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Thanks for that advice Fm, interesting. I have a meeting with my supvervisor tomorrow so will thrash it out with him then. My results are connected in that I used grounded theory to identify four concepts leading to an overall core concept which eventually will lead to the development of one substantive theory. It's the four emergent concepts I'm talking about now and I don't think there's enough for a chapter each. I think I'll end up having to pad them out. I'm going for official 'sections' within my findings chapter, as in I start each one on a new page ;-), I think that's sufficient but we'll see what he says.

Great news about your own thesis, sounds almost there. Hope the job is still going well. It'll be great for you to submit and just be able to concentrate on that, without having to spend all your weekends on your thesis.

I have written 7 chapters, discussed and amended. Conclude the thesis by editing my words to reach 40 000 limit for a doctorate in science. I 7000-8000 and this figure has been reduced to only 500 today...

,,

Hi, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry important thread,
How MANY HOURS A DAY do you work for your Phd?

How do you organise your time?

Do you write your chapters in chronological order or do you focus on certain chapters then go back to the first ones and the last ones?

Many thanks

Personally, I am having hard time organising my time with me thinking of all the chapters at once.

Hi PhD, I write a bit all over the place. I am writing papers as my chapters (PhD by publication) so the deadlines and revisions really dictate what I'm writing at any time. Other than that, if I don't have sup's asking me to send them a specific piece, I write the sections that I feel like writing.

I had a meeting with both sup's and an official from the uni on Tuesday. As expected it was a bit of a disaster. I had so little faith in my main sup before, but now I cant even look at her. To cut a long story short, she wants me to resubmit my chapters to her one at a time, for her to fully comment on them again, and then at the end of June, for me to re-submit the full draft. This means that I will not be submitting before September. I am so gutted, and am feeling somewhere between having completely lost all confidence in my work, and feeling like she is making my submission personal, and showing me that she has more power that I do, so is delaying my submissions.
So I've just had the weekend off to regroup a little, and see where I am and what I need to do. A few days off was great, and I'm really glad that I took the time to potter around the house, and do a few other things.

Back to it now. How is everyone else getting along?

How I know that feeling of being at a meeting and how one little off-hand comment can send you into despair. "You're spot on to submit in September" I was told with a big smile. Great, except that I am hoping to submit way before that :-(. One chapter I found really tough going has all but been passed, pending "just extend this, this, this, this and this and then it's done" Another that I was pleased with is "much improved but still needs a good bit of work before it goes into the thesis" :-(. I feel I'm at the stage where I can't judge what's good and what's bad.

Chin up Fm, you're still on target for a summer submission (up)

======= Date Modified 11 Apr 2011 10:11:02 =======
I've no idea how I'm getting on. I've had no feedback relating to my chapters! Seriously...

I'm going to wish you all the very best as I've decided not to look at this thread anymore as it just makes me nervous...

Good luck everyone

(up)

Oooh, I don't know where I'm up to! I feel like I'm really lost at the moment. I'm writing up 3 results papers at once, and my sup keeps telling me to only do one at a time. But when I only see her around every 3-4 weeks it's hard, because I'm not going to spend ages on discussion sections when she's not even approved my results sections, and I can't spend 3-4 weeks on one results section! I feel so anxious whenever I'm in the office right now, and I've never had that before in my PhD. I just want this write-up done! KB

Hi all,

I thought I'd join in this thread as I am (supposedly) submitting in ten weeks. This is the current state of things for me:

Intro - still to do

Lit review - done but needs a little bit of revising

Methodology - done but needs some minor edits

Chapter 4 (empirical chapter) - done and only needs some minor editing

Chapter 5 - (empirical chapter) - half done and pretty messy

Chapter 6 - (empirical chapter) - draft done. Currently rewriting

Chapter 7 - (empirical chapter) - draft done, awaiting feedback

Chapter 8 - (empirical/discussion chapter) draft done, needs some minor edits

Conclusion - to do

I am expected to submit on the 20th of June. Supervisors seem confident it will happen. Really hope I am going to make it!

Best of luck to everyone currently in the final stages.

My nerves are getting the best of me, but I am insisting on getting this done(up)


For now I think it is best to look at one chapter at a time as thinking of all the chapters and how to finish them all at once might make me really sad.


Best of luck to everyone


(up)

Hi all..

I'm new here. :)

Great thing i've found this site. I was started to get really down about my progress or lack of it. I've not done much since the start of the year. My official deadline is in December but I'd like to join this thread to work on getting my first draft of the thesis by the end of July (that is very ambitious!). I have draft chapters but they all need massive correcting and reviewing to work together as one piece. Some parts are so out of date and others plain wrong.... but the good thing is a do have a bit of feedback on every chapter. My aims are as follows:



End of April - finish ch.1 (doable!)

End of May - finish ch.2 (doable!)

End of June - finish ch.3 (very ambitious!)

End of July - finish ch.4 & 5 (very ambitious!)

End of August - any unfinished business on the first draft and submit to supervisor.

September - November - final corrections (hope 3 months is enough!)

December - submit.



Today's aim: complete and incorporate a literature review i've been doing for ages into chapter 1.



all the best guys!

Hi All!

Just a quick note to say that this week end I have knocked 1500 words out of my 2 introduction chapters. woohoo!

Rewrite of chapter 6 is now done and I'm feeling WAY happier with it. Now on to the next one and then after that I just have to write the introduction and conclusion. Phew!

I have been forcing myself to work for 6 hours a day in the public library with no internet access and I'm getting more done than I ever did spending 10 hours in the office with the internet and email at my disposal! I am exhausted but I am so determined to get this done.

Hope all of you are going well :-)

Wow, certainly some progress going on in this thread!  Well done slowmo, you must be feeling relieved to have just the conclusion and intro to do. Your progress in the library is fantastic, just be aware of your tiredness and take a days break if necessary.  It will refresh your thoughts for writing the remainder.

Fm, sounds like it is going well for you too. It is tough studying part-time and working full-time, especially keeping the thought processes until the next writing session. Well done, have you much still to write?

Hi Hailey, welcome to the thread!  Looks like you have a fair amount done in draft so hopefully you can stick to your timetable. You may find some chapters take longer and others much quicker but it doesn't look too ambitious.  If you can get the draft to sups by end of summer your December submission looks very feasible. How is the first chapter progressing for end April?

I have heard nothing about a viva date as yet, but then it is the easter and bank holiday period.  In the meantime, I have started re-reading the thesis and have a few contents page number errors (dammed Word formatting, arghh). So annoying as I checked and re-checked these during the numerous final PDF versions.  Once I have read it and added post-its, I have several viva questions to go over and practice. So much to do still!

Good luck with the writing everyone

(up)

Hey all

Just checking in and also to say welcome to all the different people who have posted here recently. It's a busy thread; if we all submit sometime this summer, looks like lots of unis will be short on postgrads for the winter ;-)

Hope you hear about your viva soon, Dunni - you're all set to be this thread's first alumni!

Wehay!

i'm so glad I found this forum and have spent the last half hour reading it. I'm doing a basic science PhD and was supposed to submit around december but last month my boss told me that there may be post doc funding in the lab to continue my work but in order to apply (I may not even get it!) I have to submit by the end of June. I didn't think it was possible to do but I'm giving it a shot and am working like crazy! Most of the results are analysed but I still have a few days to go reviewing results for two chapters. I've written (almost) the background and methods chapters and have made a good start on 1 (out of 4) results chapters.

I should be able to do it but it's gonna be TIGHT...:)