Hi everyone, Sunday morning and it's clocking in time for me, though I expect you're all asleep after your marathon night's writing!!

I'm so impressed with your stamina, words escape me, but you definitely deserve a (up) each!

You've both done loads now, so it's just a bit more of this :-s for a little longer.

I'm not going to that research thing I wanted to attend today, so I'll be around on here with you, my fellow sloggers. I started getting anxious about how little I've done for this month's multi-chapter rewrite deadline and the thesis won't write itself (if only!!) so I'd better stick with it and get this chapter done today. It's taking me ages as it's already quite a long one, nearly 13000 words, and I know I've got to add 4 extra sections and find a better way to justify why I've included a particular load of examples. Well, at least it's interesting to think about - phew - a small crumb of comfort, eh!

See you later when you emerge. Until then, it's :-s and a nice black coffee for me, as I'm still not properly awake yet *yawn*

Good morning Rubyw,

Thanks for staying home and keeping us company. I'm still quite behind with this chapter so I should get at it as soon as possible. I'm already in front of the computer worrying about it... If it at least was "working on it" ;-) That is a great length for you chapter. In qualitative research you have to justify, explain and over analyse so much, that arguments are usually very long... and the thing is that you can never tell when you are done. By the way, I'd love to know how you go about doing your analysis and what kind of software (if any) you use; but that'll have to be after submitting, when we can have a proper academic conversation.

I just realised that last night went to bed in such a state that I forgot to switch off the iPod and left it playing all night.

Lara, I hope you finished, but if you didn't, I'm sure there is very little left to be done now, so no harm in having a proper rest and then continue. You are doing great, I tell you, you are there. (up)

So, on to chapter 3 (yet) again :-s

hehe it's great to have you join us on this thread! i was so tired i didnt even have the energy to post back, i stopped working at 6am. i just had no more will power to carry on. hope you had a good productive night!

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Thanks Ruby, glad to have the company! yes i've often fantasised about my thesis writing itself! that would be great, last night i was soo tired, i was hoping my laptop could just read my mind as to what i wanted to say and type it up for me! i know you can get those mic things, but getting it to understand jargon words would be a mean feat!

13, 000 words for a chapter is very good! am happy you're keeping us company :-)

Ruby i'm very impressed by you, waking up at 9ish on a sunday!

Thanks Armendaf that's really nice to hear! yes i havent finished, but i am hoping i can get the chapter finished by dinner time around 7pm!! hopefully before then, that would be nice. but im glad i went to bed, as im feeling refreshed now. its amazing when your tired and sleepy, you just have absolutely no motivation at all. im fine now. slept for 6 hours and 40 mins. very spooky today again i woke up at 12.40, even though the alarm was ringing since 11am, but kept hitting the snooze button every 10 minutes!!

okay time to get cracking:
my aims: finish chapter 1 introduction:-s

Good luck with chapter 3 Armendaf. and i am impressed by you and Ruby how you write such detailed arguments, it must be harder in the humanties i reckon.

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Yay, more people awake!! Stops me feeling like a freaky oddball on here hehe

Hope you both had a good sleep Lara and Armendaf, and it's no problem keeping you company today, we can all suffer together lol ;-)

Lara, I just wake up at the same time more or less everyday, it's best that way for going to work!

Armendaf, I think my methodology would seem very odd and flimsy compared to all the number crunching scientists on here, but apparently I'm quite good in my field 8-) :$ No software involved in my analysis either. Academic conversations would be very nice when this stuff's done.

I've just re-read a sentence I wrote last year that made my supervisor snort out loud with laughter, so I'd better think of a more accurate way to phrase it... what was I thinking!!! Well, it's not often my own writing makes me laugh so that is a first, but then you don't get many laughs writing up really. Dearie me. I must assure you that I really am doing a PhD and I'm sure we'll all be equally accredited Dr so and so's afterwards.

Anyway, I'm going to have a break from the computer now and look at some pics and try to work out what I want to say about them. Something sensible, preferably. Maybe I'll be looking for people in little drawers next.

Hope your work's going ok and see you later.

Hello there,

So how's it going Lara...? Armendaf...? I hope you're both ok. You've done lots of work already, it's not like you've done nothing for the past xxx years, and anything you do today will knock the thesis into a better shape than it already is. I have faith in you, you know - I think you can do it! (up)

Mustn't distract you any longer, but let us know how it's going if you get a minute - no long posts btw, save that for tomorrow. I am thinking of you! :-s

I've been plodding on all day, believe it or not!!! Not finished yet though, so am going to have a food break now, am starving. See you later.

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Hi girls,

Thanks for your post Rubyw! I'm actually not doing too badly. I think today has been the most productive day of all in recent history. I've come to a definite structure for the chapter, I'm completing section by section, the argument is actually starting to sound interesting and I'm sure it can make a good theoretical framework for my case study. It's not quite finished yet, but even at the stage it is now, you can see how it contributes to the whole thesis. So, in that respect I'm happy (enough) and I'll try to finish it tonight and email to my supervisor. Whether all of that is going to be good enough to plea my case if I can meet him tomorrow, is yet to be seen. Anyway, I can only try.

I hope Lara's chapter one is taking shape.

Back to work :-s

Allo there everyone!!!!
The Sunday's slogging session seems to have begun really early..... Amendarf, gudy that u have had a productive day, Its gud for the ego these productive days , and also helps to motivate u.... Go with confidence tomorrow and I am sure that ur supervisor will oblige to all ur requests...Keeping my fingers crossed for u.....(up)
Rubyw!!!! Seems like u have done a lot as well.... Umgh!!! I am glad that what u have wrote makes u laugh....Sometimes I write such crappy stuff that I feel like crying!!!! :-)....
Lara...Gud luck with the introduction....I think that would be the most important chapter!!! as I always feel most people who read the thesis give most importance to it!!!
Read a lot of stuff yesterday....and today I got up at 10 am.....Ridden by GUILT.... I sat in feront of the comp and typed and typed and typed some words, taking only a lunch break and loo breaks!!!!! How well guilt works into propelling me into working harder and faster!!!:-)
Ok I am back to face the battle with my battle face!!!:-s
C ya in the night.....hopefully after a lot of progress!!!!

helloo!! a quick message as Ruby suggested. still working on the introduction chapter. working for 15 more minutes, and then i am going to take a break for dinner, as i am so hungry!! and then its going to be a long night for me!

Armendaf, well done you, sounds like you're practically there! i cant imagine the sup saying NO, theres no way, he has to let you submit. you're practically done!

Thanks Ruby for your message :-)
And Pari, you're so right, the introduction chapter is very important as its the foundation. im hoping i get it done by midnight, and then quickly will fill in the missing gaps of chapter 2 and chapter 6. appendix i will sort later.

keep going everyone, you're all doing so well :-)

Lara, good, I'm glad things are going well! I agree with Pari, the introduction is important, as is the end, so sounds like you're practically there, filling the gaps of the other chapters should be fine later. (up)

Armendaf, sounds like you've cracked it then! Yep, I agree, sounds a good basis for discussing the situation with your supervisor.

Pari, I'm surprised to hear that drive yourself to work faster through guilt, you didn't sound that sort! I thought you were the cool calm and collected always on time type!

Must go now and watch the rest of that art program, the presenter is being very rude about Damian Hirst!

Good luck with the rest of the night shift, will pop back later if I'm still at it.(up)

Hey all.....
Howz it going!!!! Seems like a lot of work has been accomplished in the weekend...Shall I attribute it to will power and motivation or the looming deadline...A bit of both maybe!!!;-)
After the morning/afternoon session went so well... Now I am kinda stuck for words.......Maybe I will have dinner and keep u company atleast till 10.30-11......
Cya in an hour!!!!
Keep on the gud work.....
If only scientific writing was as easy as posting on this thread... I would be sooo addicted and would a written a gazilllion words by now....:-)
Bu Byeee!!!

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hey you all :-)

i've had dinner, my body was feeling achy and felt quite under the weather, the late nights is taking a toil no doubt.., so have taken some asprin. im lying down now and am just about to start again on the introduction chapter. really want to finish it :-s if i get the introduction chapter by the end of tonight, i will be happy.

i cant wait till i get to have a life again!!! and cant wait till i get all my chapters done!!

Hey Lara..... Gud that u took a break.... I really dont want u to fall sick..... Stick to ur guns, I know that u will finish ur introductory chapter!!!!
Bye... See u all guys in the morning!!
Keep the words flowing!!!

Hi girls,

Final report of the day:

Between what I cut, wrote, edited and rewrote, I must have added some 2000 words to the chapter for a total word count of 9000. It is not fully completed, but is in a readable format with brief explanations of what is meant to go where there are gaps, including citations and bibliography. So I'm hoping it will be good enough for discussion tomorrow (fingers crossed). After that, it shouldn't take too long to finish it since there is no more conceptualisation or analysis to be done, just to fill in the gaps. It could go over the 12000 word count.

I could not possibly work any more tonight and I need to go to bed at a decent hour if I want to be in Uni early enough to deal with this and then go to work. I'm teaching tomorrow evening. So now I'll take a shower, have some dinner and then, go to bed.

Wish me luck (I'm going to need all the luck in the world :$). I'll talk to you girls tomorrow.

Lara, I'm so glad to hear that the chapter is practically finished. It is a relief to be able to move on to something else.

Pari, thanks for all the encouragement and cheering up.

Rubyw, have a good night sleep, you too have to work tomorrow :-)