Hi 4matt, I'm also on a 1 + 3, and also started my PhD 4 months ago. I fluctuate daily between feeling like I'm on track, to feeling like I am unbelievably behind with everything.

As my PhD is in social sciences I don't have experiments etc, but I can imagine you are definitely not the first person to have experiments going wrong/waiting round to get going etc. Have a scroll back through the posts- it always comes up every now and again about people worrying about experiments going wrong etc. All I'm saying is that you will get going, and you have got plenty of time in 3 years to allow yourself a few things to go off track.

Also, I think we have discussed this before- I am on an ESRC funded 1 + 3 and although my funding runs in September 2013, I officially have until September 2014 for completion, just checked on my registration sheet again! Obviously this last year would not be funded, and I really don't want to still be doing the PhD then, but it may be worth looking into.

I'm 22 and in the first year of my PhD, and I don't think I'm at a disadvantage. Although it does bug me when mature students look at me like I'm a child- there is such a major focus on mature students, and ensuring they are supported etc (as most are part-time) and don't get me wrong this is obviously necessary, but I do often wonder what about students like me who get sh*t because we're young?!

I have an unbelievably supportive fiance. He fully understands that I can't just 'switch off' from my PhD, he is there to celebrate my good days, and comforts me when I've had a bad day, which makes me realise that there's more to life than my PhD.

But, he would NEVER discourage me from working on my PhD- if I need to work on it, he will make himself busy, which frequently involves him sitting in our bedroom upstairs on his xbox, because I work in our lounge and get disturbed by the tv. He would never consider my PhD a waste of time, because he is fully aware of how important it is to me, and he sort of understands it. I guess he is understanding because we did our BA's together, so he knows what uni involves, but he hasn't done a Master's or PhD, and isn't planning to.

If I didn't have a supportive partner, I don't know what I'd do. The PhD is difficult enough without having to explain yourself to your partner!

Hi all,

I started my PhD 4 months ago, and keep switching on a daily basis from feeling like I'm not doing enough, to feeling like I am on track and doing okay, to feeling like I'm going way too fast. Today is a 'going too fast' day!

Since October, I've been reviewing literature and have written about 2 of the 3 main areas of my research. I've also formulated research questions, decided on my research design (the same as my MA), produced interview schedules, and begun to think about accessing participants.

Is it too soon to be starting to interview participants? I have previous contacts from my MA and so want to contact them before they go stale, and also for various reasons I will lose contact with potential participants in March, so I could really do with interviewing participants before then. Will this be a problem? I feel like I've got a good grasp of the literature, and the 3rd area that I haven't researched much yet was heavily involved in my MA, so I don't feel like my interview schedules will change other than once I have begun to interview participants.

I guess I just feel like because everyone says to you that a PhD equals 'lit review first year, data collection second year, write up third year' I'm worried about starting to generate data so soon. Should I be concerned?

Thanks all!

Oooh it seems I missed the virtual chocolate cake yesterday, damn it!

Hope everyone is okay. I had a fab day yesterday with my work, so this is usually followed by a not so good day! But I'll try my best;

Goal 1- finish interview schedules
Goal 2- look at what needs doing re approaching participants
Goal 3- theory

Thanks all, I couldn't find it and then I tried searching for it but it didn't come up, how odd!

Panic over!

Is it just me and my computer, or has the trusty one goal thread disappeared?!

Hi all, I'm hoping you can help.

One of the requirements which we have to have done by the end of our first year is to have identified the 'key concepts and theoretical lens' for our research.

I have MAJOR problems with being able to see where I'm coming from, and seeing the theory behind it. I've always majorly struggled with this bit!

Can anyone explain what this actually means, in easy-peasy language? My sup said that my research won't necessarily be informed by some sort of grand theory, but I'm just baffled!

Thanks all :)

Morning all.

I really need to get stuck in today!

Goal 1- add info found yesterday to writing
Goal 2- tackle definitions

Morning all,

My first goal is to get some reading done before I have to go to the doctors for the second time this morning!

Are you sure she is at uni until 10pm? Or could she be elsewhere? Maybe it's because I'm a naturally suspicious person, but I can't imagine who would be forcing her to stay there until 10pm- are the people making her stay there also staying until 10pm? I can't imagine supervisors being at uni that late! It all sounds a little odd to me.

Hi all,

If any of you have access to the following article I'd be most grateful if you could let me know,

Hinton, C., & Wolpert, M. (1998). Why is ADHD such a compelling story? Clinical ChildPsychology and Psychiatry, 2, 315–317.

Clinical ChildPsychology and Psychiatry, 2, 315–317.
, 315–317.
Thanks a lot!

Morning Star-Shaped.

My other half is out for a couple of hours, so I'm hoping to get a bit of work done while he's out.

Goal 1- read chapter and start editing

My day went from bad to worse- I decided to just sit on the sofa with some work on my lap and a dvd on...problem is I decided to watch 'My Sister's Keeper', which always makes me cry- cue me bawling my eyes out, which then led to me thinking about all the work I've got to do, so I cried more.

Hubby-to-be then came home and was worried sick wondering why I was crying so hard...which led to a MASSIVE cuddle, a cup of tea, some giggles and a much more calm Button!

He's now gone off to Asda to do the weekly shop bless him, to give me some time to do an hour's work (probably 30 minutes considering how much he hates food shopping and therefore whizzes round at top speed). So I will get something done before he gets home!

Good luck to hubs Sneaks!

Hi all, I have been avoiding this post for the past couple of days because I really can't get into my work and I don't know why. I did lots of writing last week (pretty much everyday) and then met sup on Monday who has given me a million and one things to do. I know what I should be doing, but I've just sat at my desk on the internet :$ what should I do? I have zero motivation! I'm considering putting a dvd on and just having some work on my lap which I might look at (but probably not).