ugh...I have been soooo bad at doing work today, I think I've gotten brain freeze due to the prospect of the impending submission. Finding it so difficult to work. Finally got a few things changed in my chapter, what could have taken 2 hours took all day so far :( Going to move on to doing some corrections for a chapter now, then will go back to proofing my current chapter tonight.

So next Goal - decide on a chapter to correct :/

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I so thought that I was getting somewhere with my introduction - I spent all day yesterday on it, and went to be thinking that it was looking ok. But today it is rubbish! It seems out of order and really disjointed, and its really long.
I initially thought that I would have an introduction/lit review chapter. But now, it is something like 15,000 words which I think is too long. So I might have a crack and spiliting it up into introduction and thesis presentation chapter and backhground and lit review chapter.
Is anyone else working on their first chapter(s)? How do you know when to stop?

uhh!

Hi Fm
When I was doing my intro I broke it all down into sections at the start and wrote little mini essays on everything, and then put it all together changing things so it all fit ok. My thesis is a combination of 3 pretty large topics, so I had to review them all which meant my intro is quite big for a scientific thesis. To keep it small I was really strict with myself and only gave quite a general introduction, keeping any of the more detailed info for chapters later on. Just imagine you are prepping someone who knows nothing about your topic, so that they have any necessary info for reading the rest of your thesis. You don't have to include *everything* just the most important and relevant stuff. Try reading it out, or describing it out loud to yourself then it's easier to check how things flow.

Don't worry FM, that happens to all of us! I'm now in the re-writing stage and things that I've written 2 years ago seem ok, whereas stuff I wrote yesterday can seem terrible today. As my sup says: that's the process of learning how to write. (yes, I've thought about killing him every time he says that). I'm in humanities and I have a seperate introduction/thesis outline (about 8,000w) and lit review (10,000w). As one chapter it would have been waaaaaayyyy too long. Just make sure that in your intro, you say that you'll be discussing literature/how you work fits in the field/methodology/whatever will be discussed in the next chapter.

To put in my 2 cents: My sup said not to start with writing the proper intro if you haven't written the whole thesis yet. If you write it at the end, you'll know much better what you need to include and how to include it so it won't be too disjointed (he was actually right on that account, particularly with my topic). After I finished a draft of all my chapters, I wrote a detailed chapter outline and answered the important questions: what am I doing, why am I doing this, how am I doing this, just so that I have that as a reminder while I'm re-writing. But I haven't got a proper intro yet (and I'm just going into my 4th year). So don't worry too much. Unless your sup wants you to write the intro first, then completely ignore what I've just said!!!

Maybe others have more experience writing the introduction?

It's difficult to say when to stop. When you've included all the important stuff, I'd say. For example, the previous draft of the chapter I'm rewriting now was 18,000 words. I've now rewritten and chopped it to a little bit over 13,000 (I'm very proud of that). Again, that is just because I've become a better writer over the years (erm, I hope. I think. Not sure if sup agrees) and know what to include and exclude because I've got all the chapters so I know where I'm going and what of my previous writings thus can be discarded.

I'd say, just pour it all out and then start cutting later on. That's worked for me, others might ahve different opinions.
Hope that helps

Livvie

Thanks for the awesome tips.
I have finished the rest of the thesis except for the final discussion, so and am keen to have some of the intro done - at least an intor outline (even it it is 5000 words more than I need)
At the moment, I don't even know what I want to include, so I will try and break it down into smaller sections over the weekend.
Thanks again

ugh I'm properly feeling sorry for myself today, I'm feeling all sick :( I'm so tired and my head is so sore I'm trying to read stuff for my corrections and the words are just swimming in front of me. I really don't like this bit anymore.

Goal today is to make a good start on corrections for chapter 1 although at this stage if I get one section corrected I'll be surprised...

Well, I did get one section corrected yesterday, which was just a pitiful waste of a day. I really need to get more done today, at least one more section, although I'm moving back to my home country this afternoon so still have to pack and all, so I really only have until about 1pm. which is in 2.5 hours here...yikes!
I hope everyone is having a better time of it than me!

Good luck Algaequeen, I hope you manage to get some good work done today!

Well I am back after a nice holiday. Yesterday I was jet lagged and I managed 6 tomatoes and didn't do much at all. This afternoon I have to pop into town and also onto campus to visit the library there so I don't have that much time today.

My first goal is to get the draft of one analytic section finished.

i didn't get the job :-( oh well, more time to spend getting this PhD done!

I *need* to start using this thread better.

Goal 1: Clean desk so can see the bottom

Woo goal 1 done! THere was a HUGE mountain of crumbs, under the HUGE mountain of books, under the HUGE mountain of pens, under the HUGE mountain of paper, and 3 mouldy cups :$

I feel cleansed and ready to start the write up!

I'm putting my introduction aside for a few days while sup2 looks at it. So goal for today: edit and make corrections on interviews chapter/paper, and go to the gym tonight.

goal 1 go to the post to receive sth
goal 2 read 5 cases, defined later
goal 3 read articles, defined later
goal 4 study french
goal 5 call 2 friends and my mother quickly

I've completed goal 1, which was to change my password and email on another forum so I can never access it again - thereby stopping that form of procrastination.

I need to go to hospital at 11 for a check up with my specialist.

oh and I became an auntie last week - for the first time!

Anyways

Goal 2: plan out thesis with what needs to be done in each area.

goal 1 done, I bought a bag and a T.shirt on net, the bag is good, but the T.shirt no I do not like it, I'll think before deciding to return it

now have a quick breakfast and call my mother