KB did you get the message I sent you a bit earlier today, it doesn't seem to be in my sent box?

Yeah, thanks sacha. I'll modertae at the weekends! I could do with another p/t job...

Hopefully KB will come back soon, I pm'd her with the news.

Sorry folks, I'm resigning from the forum until something is done about this. Hopefully the mods will get onto it soon.

======= Date Modified 02 May 2010 17:50:59 =======
Smug, you should send that to the mods...

Sneaks, that's such an unpleasant thought! I love you all :(

======= Date Modified 02 May 2010 17:51:23 =======
double post

Sneaks is missing it all : she'll be gutted!

Hi Metal, I work and PhD part-time, and live a few hours away from my PhD department, so don't get to see the supervisor as often as I should, or would like to. The last time I saw him was about March 10th, and I hope to see him in the next couple of weeks. We don't really do much via email, just perifery stuff; the nitty gritty of the PhD needs to be discussed properly, face to face, or it just won't develop. I'm writing a piece at the moment and really wish I could discuss a point with him, whch would be possible if I lived nearer, but I will just have to discuss it when the piece is completed, but it means I feel I'm stabbing out in the dark a bit at the minute.

Ideally, even in my situation re: distance and working I would like to see hime at least once a month, but the last month or two has been exceptionally busy for me at work. Some people do complete PhDs with the kind of contact you describe, but hey usually take a very long time to do so, have several nervous breakdowns in the process
- just scan through the archives here - and don't get the career breaks an involved supervisor will offer.

Doing a PhD part-time while working is possible, but it will take much more than an annual visit and some emails to get you through it. Maybe Brian May did it like that, but I'm presuming you don't have juicy royalties from Queen, or similar, to fall back on...

Anyhow, good luck with everything.

Hi all, I'm being old fashioned and sticking with the acccountability thread.

I finally have some time to work on the PhD, so have been working today. My aims are as follows:

Overall goal: Have a 7000 word piece written on a film for my sup next week - the deadline I set myself in Monday but this will not happen due to toothache last week, and an extra marking contract I've been given. But I will try...

So, in smaller pieces (I won't say chunks due to being traumatised by that phrase during my teacher training), here is my proposed intineray:

1. Research and write 2000 words on literary influences - am doing this at the mo. This is also sectioned, I've written the intro and one half of one of two main body sections.
2. Research and write 3000 words on thematic content relating to my topic.
3. Write introduction. I've already written about 400 words for this and have some already from previous work, so this should be mostly editing.
4. Write my conclusion, which should be very profound etc, and point the way forward with a big sparkly and magical finger.

Hopefully, I'll be writing DONE on here later today. We willl see.

Hi KB, you know, I think some people are just like that: they don't know how to handle the tough social situations that life throws at us all and they go a bit loopy, and start avoiding and cutting poeple off. It's happening to a real-world friend of mine at the minute, at her place of work; only this is a friendship thing: they had a bog standard argument on holiday years ago and the girls hasn't been able to look at my friend since, even though they've worked together for years. My neice is doing it to me too, and I had a friend/boyfriend/ex-boyfriend do it with me at uni. I think it's down to a lack of social skills and not knowing how to resolve things. He may grow up one day!

I think if it gets in the way of your work or that of the team, then something should be done, and it should be dealt with in the way any work issue would be.

You know you've done everything you can, and I'd just leave it for now; he clearly does'nt want to speak to you so leave it at that unless it becomes a professional issue. I wouldn't feel bad about anything, it's not your fault you didn't want to go out with him, just life! Plus it could have been you insticts telling you he was immature etc, which, as it turns out is absolutely true.

Go and see The Infidel; it's brilliant and will cheer you up. A modern day Ealing comedy.

Hi Wal, that's great, that you are going to the GP, hopefully this wil be the first step upwards. I've find counselling helps, if you get a good one, it allows you to deal with things n a long term way.

======= Date Modified 28 Apr 2010 11:42:38 =======
Hi Wally, sorry to hear you are feeling down, although, as Sue says, it is good to hear from you again. I've been wondering how you are...

I know people are saying this is normal for the latter stages of a PhD, but it sounds like depression to me, maybe you could do some of things that combat depression, like engaging in nice, sober, upbeat company, excercsing, trying to have laugh. I hope this doesn't sound too naive or simplistic, but these are the things that got me through a similar period during the final year of my degree when all the lights went off for me; they didn't cure it, that came gradually, after I'd finished, but it did get me through. I had a p/t job in a very nice, friendly pub full of regulars, for which I did a couple of hours 3 lunch times per week, and it was a life saver.

Also, I think l living with family is very hard at the best of times, but when you don't have alternative, regular social contact, such as work or a department near by, then I imagine it's horrendously stiffling.

Doing a PhD has made me fatter, it's much harder to lose weight; poorer - I take home less than a stipend would be, and I work my jollies off; much more thoughtful and considered about things generally, but it has also made me less intellectual outside of work, I really value talking nonsense, like latest fashions, and general daftness. But I'm part so I don't have to deal with the full onslaught of PhD solitude and routine.

I wish you well Wally, and know you will get there soon, and that you'll find Super Wal, the funniest forumite again soon too. XX


OH! and I meant to say: Many people I know have gone through a late 20s mid-life crisis type of thing. It seems to be a watershed period of getting depressed, sorting things out and making changes, for some people. That's what I did when I was in my late 20s in myy final year of degree depression) and so have a lot of people I know.

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2010 20:35:00 =======
right,sorry for any offence to marathon runners out there, just repeating what my specialist told me.

Dispatcher, I too like walking, although my specialist told me to keep that down to less than 30 miles per week, she was shocked by the ten miles in a day (not every day, probably every few days, plus the walk to town and back every day, which is about 5 miles) habit I used to have (I have knee problems). I have read that road-side excercise of any kind is potentially damaging because it makes us breath more deeply, and take in rotten car fumes. But I do it any way.

I like swimming, but I still haven't got back into it again:$

I've done my goals, modest tho they were. Now lunch and loose women, then,

3. Proof read statement.
4. Proof read everything.
5. Probably do some unecessary, but obligotary, panicking/faffing.

Hi folks, I hope you don't mind if I join your thread, I'd like to account for my filling in of an application form.

So here are my goals for this morning:

1. Re-draft education and work histories.
2. Type up a record of publications.

I have more to do, but I'm trying to be realistic.