made a deal with myself lol. the deal was, no telly during the day at all, and to just concentrate and write as much as i could.

besides after dinner, i like to unwind.

after the film, i hope to do some more writing for the discussion until i feel sleepy, but i think i am quite tired today, so i might just call it an early night and head to bed and start again in the morning.

i am dissapointed in myself that i have not finished the zero draft of my discussion, but then like Ruby said, we can only do as much as humanly possible, even though the deadline is looming, i cant work any more or faster. i wish i was bionic lol

anyways going to watch P2, a scary movie to just get my mind of things, feeling stressed and depressed these days cause i am so worried i wont complete by the deadline.

wishing you all a goodnight!! thanks for listening, sorry i rambled on for so long!!!

ps i realise i am being harsh on myself, i think if it wasnt for the deadline, than i would have been so pleased with my progress today, of all the writing i did. it's just the deadline, makes anything i do, never "good enough". i'm so harsh on myself! lol sometimes my aims are in the range of, complete entire thesis by dinner time.

thanks for listening, it really helps to write all of this out..helps to share the anxiety.

Hi girls,

Ruby and TG - I hope you enjoyed your early evening -If you can call that an early evening- but at least you didn't overstretched yourselves tonight and that is good because you'll get back to it tomorrow with a better disposition. You have a good memory, tonight was footie night and we managed to muster enough people for the game again; and I'm only half as sore as I was last week, so it's an improvement ;-)

Lara - you are fantastic, it is unbelievable that you wrote 13 pages! Believe me, you've done the work. That is the hardest bit, to put the words and the ideas on the paper. You'll see how much easier it is going to be to edit it. It is still hard work, but you won't have to deal with blockages and you'll be able to see clearly where you are going. Well done, I'm so impressed (up)

My progress today was none/zero/nada. I had to be at the office all day preparing my lecturers and I could only get out early enough to go get a well overdue haircut before the footie. From now on I'm going to have to split myself in two to cope with everything, so I've decided to work on the thesis intensively tomorrow morning when I'm fresh enough and go to work in the afternoon. I really need to get this chapter finished because it's holding me back and I'm also starting to feel the pressure.

Tomorrow I'll check in really early and will work away the whole morning non-stop.

Have a good night :-)

Awww thanks so much Armendaf, you're message has cheered me up so much!! I really really appreciate it! :-)

glad you had fun at footie! and wow must be so hard juggling work and thesis writing! if you manage to find out how to clone yourself, let me know! cause i wanna clone myself 7 times, each one of me working on a chapter simultaneously hehe.

that's great you're going to work hard in the morning! good luck!

thanks again for the lovely encouraging and supportive message, you've made me feel good about what i have achieved today.

i think i am going to call it a night too. i am just going to watch the film and then start again in the morning.

see you guys tommorow :-)

Good morning girls,

Just a quick message kick off the day.

I'm going to give that chapter 3 (yet) another go. I really need to finish editing so I can spot all the gaps, and then organise for the new writing. So, here I go.

I hope you had a good night sleep. Keep us posted what you are up today.

8-)

Hi Everyone,

Just checking in for the day. Am a bit sleeply as couldn'y get too sleep last night, thinking about the thesis etc. Armendaf: glad you enjoyed the footie! I remembered because my boyfriend is a FA referee and he goes to a match on Tuesdays as well!!! Good luck woth Chapter 3, you will get there and you are doing so well.
Lara: Thanks for your messages, they always make me smile. Armendaf is right, 13 pages is amazing, well done! I have got every confidence you will get there. You mustn't worry because your thesis will be brilliant. You are working so hard. A friend said that to me the other day that there is only one expert on your thesis and that is you!! Don't be too harsh on yourself because it will be brilliant, and you will definitely pass. Hope you hae a good day today. Also how was the DVD? Which one did you watch? I watched one called Nims Island the other day, it was really good.
Rubyw: Mary poppins! Of course, i had forgotten Dick van Dyke was in that!! I can't beleive i did forget though as it is on almost every Christmas or other hoilday!!! Very good though, i also like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Dick Van Dyke is a legend!!!!!!!!! Will definitely have to see the Diagnosis murder episode today!! Good luck with your writing today and hope you meet your aims.
As for me aims for today: continue with Chapter 1, and read some papers!
Good luck everyone!!

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======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 10:28:27 =======
Hi everyone,

Also checking in for the day.

Armendaf, hope you get enough of the chapter done before going to work, it is hard juggling different things but it will be worth it in the end. Great that you were only half as sore from the footie - next time hopefully pain-free!

Lara, Tractorgirl and Armendaf are right, you achieved a huge amount yesterday - 13 pages!! Well done!! (up)
It's hard to be pleased with yourself when you're up against deadlines and are so close to your work, but you really can't do any more. And we're all told a thesis is *never* perfect and corrections are to be expected, so that should stave off termination for you and TG, though I'm sure you'll both be fine and are being far too critical of your work.

Tractorgirl, yep DM looks good today from the blurb in the TV guide. Possibly a bit sad to arrange a viewing schedule for the day before one's PhD objectives, but ho hum, if a break's timetabled in maybe more will get done!!!

I'm in a better mood today and am actually interested in my work again (couldn't muster any enthusiasm at all yesterday). Amazing what a bit more sleep does. Today I'll do what I should have done yesterday and finish those pics for my supervisor, so I can finally get rid of that chapter, and then start planning the 2nd draft rewrites.

Good luck with the work everyone, see you later!

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 11:09:19 =======
Ah, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! I love Truly as a wind-up doll singing "...look at me, and tell me what you see..." My favourite scene of all times!

My favourite day-time tv programme, though, is Monk. But they so very randomly show it that I can never catch it.

Back to work ;-)

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 11:50:12 =======
======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 11:49:00 =======
I think the childcatcher is still quite a scary character, even as a grown-up.
I agree, Monk is brilliant, really funny sometimes - loved the plague episode a while back!
And yep back to work!

all these edits - still haven't woken up properly obviously lol

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 12:16:38 =======
======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2008 12:15:27 =======
Hey Everyone!!

thanks Armendaf, Tractorgirl and Ruby for your messages!! :-) feeling much more positive now about what i achieved yesterday. thanks so much you all :-)

Good luck everyone with your writing! Ruby nice to see you have gained motivation again. And good luck with chapter 1 tractorgirl. and Armendaf good luck with chapter 3.

And you all early birds, so good you started early! Tractorgirl i couldnt sleep well last night either, so woke up at 11am in the end.

i am just about to start, a late start for me. my aim: finish zero draft of the discussion!!

It's good you guys take a break and watch diagnosis murder, it helps keep you motivated! (up)

Tractorgirl- the film was P2. it was a thriller. about a woman (lawyer) being stuck in a parking lot on christmas eve, being harrassed by the parking attendant. it was pretty good.

how was nims island?

and wow TG. your bf is a FA referee, that's cool.
(up)