======= Date Modified 29 Feb 2012 09:01:10 =======
Sent my chapter off ten minutes ago, just waiting for confirmation they received it and then I can go to bed. It wasn't quite finished, had to put bullet-points for what would be said in a few places, but all the data was there. I did actually get some sleep last night - went to bed at 1.45 and got up at 5.30. That was painful!

Good luck with all the work today, everyone! Seems like people are busy already this morning. Button, you sound like you have a lot on your plate there - you can do it, just keep calm and breathe...

Thanks Lindalou! Hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

Over fifteen hours in now, and it's still a slow slog with a long way to go... I think I will have to bullet point a lot of it. Oh well!

Thanks Busybee! I'm glad someone else is around today. I'm thirteen hours in and still plugging away... definitely going to be up most of the night and probably won't quite finish (tiredness is likely to stop me at about 2 am, then I'll aim to start again at 6 am) but I'll have something to send, even if it has bullet-points for the bits I haven't quite finished.

It'll take a miracle to reach my deadline of 9am tomorrow for this chapter!

Oh well, I'll just have to do what I can. I suspect I'll be working through the night. Gah. But I'm surprisingly unstressed about this - we'll see how I feel later!

Thanks Lindalou! Actually, I'm English too, but I don't support England in any sports (I hate all the petty jingoism that goes along with it) and MrBatfink is Welsh, so I've adopted the Welsh team. It's fun supporting them (plus if Wales lose, MrBatfink's such a grump that I really would prefer Wales to win!)

Work is going slowly but steadily today. Must speed up if I'm going to make my deadline! Back to it I go...

I would too. If there was a previous section where it was discussed in depth I'd signpost to that, e.g. 'as discussed in Section 3.2' or whatever. My supervisors are very keen on the thesis being very clearly signposted, and say it's one of the things that will make a thesis readable for an external examiner - so it's a good habit to get into!

Thanks Button :-)

Good luck with the presentation. It's horrible when the stress levels rise up like that. Try to remember things don't have to perfect, they just have to be good enough - I know I find it really hard to remind myself of that when I'm feeling the pressure, and it just piles even more unnecessary pressure on.

Hello everyone.

Full of cold and not wanting to work on my birthday, but never mind! I had a great weekend, having a laugh with friends and watching Wales win the rugby (yay!) and saying good bye to MrBatfink.

Now I have a clear week to get lots of work done. Today and tomorrow will be brutal - I have until 9am Wednesday to get my chapter written. It may be a stay-up-all-night job tomorrow. So, I only have one goal - to get my chapter written! It's in two neat sections so today I need to finish the first section.

Done. Good luck with the research!

Hope you're feeling better today!

I should be working through this weekend but my other half starts a new job on Monday, in a different city that he's got to move to and only come back here on weekends, so this weekend is all about making him feel valued and like he'll be missed - me working through the weekend would spoil that somewhat! So I have to take tomorrow off, and part of Sunday until he leaves. And then Monday is my birthday - and I'll be all alone and will have to work through it! That's going to be particularly joyous. I hate working on my birthday - in previous jobs I always booked the day off as holiday, and assumed I'd be able to wangle the same as a PhD student, but it looks like I've failed this year! Oh well. Moan over!

I made good progress on the plan for the chapter yesterday, so have a good idea what I need to do by next Wednesday. I may end up working through the night on Tuesday to make the deadline - let's hope I make good enough progress to avoid that today! Goals for the day:
1.) Tidy up journal article draft and email to co-author
2.) Write as much of analysis chapter as possible

That's how I felt yesterday and the day before (maybe its a computer virus, her her...) - maybe you need to take some time to do nothign to give your body a chance to throw it off - I definitely feel better for doing that.

I've worked out what data I need to include in my chapter and have a rough idea of the structure, want to firm that up a bit before I try to write anything (it's always typing that first paragraph that I find really difficult!) But I think I'll make good progfress once I get going. If I don't cough my lungs up in the meantime!

Hope you're feeling better, Lindalou.

I spent the last 2 days lying on the sofa feeling like death warmed up. I was intending to try doing some work yesterday but just didn't find the energy. Anyway, I'm feeling a bit more capable today, and my supervisors have also said I can send my chapter to them next Wed instead of tomorrow. Which is lucky, as I haven't even started writing it yet! Oh dear.

I'm going to ease myself back into the work today, because I'm not really 100% yet. Goals:
1.) Pull out the main bits of data that I'm going to discuss in my chapter
2.) Develop a plan for the chapter
3.) Write something, even if it's rubbish!
4.) Go to the shops for food

Thanks Lindalou, I had some lemsip and that helped, so I ran some simple stats tests and cut and pasted results into word - brainless jobs that I'd only end up doing tomorrow anyway! Early night tonight I think.

Congratulations, Hairui, you must be so pleased! Good luck with the viva.

I'm being distinctly unproductive today. Feel lousy. I need to do some thinking about the structure of my chapters but my head aches and I'm burning up. I'll have to do some stuff that doesn't involve thinking instead.