My endocrinologist (spelling???) told me something that I never thought I would hear from someone well-educated (or considered to be)!
He asked me once last year, what are you doing for two years? A PhD shouldn't be more than a year and a half! 6 months for studying, 6 months for research and 6 months for writing.....
I felt like a big zero, but then I thought it over and decided that I will not listen to anybody anymore! Even if it is a year and a half (I know it isn't) I am going to do it in 4 years (at least), because I don't want to preasure myself (I am wirking FT at the same time)! So when someone is saying something like that, I just look at them and smile (you know that smile that says "Oh you are an idiot but we don't tell you!")

About a month ago I broke up with my 3.5-years-boyfriend. One of the reason that lead to the break up was that he said more that a few times "Well, you are not doing anything! This is not work!".....
I am sorry, but this IS work. It is my evening job (my morning is teaching at a SEN school) and I want to do it properly and be good at it, meaning that I don't have time to do other choires!:-s

Well done Eska!!!!!!!!
Even if the chapter isn't a perfect one, it is a decent chapter that can be even better!!!!!!!!
Well done!!!!

I don't want to disappoint you, but, entering my 3rd year, I have huge ammounts of paperwork!!!!!!! I also have quite a lot of books and many photocopied books and papers.
BUT, I can't read from a computer screen, as I am more traditional and I like to have paper in my hands and write in the margins....

I think it is very interesting that you can do that.
When I was an undergraduate student, I was almost denied my degree because a professor at my uni didn't agree with my political beliefs. As a result he didn't want me to sit in the exams (oral exam) and when he finally agreed at first he told me that by believing what I did (and still do) how could I be a good teacher and then by denying to announce my grade (leading me to not knowing whether I could graduate or not!). Finally, and after a lot of pressure from the other professors he agreed to announce my grade (5 out of 10!!!) which gave me an average grade of 7,49 out of 10 and closing a lot of doors for me (in my country in order to apply for scholarships you have to have an average of 7,5 out of 10).
I couldn't do anything, as there was no formal complain procedure and the professors are considered as the masters of the universe! I just accepted the grade and moved on with my plans (2 masters, career and PhD).....

Good KC!!!!!!!!! Well done!
Tomorrow things will be much better! I am always alone at the conferences I go, but in the end I make good conntacts and some "friends".
Be careful with your presentation!!!! The last conference I went to was a disaster! A virus deleted all my files from my USB and I (almost) had no presentation. I was lucky to have my laptop with me, and I had an earlier version of the presentation saved, so I ended up presenting that one!
SAVE IT IN SEVERAL FILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm doing a Phd in Education, Sociology, Management, Feminism....well a little of everything!
I must adopt a theoretical framework, which I already have....
So, I guess it's OK to just say "I chose this because of this and that and that"...
I'll write it like that and then I'll wait for feedback from my supervisor...
Thanks all!!!!!!!
Good luck!!!!

Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to present three theories on a subject and then adopt the one I will follow for my PhD.
I find it very difficult to write about the one I prefer. I don't know how to phrase it. I mean, I present the three theories, with the criticisms they have received and then what? Should I say "Despite the criticisms theory A received, I choose it as a base for this study"?
Anybody has any other ideas? How would you do it?
Thanks

Well Sneaks, for me a good presentation is a presentation that I can follow. That it is simple, without big words. And with a presenter that is "one of us" and not someone "superior"....

I believe you will be perfectly fine!
It is normal to be anxious, but it is YOUR work! You have written it and you know it better than anybody else!
You will be there to defend your work. My first year's report was just a written piece, that was examined without me being present, so I couldn't defend my work. The examinre just read it and wrote his feedback!
Don't worry!
Good luck!

Good luck, Bfoxy!!!!!!!!!
If you get on with it you will see that it gets easier.....
I managed to make a plan for the lit.chapter and think about the intro.
Tomorrow I will start writing.....

Thank you all for your support and advice....
I know I can do it, it's just that it hit me as a huge load of work to do in one month (keep in mind that I am part-time and I work full-time and I am writing in a language that it not my native one....)
But, I guess if I just sit down with a calendar and make a programme, it is manageable, or at least that's what I want to believe :p

So, today I got back home from my trip to UK, so tomorrow I start planning. I have a rough idea of what will be in my literature review chapter, so I will just build on this idea (I have noooo idea about the intro, but something will come up)...

I like to be positive and optimistic! That's what I always do in my life, and that's what I will do now, as well!!!!!!!!

Thank you all again for your support. It is nice to have someone you can talk to (even online) about your problems and it's even better to know that these people understand you as they have gone through the same things (almost)!!!!!!!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!
:-x :-x :-x

I just returned from a week at my university in UK (I am doing a PT PhD in UK, while living and working FT in Greece).
I had three meetings with my supervisors, where we talked about what I did since our last meeting (which was reading and writing a first analysis chapter) and we scheduled what I have to do for our next meeting, and the rest of my time there I was in the library buried under books, photocopies and notes....
So, in one month I have to give them an outline of my introduction (which I hate, as I like writing introductions after I finish everything else) and one good literature review chapter, on which they will comment and I would have to do another draft before our next meeting in two months time.

There is a lot of work for me, isn't it?
I must get on with it.......
:-(

Well, I am working full time in Greece (also in education :-) ) an d I am doing a part time PhD in UK. Strictly speaking it is not distance learning but in reality it is, as I go to my uni every three months to have meetings with my supervisors.Your supervisor may agree to this way of work (mine did) and now I am in my third year and I have started writing.
I don't know if you can do it with the qualifications that you have, this is a matter of the university, so you should ask there.