NIGHT

or

MIGHT

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Hello all. I am planning to submit my thesis by the end of the year. By university regulations my VIVA is going to be 6 weeks later (end of January). I am wondering if it is a good idea to go home (a far far away land :-) ) For 3-4 weeks between the thesis submission and the VIVA. Do you think this is a good idea? Or should I prepare for the VIVA? Anyone had a similar experience? Any advice? On one hand I think relaxing will be good... and it is unlikely that I will forget what I did in 3 years in one month... but.... what are the cons?

Thanks for your opinion!

Originality is a tricky concept. It doenst mean you NEED to develop a new method, you could make a different analysis with an existing method (that is also original), or you could add a small bit to an existing method, or you could prove that an existing method doesnt apply to a particular problem (that expands the knowledge). Originallity means something that never did before, but that could be just an analysis, a discussion of results.

Go to the library and ask for a couple of PhD thesis, then check their contributions, most of them are just general e.g. "provided a better understanding of bla bla bla".... etc

PhD is about learning to do research, not about getting a nobel price. Relax, and you'll see that things will go ok.

Write anything
short idaes
random thoughts
like these

then you'll be able to link them together and build sentences, parragraphs, sections, chapters and a thesis. Dont stop writing!

I am at the final year of my PhD, already started writing the thesis (I have 2 chapters of 8), and I have a very strong deadline in four months because of funding issues.

Now, how much time do you think I need to finish the other 6 chapters? Is four months realistic?

Plus, any advice in how to organize time better? (like write a draft first, then a second version.. or go directly for a good version), etc.

Any advice is more than welcome!