Hi Cakegirl,

No I didn't buy the Murray book, though I had been planning to. In the end I plumped for the Tinkler and Jackson book ("The Doctoral Examination Process"), having been able to flick through both that and the Murray book on Amazon, and deciding that it was more what I was looking for. Hoping it arrives early next week.

I've just been burning my CDs to go into the back of the thesis. Now I just need the sticky poly pockets to arrive tomorrow to stick them in.

And then it's a weekend of rest, before submission next week.

Been a bit numb over the last few days, but now very relieved to have got to this stage.

Good luck everyone else.

Bilbo

My final university deadline was the end of March. If I didn't make that I'd have to get an extension. But my thesis has been printed and bound now, and should be submitted next week :p

Good luck to everyone else still on the home straight.

I'm just finishing my PhD (thesis newly bound and to be submitted next week!) but I was part-time too, studying over 6 years. I was based away from campus, long-term seriously ill, and progressively so, therefore increasingly unable to take part in on-campus activities like research seminars and informal social events. I felt incredibly cut off, and more so as time went on. However I had email contact with a very good fellow student friend, and this forum was a life-saver over the last few years when I was going through the difficult writing-up process: sharing problems on here helped to put mine into context, and help me find the resources to keep going. Sorry that my story isn't more encouraging, but it is possible to get through it, even if it can be harder if you're part-time and at a distance.

Thanks both. Yes it's really good to see the thesis bound. I have a box of 5 of them, and they look very chunky!

I'm amazed at how quickly it happened. Last time I spoke to him my supervisor thought I'd be finished by the start of February, but up until a couple of days ago I thought it would still take at least another 2 weeks. Then it all happened fast.

Good luck to everyone else.

Hi Rick,

I've just been online ordering a viva book from Amazon. Trying not to get freaked out at the thought.

My thesis was bound yesterday, super fast. I need to sort something out for the CD though, so will be submitting next week. Seems to be flying on. Just a few days ago I was still working on it, and then whammo, everything happened really really fast.

Very relieved to have got to this stage, but somewhat apprehensive about the viva. Hoping the book will help me prepare.

Bilbo

Thanks Mathkitty for starting this thread. I'll make a post next week when my thesis is finally submitted. My thesis was printed and bound today, but I'm just waiting for a last detail to sort out by the weekend, and will be getting my supervisor to sign the relevant page next week.

Have you sought advice from the careers service at your university? They really should be able to give you tips on how best to go about looking for a job.

But there is also the problem of the current economic climate, so jobs are probably harder to get than they have been in the past. So you have to try that much harder.

Good luck though.

Good luck Rick. Yes it is a matter of persevering. I swung through extreme reactions to my thesis always coming back looking like a spider had reproduced all over it, including my "final draft" just before Christmas ;-) Initially "Good: feedback!", then "Aarrgghh" as I read through some of the comments, then getting on with it, then depression as I hit some of the tough bits etc. Makes me sound bonkers, but hey. You've got to keep going though. Good luck with the next redraft.

======= Date Modified 02 Feb 2010 20:34:03 =======
Thanks everyone for the congratulations :-) I've just emailed off the PDF to be printed and bound, after last minute tweaks, so that's that done.

Going to sleep solidly for days I think! It will take days to be printed and bound, so I might as well rest and recover while that happens!

Good luck to everyone else still plugging away. Keep going! That's the secret.

Ok it's not night time, but I usually post in this thread. Haven't had much sleep so it might as well be night time for me.

But I've finished my thesis, ready for submission! Wahoo!!!! :p

Need to email off the PDF for printing and soft binding, so will do that overnight, allowing me time for any last minute tweaks.

Wahoo!

Just read the bit that the supervisor that left was the head of department. There should be a new person taking on that role. Or a head of PG studies.

You're getting nowhere contacting your supervisor - you've been trying for ages. You need to find a new contact person.

Good luck.

If it was me I wouldn't bother with the supervisor, but email the head of department, and pronto.

They can speak to your supervisor, and get them back on side.

Thanks Bulbs. I hit phenomenal lows during my writing up. For many long months (I'm part-time so things take at least twice as long) I was on the point of quitting every single day! But keep going. You'll get there.

What's sleep. I don't need sleep! I'm up working on my conclusions again, and doing something else on my to-do list.

Your supervisor can't keep ignoring you like this. As I said before, isn't there someone you can contact (email even) for help, i.e. a head of department, or the head of PG studies in your department or school? They also need to sort out the issue of the lost second supervisor. And this needs to be done soon.

I know what you mean. I'm a history student, and have been researching something that is rarely recorded in the surviving historical records. So I was not blessed with source material, and I had to work hard to make the most out of what little I could find. Huge methodological challenges. My supervisor gave me advice for how to pull it all together, but it's still a bit like a cake of multiple parts. But I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I'm signing off now and going to bed. Good luck with your work tonight.