missspacey - i got prescriptions, and the doc said i should have foods such as fish, eggs and magarine a lot more. also fruits... and i should try to spend more time outdoors and not cover up so much - dressing wise. also eat regularly... to sum it up... i should find a way of living like a normal person should.

oh dear Jojo, poor you. sounds like you haven't been well. I better spend some time outdoors aswell! i have been cooped up inside for a month!

phd is not worth your health. health is the most important thing.

hope you feel better soon!! and have a good time in Africa.

Dear Jojo, try to eat well and have a walk for at least 20 min, I find the walking good even to the local shops to buy fruits or get some books from local library (cook books with nice pic. nothing academic). Having said that I haven't been outside for 3 days now, even though there is holiday weather. But will get out somehow today.

thanks Sheena and Lara. today my supersivor emailed me. he reckons i haven't made sufficient progress. he's arranging a meeting to discuss this. am feeling so discouraged by this whole thing.

Sorry to hear that jojo. I took a huge knock in confidence when I first wrote up a sequence of chapters: very severe feedback, and I didn't feel like I was making any progress at all. So I know where you're coming from. At least your supervisor is meeting you (mine is 500 miles away!) so view the meeting as a chance to see if/how things can be turned around as need be. Encourage him to give you as many detailed constructive suggestions as possible. Good luck!

Jojo, thanks for letting me know about your doctors advice. I hope your symptoms improve soon. It was only after reading a newspaper article some months back that I became aware just how important fresh air and sunlight is for one's health (which sounds dumb as it's common sense). I'm basically doing exactly what you're doing i.e., poor diet and no sunlight, and I'm feeling the effects.

Try not to be too concerned about your apparent lack of progress, as you near the end of writing-up, supervisors seem to raise the bar considerably with respect to standards.

Hi Jojo, oh dear, I can imagine how that feels. I would feel devastataed and discouraged also, if my supervisor said that. you have been working so hard these past few months on your thesis. i hope he gives you constructive critisism on how to improve it. as Joan Bolker says, revising is the key to good writing. at least you have now a foundation to work on. you will get there!! supervisors have a tendency to expect us to be robots in churning out perfect chapters. its a process. you will get there in the end. all you can do is your best. in you're heart you know you did your best, and that is all we can ask for.

i hope the meeting goes well. but yeh i can understand you feeling discouraged. i don't blame you, if i were you i would feel exactly the same way.

and Jojo you're so right about this staying indoors thing. lately i've been really really tired. today i couldnt get up !! i stayed in bed till 2pm! might have something to do with the fact i stayed up till 3.30am. but still. i havent been outdoors. i think i should start going to the garden for 5 min breaks. i am slowly feeling my energy depleting..

regardless of what your supervisor said, i think you're making great progress, and i am so proud of you for meeting your deadline, of having a first draft of your thesis done by the date you wanted it to be done.

hey all. thanks for your encouragement. what could i do without all you sweet people . am over the discouragement feeling. i've decided to focus on my review tomorrow and next week am meeting both my supervisors, one of whom i last met in summer 07. i don't know what it goes to happen, but it looks like a its gonna be big. i've decided to read through my entire thesis and then whatever suggestions are made, i'll make sure i can implement them - am not gonna agree to anything i can't do. wish me luck... because this time i really need it. i sometimes feel as though this PhD process is closing in on me. am so numb, i can't work on my papers anymore. i'll stick to small distractions like reading through my work, making notes and sunbathing... but its so cloudy outside, maybe a trip to the shops every now and then will do. for now, am off to prepare my slides to tomorrow's annual review. fingers crossed.

Good luck jojo! Sounds like you're doing the right thing: focusing on what needs to be done to get through this stage, and not getting too downhearted for too long. Can understand the numbness though. Try to keep outside interests, and breaking out of the house can certainly help!

my review went a lot better than i expected. am happy i got some constructive tips on how to deal with the next six months and i was also given permission to go away for a while. am happy

workwise, the work has stopped. am waiting for wednesday's meeeting, packing, shopping for gifts (getting lots of outdoors time) house hunting for september and trying to get everything sorted in the two weeks before am outa here!!! yah!!!

fingers crossed for constructive feedback in forthcoming supervisor's meeting. i can then work on that when am away.

that's great Jojo! so happy that the meeting went well and you got constructive feedback!! good luck with the next 6 months. i have every confidence in you that you will do a great job of your thesis! hard work and preserverance are two key characteristics i have seen in you, and that will result in you successfully finishing your thesis!!

its always nice to have their blessing about taking time off, so i am glad you got that! you enjoy yourself!! and wish you all the best !

you've been my inspiration so thank you for that.

thanks Lara. thats so.... sweet. someone believes in me. here's a hug.

today, was spent catching up with admin work and doing job applications whose deadlines are in July. i read through a bit of my thesis though i was very distracted with last minute house hunting. am totally exhausted. off to bed now. preparing for an early start tomorrow. can't wait to get over and done with this supervisor meeting on Wednesday, leave and start writing up again. fingers crossed.

hope everyone's work is going better than mine - at least. lol. can't believe am laughing about it. anyway... goodnight.

thanks BilboBaggins. i forgot to say thanks for your reassuarance earlier.