I imagine this happens in almost all theses. My methods for my first two data chapters will be exactly the same, and so the methods sections will be the same too! And the introductions to the chapters will all have to use a lot of the same references and ideas - I'm struggling to make these sound different! But I think it must be a problem all people have, unless all their data chapters are very different from each other which is rare I think!

Hello everyone! Could I join this thread? My funding runs out in March and I was hoping to finish by then but it's really not looking very likely (and I was told it was incredibly unlikely by my supervisors). But I can't really afford to live without funding for very long so I'm giving myself the goal of having a full draft by the end of March and hopefully having something submit-able by the end of May. I have two data chapters written whcih need major work and a lit review which is currently with my supervisors. Two more data chapters and a discussion to write and then making everything the right quality...yay! Good luck with your write up Tulip =)

4 months in is nothing really, it seems quite harsh for you to be given marking at that point? Or are you doing some sort of RA/PhD where you have to work too?

It sounds like you are over-stressing, an easy thing to happen but for some people (myself included) it means productivity stopping and kind of feeling like a rabbit in headlights and not being able to do anything useful! Stop thinking about everything you have to do and concentrate on one small thing at a time.

As for the reading, it's a problem I have myself too! The only way I have found to deal with it is to write while I am reading. If I just read I'll forget it all, if I am writing the lit review at the same time, even just writing the odd sentence as I go like 'Smith et al 2015 found this' and then when you read the next paper add the next sentence. Then it is just a case of re-ordering facts and adjoining sentences rather than starting from a blank page. That's what works for me but I know some people who write lots of notes on each paper they read, or make tables comparing papers as they go along, it's the case of finding what works for you. Not sure about marking papers though as it's not something I've had the chance to do.

Most post-docs don't ask for a very specific PhD at least in my field (biological sciences). They don't expect you to walk through the door with all the skills needed. So if you do want a post-doc apply for the ones you are interested in and you might get lucky.

If you are thinking about moving disciplines though you might need to get rid of your 'no lower paid jobs' mentality as if you want to work in industry with no direct experience you might need to go into a lower level and work your way up within the company. It might mean a year or two having a little less money, but if it's what you want to do it'll be worth it. Plus it's better than a year or two on no money waiting for a 'perfect' job or postdoc.

Thanks awsoci, my writing is the weakest part of my PhD skills so I know I will have revisions. Although I've found that revising texts takes me just as long as writing them in the first place, mostly because I'm a slow reader so reading the references I need to insert (even just skimming them) takes me hours and hours.

The small data chapter was going to be at the end even if it had worked as it's in the logical order in terms of flow.

I felt a bit rubbish this morning, but I'm going to keep chugging away and hopefully the next piece of work won't need so much revising!

Hello, I was just wondering how people deal with the feedback they get?

I have two supervisors and so far all my work has gone through one who I work with a lot. He has given feedback which I have acted upon, but said that the other supervisor (who is based elsewhere and I only see once a year) is better at these things but be prepared for the red pen from him. Someone who works in my department has had this second supervisor as her first and isn't complementary at all with most things but does say he has a very 'publishable writing style'. I just had my first piece of work back from him and it is mostly filled with comments like 'good but needs major revision', I know this is to make it better, I'm just annoyed as it'll take forever to edit and this is the tiny data chapter that will go at the end of my PhD. It isn't publishable (no real results) and I have 3 other data chapters to write which will be the interesting parts of my PhD. I only have 3 months left so am starting to panic a bit that if I can't even write a short chapter how can I write an entire thesis?

Sorry about the rant =)

I think it's very common to feel that way, I certainly did! We all go into a PhD thinking we'll get so much done super quickly, and then everything takes much longer than anticipated! It's all part of the learning process. Don't let it get to you, now you know your work patterns a bit better make a plan of action for the next year. Break it up into tiny do-able steps and put them on post-its on a big wall chart and rip them up as you do each one. It is very satisfying! And don't worry again if you fall behind, as again some things you do will take longer than you want to but that's part of life! Good luck!

I think the best thing you can do is go for a project that really excites and interests you, make sure that your potential supervisors are good at their jobs (look up their old students and email if you can) and that you get on well with them. I wish I had done a bit more research into my supervisors before I started, it wouldn't have changed my mind about the PhD, but it might have allowed me to be a bit more independent from the start as you soon realise your supervisors don't have all the answers and you have to figure most stuff out yourself.

When it comes to postdocs, I'm not in your direct field but look on jobs.ac.uk and search for jobs in the fields, do this regularly and you will see where there are more jobs. I don't think there is any field where jobs are plentiful at the moment, and if the differences are only slight again go with the area that excites you the most as it'll be your enthusiasm for the subject which might help you make contacts and get jobs in the future. Good luck!

I doubt any PhD student hasn't done this at one point. I presented at an international conference with something like 'this time period shows the same characters as the next' and showed two figures - turns out I accidentally used the same data twice so made the same exact same figure twice! Didn't matter as the correct data didn't change it very much and no one is ever going to notice hah! Don't get hung up on mistakes, it's all part of the learning process and is expected!

Thanks for the link Keyboardplodder! I may have procrastinated by reading it but it was hilarious and totally true! Now to get that self-gratification monkey under control ;)

Can I ask what subject you are in? Are you all desk based? I am an awful procrastinator at a computer (hence being on this forum instead of finishing my work!) but I'm fine doing anything away from the computer. If you are the same but are stuck at a computer perhaps you need to break things up into tiny tasks you can tick off one by one (it sounds pretentious but it's one of those silly things that really works) and make a big plan of all the things that you need to do in the short term (week or month) and long term (over the year/whole phd length). 10 months in is most likely still seen as early by your supervisor so they won't bat an eyelid if you ask all those questions you've been putting off. Most people feel as you do so don't panic, if you want a PhD make some changes and you'll get there!

Hi Meiwei, I'm at the same stage as you too. My labwork just finished not long before christmas and now I have masses of data to analyse and write up and only 3 months of funding left eek! I had heaps of motivation in the lab but at a computer...I struggle a bit!

I have not heard of anyone being asked to re-do labwork, I have heard of people de-doing statistical analyses etc but that can all be done at a computer at home. I think it's best not to think of the outcome of the viva just yet, get your head down and concentrate on handing in =) I also had experiments which didn't go to plan, I thought I'd get the chance to do 2-3 really good experiments for one chapter and it turned out to be 1 as the others failed to show any results. But I've been told this is fine! In the end it's not all about the results, it's about showing your learning process and that you can be a good researcher. I hope anyway!

What are the projects/subjects like at each? I think it's best to go for a project you like best with a supervisor you get on with most rather than looking at the technicalities. Better to be happy a bit poorer than the other way around =)

Firstly well done on the good comments on your upgrade! I don't know what field you are in, but I'm in science and don't have any publications but everyone else I know does - my data is all coming together now at the end (with 4 months to go) and won't be ready for publication until after the PhD as my priority is getting that done first! I have done conferences but not with proceedings as that's not really the done thing in my field.

I had a 4 year gap too, I did a few sciency jobs but all temporary so not that much experience, and I spend about half of my energy worrying about future jobs, careers, whether I want to stay in academia, what else I could do etc. But I know it's silly and I need to start spending my energy on the PhD instead!

As for the starting a family part, I'm a similar age and I know how those hormones try to shout at you to have kids all day every day... I myself want to adopt, which means I need a steady job and house etc first to pass their strict assessments which will take another few years. But for having your own just do what you feel is best. I think there is never a perfect time so if you and your partner want them right away and have the stability to do so go for it! Or wait until you are both in jobs if that is what you want.

I know of a couple of people who had ones which were about 6 hours long - so they have a lunchbreak in the middle...really hoping when it comes to mine it won't be quite that long!