======= Date Modified 13 Aug 2012 16:32:09 =======
Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone has (or has had) a full-time studentship and a part-time job? An opportunity has arisen for a 20 hour a week job involving teaching in my area. It sounds great, but do you think this would be possible with a full-time funded PhD?

On a practical level, I'm soon going into my third year and have a full first draft of my thesis, so work wise I think this would be okay. But I'm wondering whether the ESRC would allow this? They are very vague in their guidelines, only suggesting that it shouldn't interfere with your studies, and that the part-time job can't be permanent (which it isn't, it's fixed term). I'll send an email to the ESRC person at our uni for more info, but just wondered what you all thought.

Would you apply?

Morning all!

Well I didn't win the £148 million on the euromillions, so unfortunately I'm back at my desk today!

I'm working on editing 2 of my findings chapters today, ready to send to sup as part of my first draft of the thesis. However, I don't know how long that will take me, so I might be able to edit the other 2 findings chapters too (maybe!)

Morning all!

I managed to get my introduction done yesterday, which I'm very happy about! My deadline to get it done was by the end of today, but rather than doing nothing I think I'll get cracking on editing my methodology chapter. I might also go into town for a mooch.

So not a busy day for me, and I've got the weekend off to look forward to!

Hi both of you!

I've been out doing non-related PhD work this morning, and I'm now absolutely shattered! But my task of the day is to write the background section of my introduction, which is proving extremely difficult. I may try the technique of free writing though and see what I end up with, as I'm hitting a bit of a blank with it. I also need to go to Tesco!

Keep going!

Thanks both! I think it's just troubling me a bit as where on earth do you start, and how do you find the most basic/key information, when you've written an 80,000 thesis?! I always struggle with this bit, maybe I just need to get stuck in!

Hi guys,

So I'm sitting here looking at a blank screen, needing to write the 'background' section for my introduction. I don't know where to start! Any tips? I have the others bits under control i.e introducing my study/personal interest etc, I just don't know how I can do this bit!

Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks for all your great advice :-)

Had a meeting with sup today, and we've agreed a deadline for the first official draft of my thesis, which is a month or so away. The I imagine it will take her a while to read it, which will mean time for publications! I'll also look into doing more teaching (I already do some) but thanks for all your help!

So basically, I don't think I'm 'that' far ahead of myself, as obviously the first draft is miles away from my final draft!

Emmental

Hmm, where to start.

As many of you know, I'm in the 2nd year of my PhD, starting third year this September. I have funding until September 2013.

Unbelievably, I have a full draft of my thesis (just finishing my intro now). I don't quite know how I've done it, but to be honest I think it stems from starting data collection very early (for various reasons) and not having issues with writing block. Obviously, I will go over and edit all my chapters, but I have actually done that once already so I don't think it will take very long (i.e I don't have any nasty chapters to sort or structural issues, thinkgs do seem to flow).

What complicates matters is that hubby and I are hoping to have a baby very soon, the only reason being that I'm so ahead of everything and think that it would be ideal to have a baby now rather than delay and wait until I'm in a 'proper' job. So this means that I would have funding until March 2014, as I'd get six months paid maternity leave.

So, what on earth do I do for the next 18 months (I say 18 months but it's really 12 months with 6 months for baby)? Options are:

1. Publish, publish and more publishing! I'm very aware that in order to really get anywhere once I'm done with the PhD, journal articles are essential. The only one I have written is currently under peer review, so there's obviously a lot of scope to do this.

2. Finish early- get it done and submitted. But this means saying goodbye to my funding, and the possibility of having a baby, and finishing the PhD with no publications.

The key thing I'm really worried about is it not being original by the time I finished. But I could perhaps get a final draft to my sup before I go off on maternity leave, and get the viva organised as soon as I'm back. I don't really know whether a 6 month extension would be that big of a deal for originality, in the grand scheme of things. And surely publishing journal articles would help with this?

I'm very aware that the above is just a big mumbo-jumbo of my feelings. So basically, what would you do if you found yourself in my situation, with a full draft of your thesis with no publications, wanting a baby, and with 12 months funding left?!

Thanks all!

Hi all!

I got my lit review done on Friday, so have had a lovely (but busy) weekend off! Now I'm ready to get started again, although it's a bit of an 'in limbo' day today.

Goal 1- email sup
Goal 2- read previous theses to get ideas for intro
Goal 3- make a plan for intro chapter

Good luck everyone working today!

Morning everyone!

I managed to get the nasty section of my lit review written yesterday yippee, so the whole of today is going to be taken up doing a thorough editing job of this chapter.

Good luck anyone working today! (up)

Hi everyone, and good to see you around Sneaks!

I've been busy today and yesterday with non-related PhD work. I'm also busy most of tomorrow, but would love to get my lit review edited by the end of Friday! Goal for this afternoon is to get section 1 (nasty section) and section 5 (easy section) of my lit review sorted, which will then mean than 4 out of 5 sections are done. Then I can tackle the final nasty section tomorrow afternoon and Friday.

Only problem is I REALLY want to watch the men's gymnastics at 4.30pm today, which only leaves me 2 hours to tackle sections 1 and 5, eek!

Hope you're doing okay Skig!

Well I'm doing well and have managed to sort 2 of 5 sections of my lit review. The only thing is they are the 'nice' sections, which leaves the horrible sections to work on!