I can really relate to how you feel, it's a complete rollercoaster with me too! Some days, I'm optimistic, and others it feels a million miles away. I'm really learning to just get on with something - anything - on days like that, rather than avoid work. I'm awful for putting it off (especially with amendments, my enthusiam just wanes with every revision, bleughhh) but I'm trying to imagine how proud I'll be at the very end. Also, reminding myself that it has to get done, whether I'm in the mood or nor, makes me crack on with it. I'm in the early stages of chapter drafts at the moments, it's more about getting a complete chapter of everything and then I can see how it fits/make amendments. I can't imagine how much corrections I'll have from my supervisors, I have two that are very relaxed and one that is a lot stricter with her feedback, and I can imagine she'll make me do many revisions. But at least I know it should have a better possibility of getting passed.

Oh I didn't realise! It's great that you can get bank loans for that kind of thing, so are you working full time on the PhD? Was it difficult to get a loan?


Hope analysis is going okay :)

im in a very similar position! i think my principal supervisor is probably more strict in terms of feedback and tends to really make me think hard about my structure and argument, theoretical framework etc. all the stuff that hurts your brain! but youre right, its deffers a good thing as you know if the supervisor think the thesis is conceptually sound, that the likelihood is the examiners will too.

i had to get a loan via the Co-Operative. bit of a long process but worth it. you have to have a credit check and all that malarky. but its a good way of making ends meet in the 4th unfunded year if you still have a bit of work to do. i thought it was a better bet to get the loan and be able to work full time on getting my thesis finished.

running out of funding sucks! i dont know of anyone PhD student that has finished within the 3 years. :-(

How's everyone doing? Mine is coming together quite well. I've got drafts of four of seven chapters now, and am hoping to have a chapter a month written up, so a full draft by end of August. Am also putting in a bid to get some funding for finishing, so keeping my fingers crossed.

Snelison, how is your work coming together?

Sounds good Purpleflower! How are you coping with motivation/stress?
I have to submit by mid-Sept now! Want a full draft by the end of July. I have drafts of 7 chapters, need to write 3 from scratch. And then do a hell of a lot of editing... Felt very panicky last night but think it's better for me to stop worrying and just DO IT :)

Wow, sounds as if it's coming together Clementine! I think I'm doing okay with stress (I'm sure those around me would disagree, haha) but I find it's swings and roundabouts. For instance, I always want to tear my hair when starting a new chapter, because it feels very hopeless. After a couple of weeks, it starts to come together and I feel more positive. And then it starts again ;-) I'm trying very hard to remind myself that eventually, I'll get there and stressing will not help (but will probably hinder me). I do wish I worked longer hours, but my supervisors say they're satisfied with my productivity so I guess it's just me being critical! I'm trying to do a chapter a month which seems realistic and has worked thus far, but I'm unsure how many edits there will be!

The only thing that really stresses me out is the money. Funding runs out in three months and I'm anxious how I'll cope financially. Fingers crossed for a completion bursary :$

How are you finding things Clementine?

Hi all!!!!!!

I realy liked this thread, as I am hoping of completing around October, too...

I am wrting up at the moment, and I have almost finished with my 2 literatute chapters, methodology and 2 analysis chapters. I have first drafts (that need work) of my third analysis and of introduction and conclusion.

At the same time, I live in Greece, my first language is Greek (I am writing in English) and I work full time at a jov completely irrelevant to my PhD.....

Fingers crossed I will be finished by October......

Good luck with your thesis everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oo I hope you can get a bursary!
The thing that's taking up lots of time for me at the moment is linking chapters together, making sure I've been consistent with terminology and trying to ensure it's all coherent. Also I'm finding with my discussion chapters that I don't know where to stop...I feel like I could take my findings into so many different directions but that would mean writing thousands and thousands of words that I don't have.

I'm noticing lots of things with regards to the research that I could have done a lot better. Oh well...it's all going to go on the 'what not to do' list for my post-PhD research!

@ Clementine, I said this to my supervisor, and she commented that there would be very wrong if I thought the PhD was perfect.
She said that aside from the fact that no piece of research is ever perfect, the whole purpose of a PhD is to learn research methods, and over time you will inevitably realise that you could have done this or that better - but that is all part of the learning process. She says the important thing is to justify your decisions, which even if it may not be the best one, you can accurately
explain why it felt like the most appropriate choice at that time. So hopefully that will help you, I know I found it very useful. Purpleflower
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