You say based on.....in the figure

My supervisor said I could use it as long as I modified it, even altering the labelling slightly. There are lots of really helpful diagrams I've used in mine. They're generally to help explain research from someone else that I am reporting. My thesis analyses other work quite a lot.

Weekly thesis timetable, hmm maybe that's where I'm going wrong. It's a struggle as want to have already finished and be in a job.

On another forum I visit, they are obsessed with them, and I so don't get it....glad to see people have more sense here.

If wikipedia can be trusted ;-)
Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together") but has since come to refer to any academic conference, whether or not drinking takes place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symposium

My lab gets really "sloshed" at one particular conference......

I googled and came up with a homeopathic remedy. It's not something I know about, sorry.

We use a certain number of catalogues in our lab and I know what is from what, so couldn't really help without knowing what you are looking for and suggesting a company.
Our university will only use approved suppliers (I think) anyway.
Sorry, probably no help unless I know what you are after.

is it me, or can I never know it all (biochem)? Every time I go over my thesis I find new bits I should add to support it better. I realise I never considered all these factors at the time.

Are you talking about your own work too. I've reported my results in the past tense, but have been using future tense to say what results I am going to discuss in the chapter.
To be confusing I've used past tense to describe other people's work, including Blogs et al. proposed that ....for theories as it has been previously been reported in the literature at a specific date. I've not been taught this, it's just what I've done.
For theories that have not been published, that I'm testing, I report in the present tense. Blogs proposes that....

My intro is actually at the end of the lit review chapter (chapter 1) and my abstract is before chapter 1.

Which subject, can you check similar theses/thesis in your lab?
For Biochem I'd have:
abstract, lit review, intro, M&M, results and conclusion.
Some Chemists put M&M in with the appropriate results.

It can be quite common. I was quite depressed, and still am about my PhD. I'm near the end of 4 years.

I'm not staying in academia
Hmm nature or nurture, so do you need the vulcan gene to get through a PhD if you need that to be a supevisor. Maybe you can just silence it and overcome the socks and sandals.

Can you do something for a local newspaper or your student newspaper?
You could also approach the PR department at your university, the people who send out newsletters and advertise the university.
As I understand it most jobs are around London which put me off, well working for journals like Nature etc.
I'm looking into medical writing now, see the EMWA website for info, and search for medical writing blogs.
I got advice about networking from my careers service. I've visited people that work in the area for information -"shadowing."
There is a website for the association of British Science writers with info too if its journalism you're more interested in. Follow technical writer links on the prospects website.

I pasted chunks of mine into my thesis, but it now only makes up about a third of it as have 2 new sections.