Hi Ady, sorry to see you are having problems with finalising your thesis. I can imagine your frustrations at this stage. It is best to let your sup know how this is affecting you and your need to stick to the sept deadline. If the comments are just little tweaks here and there it is really at a stage for submission. As said previously, there is so much tweaking and procrastinating that can be done to what is never a complete work. Time to submit I would say. Also, I submitted without approval from one of my sups (he didn't get round to reading it!) so can be done.

Good luck for your meeting tomorrow!

Hi Skig, I had exactly the same problem as i needed to include my publications into my appendices so they were in PDF format. Even converting to jpeg will give you individual pages aswell. Word cannot copy/paste a PDF with multiple pages as it will only display the first page. This is a very limiting function of Word. Inserting individual pages as an object was the only option when I did this end of last year, very tedious. Just be aware that the quality of the inserted PDF will be reduced, was ok for my thesis but may not be great if detail is essential.

Sorry I cannot give you an easy method but I can sympathise with this very tedious and time consuming task.

Keenbean - job types are confusing to me at the mo, think I need some careers advice! My clinical career pays very well but has unsocial hours, on-calls etc so helps fund childcare but children can be limiting to my flexibility. Research jobs interest me with better 9-5 hours but am worried about short-term contracts (less security) and lesser pay to cover childcare. My PhD is a really small field specific to my job (ie only 380 qual'd professionals in uk) so I am unlikely to find a research post related to it, but does this matter? So as you can see I am really confused as to what to do next ;-) I am so pleased you managed to get the post-doc you were after, it is exciting to start something new :p As for planning a family, in hindsight I would have done things slightly differently to keep my registration current but whats done is done. There is never a right time as such so you will have to just go with your bodyclock on that one!!

Keenbean - I got some feedback about the job, basically although I am qual'd and have moved here, but as I have had a career break of 2 yrs out of clinical practice (having three kiddies) I need to do a probation period to return. The other candidate had current registration and willing leave their current post to relocate here. Not helpful for me to get back into the profession unless I get a post elsewhere, which means relocating the kiddies and splitting the family 5 days a week. Kind of confused at the mo.

Hey Slowmo, great news about a viva date! Hope the viva prep goes well (up)

Hi Daisy, sounds like you are also on the home straight! I hope your sup is kind with the comments at this stage. I am looking forward to hearing more submission news from yourself and Ady soon :p

I have had confirmation that my minor corrections have been signed off so I will have to get the final binding done soon. That is one huge weight lifted post move. The move was very stressful and to be honest I did feel the need to pack the children in a box on more than one occasion in the last two weeks lol. Now trying to find my feet in another part of the country, arghh! However, I didn't get the job here that I applied for which was really depressing as I am in a very small minority of qualified professionals for it. So am very deflated and have no idea what career to pursue now :-( I am hoping for some better luck soon!

Word on the street this week is that my corrections may have been accepted, though awaiting the final confirmation of that. I really hope you all get some resolution too as this is a horrible waiting game.

Ady - I am rooting for you to get your thesis in for the end of September, not long to go! I know how terribly difficult it is to keep motivation going but this is the final stretch. You WILL submit (up)

I am also still waiting for my corrections to be signed off. These have been in since end July and the graduation deadline has now passed. Have to say I am feeling very deflated after getting them in within three weeks (as suggested at viva) for the graduation this year. I have phoned and emailed about this but no-one seems to be interested in finalising this at all. I think I have given up on graduating to be honest :-(

Have you considered part-time PhD whilst working? It takes longer but it might mean you can continue with your job and study in a closely related field. My PhD involved using patient equipment from my department whilst also working full-time within the NHS. I actually couldn't have done the work had I not been employed by the NHS.

Sali - I wrote up my thesis in the evenings whilst the three bambinos were asleep. So from 7pm was 'me' time where I had dinner with hubby followed by my study time at 8pm til bedtime. It was hard to get into the habit of evening work but it soon became the 'norm'. I would work 5 nights a week with two evenings spent relaxing with hubby. This gave me 10-15 hours of study time and the key is to be focused on what you are to do with that limited time. My desk was always set up ready, ie not packed/filed away so I could just pick up where I had left it the previous evening. I also made rough notes during the day whilst looking after the three bambinos as I often had different ideas pop up then. This was a great time to draft out chapter headings and sub-headings or ideas for the text structure. So in essence I snatched time during the day for the evenings 'childfree' work. Due to the cost of childcare for three babies, I had only one afternoon a week where they all went to a childminder. This time was only guaranteed if all were well, ie if one had a temp my time was lost, grrr!

Haha Sneaks, I love it lol. At least with an only child he doesn't 'fight' with his playmates :p

I agree that 'fighting' starts at an early age (my twins are 20 mths) and I have the eldest (almost 3yr) fighting with her twin sister (girls :-s). My twin boy usually plays happily with his toys until the girls take them off him, then he has a meltdown. My twin daughter has so much frustration at such a young age too. Some days I think that I need to put them all in separate rooms and put myself in a dark padded room lol. I agree with sending them to school for a break as my week is like the summer hols every week. Sadly, the preschool won't take til 3 years so a few months for the eldest and another year for the twins. By then I will probably be working full-time anyway (well I hope so, probably stacking supermarket shelves with a doctorate) At least my PhD gave me my own interest to focus on, now I don't have anything.........maybe I need something new! However, my hubby refuses to let me do another PhD (mmm, I wonder why!!).

Hi Timefortea, I am still on here!! Just very busy relocating our family so sitting amongst boxes awaiting the removals next week.

School hols didn't affect me too much as my bambinos went to the childminder for one afternoon a week regardless, however children and their demands are unpredictable! I found that my study time would be going well for a while but then something would occur that meant my study time reduced (ie teething, illnesses, youngest having surgery, childminder having a holiday lol). I think the key is to be flexible, take as much study time as you can when everything is going well but be accepting of the needs of the children when they need you. Overall, the time will work out. It is difficult managing the feelings of guilt, spending enough time with the children and spending enough time studying!

To get back into your PhD, take a look at where you were at and make a list of the next steps to take. Breaking everything down into smaller tasks makes it easier to achieve. Set yourself a plan of what you are going to do, being realistic about your study time! As you start ticking tasks off the planner, motivation should increase. Depends on your situation, the child-free time for you to work may need to be adapted as the children's routines change. I found that working in the evening was good for our family as they slept through from 7pm, however for some parents getting up a bit earlier may suit. Maybe it works well if you study when partner is about to deal with the children? Working out when you can study is key to succeeding and as said, this may change during your PhD.

Lastly, it is tough but it is possible. Doing a PhD without children is also a challenge as life does have its ups and downs. It maybe that an extension is needed to help when things get difficult, I had one intermission period in place for having the twins but never actually used the extra 6 months. Motivation and determination should see you through!

I heard about my viva date 2 months after I had submitted and the viva date was 4 weeks later, so submission to viva was 3 months.

Hi Kikuka, I know where you are coming from. I am also waiting for conformation that all corrections are ok or info on what they would prefer me to do instead, this has been the case for weeks now! It is a limbo stage that is really hard to deal with, that said I am also in the middle of moving, post interview, etc so many facets of my life are in limbo stage right now. I find limbo world quite depressing, at least when decisions are made you can get on with things. Keeping busy helps to focus your mind elsewhere!

Hi KB, wow that was quick! I submitted my minor corrections at the end of July and I am still waiting, grrrr! Blast those summer hols! Glad you are able to feel chilled out, good luck with your future job (up)

I was previously offered a fully funded science PhD with a 1st class BSc and industry work experience. I did turn that PhD down and later went on to be accepted as a part-time PhD student doing my own project with the same 1st class BSc and extra few years work experience with self-funding. A PhD can be acheived with a BSc (plus work experience) and no MSc as I have acheived this. My offered PhD studentship was at first attempt, but the competition at this present time may make this harder to acheive with multiple applications required.