got the next five days free. i intend on making the most.

today's plan - get done with ch.2 and 3.

i've quit my job.. :-( so hopefully that means more time to my thesis. hurray! and hopefully quicker turn arounds!

* Question: How do you explain what you would have done differently without shooting yourself in the foot?

I think sometimes there are results/experiments that occurred causing you to change methodology along the way, was there anyway this could have been foreseen? I think you need to acknowledge others approaches as alternative ways you could have followed but also state why perhaps they were not followed. In my case I have a conclusion that is not as robust as I would like for one section so I guess in hindsight I would have designed the work differently to answer the new questions that it has thrown back at me! Hindsight is a great thing and not something you were aware of at the time lol.

Hope your not working too late tonight! I am just about to email my edited thesis to my supervisors before welcoming father christmas to my home!! Happy Christmas Jojo (gift)

thanks Dunni. i think my chapter 2 could have looked very different and been a lot more focused had i known where the study would lead at the time i wrote it; but then i didn't have the information then. therefore its more like a walk in the dark. i need to come up with a strong case for how it links to the rest of the work and its necessity to avoid major corrections whilst at the same time acknowledging that other frameworks could have worked better or provided a smooth (er) transition to the next chapters. at the moment it looks like a list. :-( like moving from the very general to the very specific not just area wise but also from an interdisciplinary angle.

am hoping that using that general to specific line will work..

merry Christmas to you too. unfortunately for me its work as usual. ten days to go. still stuck on ch.2 and determined to get out of it tonight. have at least 20 pages to go so its gonna be a late night! so happy for you - you managed to hand in. what a relief it must be!

enjoy time with your family!
(tree)

looks like am the only one back from Christmas! can't believe am still on Ch.2. am being a perfectionist. lol. anyway.. not complaining, since i was told my external is into theory.. i best know my theory chapters (literature review & discussion). :-) i feel bad for quitting my job without notice but a decision had to be made. having put in 5 yrs into my phd the last thing i need is to not be able to give it the best chance at a pass because i was working for a fiver. i will find another job. hopefully a more decent one.

happy boxing day everyone!

Happy Boxing Day to you! I have been reading your posts and followed your progress. I much admire your focus and energy. I am due to submit in a few months time, and some days I feel positive and motivated, others I wonder why I have spent so long on this, but I suppose that this is the case for many people.
I am currently revising my last draft, so it is a working boxing day. I think that we deserve a sweet reward (cake or similar)!(tree)

Hi all, managed to send my supervisors a copy of my edited thesis late evening on christmas day! I know I am one of those PhD'ers who cannot have a day off from it lol. Found a real problem in sending the thesis via email as it is too big even when zipped, arghhh! Have had to upload to dropbox for them to access themselves. Now sitting here waiting for some feedback which will be into the new year I expect.

So Jojo you are not working alone at this festive time lol. You don't have too much longer now do you?

Hi all.
Just want to join the we're all working over Christmas gang.  I submitted just before Christmas, yahoo, but haven't really stopped at all as I have a journal deadline looming. I'm must confess to being concerned about stopping, else i may not start again.. imagine what real life is like ;-)  All interacting with "normal" people and everything :p
Chuff 

Well done Chuff, didn't realise you had submitted! Must be a great feeling too. Bet you will be reading this thread with ideas and motivation for viva prep, I know I will so thank you Jojo for sharing it.

Thanks Dunni.

I didn't tell anyone on here that I'd submitted because i felt really flat and certainly didn't want to come on here moaning about submitting - i thought I'd be virtually lynched .. can you imagine? :-)

It is an odd,  but nice feeling, and yes you're right I am reading Jojo and others' old threads for hints.  they're fantastic to read.

When is your viva Dunni, do you know?  Mine is March. How is your prep going ?  I plan to start my prep mid January, after I've submitted this journal paper.   I've bought the two books recommended on here, and after having read so much on here.. i feel i know what to do ... a good start ;-) 

Chuff

Hi i am also preparing for my viva, would it be possible for you to pm the questions to me too please?

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great to see i wasn't the only one working yesterday. so people actually read this? lol. that's encouraging. :-)

glad my diaries are helping someone out there.

Corrinne - Happy belated boxing day! I might as well say Happy new yr! Don't be discouraged. Take one day at a time. Energy? lol. It's the will to see it through driving me. Lol. yeah cake would be great!

Dunni -congratulations on handing in! Not long left. I'm trying to keep it together!

Chuff - Well done on handing in. Sounds like you're really disciplined with the publishing. I totally get you. When i was writing up I didn't want to stop. I feared if i stopped i'd have writers block and have to go through the mill of relearning everything again. Speaking of relations with people, am still making that adjustment. I wonder if it'll ever be the same again. lol. Awwwww.. am touched you find my old threads encouraging. thanks!

Pink - you need to PM Lara. Her questions are general and since they are hers its best to ask her for them. the one's i've made are quite specific to my thesis tho in the end i'll probably come up with general ones. all the best in your viva prep. when is your date?

i still have 5 pages to go on ch.2. looks like i made all my decisions in the first 2 chapters. should easily skate through chapters 3 and 4 because they are descriptive case studies and then spend some time on ch.5 which is my discussion chapter and less time on ch.6 my overview and ch.7 my conclusion.

Timeplan:

Mon 27th - finish ch.2 & read externals paper 1
Tue 28th - read thro case studies ch. 3 & 4 & read externals paper 2
Wed 29th - discussion chapter & read externals paper 3
Thur 30th - discussion chapter & make expected questions from external's work
Fri 31st- chs. 6 & 7 & make expected questions re externals work
Sat 1st- internal's work & oral practice of answers
Sun 2nd- scheme thro latest publications & oral practice of answers
Mon 3rd- memorise my definitions & oral practice of answers
Tues 4th- memorise answers to main questions & oral practice of answers
Wed 5th - freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait. 8-)

back to it!
:-)


ps: oh i need to think of what to wear...... :P. am thinking of going for formal skirt, formal shirt and sweater... (where do i get a sweater from!). can't wear a full suit lest i look toooooooooooo serious. my examiners are old and therefore they're more likely to be in sweaters. black stockings and flat black shoes. oh and i need to make my hair presentable. have to book an appointment with my hair dresser. i also need to keep jewellery to a bare minimum. and ofcourse carry my boring black handbag.

i don't normally wear a watch. do you think i should bother? usually use my mobile. :$

what did everyone else wear? what colours did you wear? did you stick to dull academic colours or did you do a bit of colour?

Hi
I think your choice of clothing sounds very appropriate and good! One thing to think about, you want to be in something that will be comfortable for you--as you do not want to be distracted by something itchy or binding or that irritates you somehow....

I wore a navy blue suit and matching navy heels...both shot through with some gold. It might have been a bit over the top, but my examiners were in full on suits, and so I felt like it was OK--it looked professional and made me feel confident. Beyond that, it was that rare thing--a very comfy suit in a nice soft fabric, so I felt OK wearing it.

I think the main thing is--wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident at the same time. You will want to project confidence in the viva, so if there is an outfit where you are like YESSSS I could rule the world in this ( or some similiar feeling :p) that would be a good viva suit.

I think you are going to be fantastic in your viva, sounds like you have done tons of good preparation, and planned ahead, and with all that going for you, you will be GREAT!(up)

yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! am out of the woods with ch.2. the rest should be fairly easy now.... just about to have a look at my examiners paper. and wow.......... isn't it hard work writing a theoretical framework? i think my entire viva or a good chunk of it will focus here because i make so many decisions which seemed rational at the time. :$ i just have to hope that my examiners will be impressed that i waded through it nevertheless!

thanks Olivia for your vote of confidence :-) and dressing ideas. am working hard at being positive and confident!

heels! word! i'd never try that. lol. am more of a tom-boy. i'd fall down in them. last time i wore them for an occassion was my undergrad graduation, i was so worried i'd trip over and fall. i'd bought them that morning and learnt how to stand up in them. hehehe. superorganised me! thankfully all went well. you must have looked stunning in your viva lol. wonder if that helped :P

comfortable... seeing am a tomboy, we're going for as a simple as it gets. flat shoes especially. i don't wanna be thinking of my feet or anything else like you said. am thinking of chucking out the sweater (its just not me!).... instead wearing a polo and short sleeved shirt. that's more me. to look like i can rule the world...... am hoping to achieve that with a stunning hairdo..... which am hoping to hide behind when things get hard. lol. hair that covers my face a little and definitely takes the focus off my ears by covering them as they'll probably be proper red! i will think more on the confidence part. maybe i should add a suit jacket but that may look sooooooooooooooooo serious esp if i find them in sweaters. the suit jacket may also make me look nervous. without the jacket i look a bit more at ease. like am ok with the whole process even if they're in suits. am a student anyway? what do you guys think?