======= Date Modified 15 Oct 2009 13:33:44 =======
Hi Sjonah, I'm in a similar stuation: I'm one of the first two PhDs to take my subject in a new department, and am with a world renouned Professor. My department which is aiming for the top globally, ie they're recruiting academics - mostly profs at the moment - from other unis oraound the world and spending over 25 mill on super whizzo premises - better than anything I've seen before. Not many people know about my department... yet! But those who do (including my referee, who used to be head of the top dep in the country for my subject) does, and they are generally very impressed, thinking it must be exciting to be part of such a new centre as it takes shape.



I joined for my supervisor, and would have gone to any uni for his supervision - personally, I think the right, high profile supervisor, wins over department for its own sake. People will know your sups name and reputation and they will know you have been through his or her mill.



Probably, more people will hear of your department in the coming years, and the important people probably already do.



It is very exiting to be part of something like this, and watch it take shape,last time I went I was telling my sup about an author I thought would be key to my research, and then an hour later I'm introduced to him at a seminar - he'd just joined the department; it's brilliant getting more input of key world ranking experts in your field because you're one of only a few students.



Good luck, I hope this helps. (up)

Oh! I also meant to say that I have porridge soaked over-night in apple juice - no need for heating as the acidity in the apples cooks the oats -  with apples chopped into it for breakfast, and chopped walnuts on top if I'm feeling flush; that stops me being properly, chew your own hand off, hungry, and lets me concentrate. Not as thrilling as hot chocolate, but it works much better than toast for me.

That sounds thrilling Bug. Good luck, and have a wonderful time; I'm sure you will impress.

no chance.

Hi everyone, Congratulatoins on getting your paragraphs done, Lara, and good luck with the minor corrections.

Today I am dragging myself off the sofa, and not turning on the TV, in order to finish the following:

1. Finish re-drafting my second case study chapter outline.
2. Research/read around my third chapter outline.
3. Begin writing my third chapter outline; this is completely from scratch, but I will use the structure I developed in the first two case study chapter outlines as a skeleton plan.

Hopefully, I will work fast enough to be able to justify watching Loose Women while making and eating lunch; and then be strong enough to tun the TV off, and get back to work.

Adam: there would ge a stain on your soul, forvever (Eska, 2009: 1).

======= Date Modified 13 Oct 2009 00:02:08 =======
Keep_Calm, I think it's important to see what you are doing as a whole: I've been developing my core argument by building up from key concepts and films (or you could say texts) I knew I wanted to include; refining my argument by picking up and dropping case study film makers; and trying on different emphases as I've gone along. You have a basis, the argument from the first chapter, which needs too be built upon in order to frame the cases studies and concepts you want to look at; ask/answer the questions you want to; and to provide the foundations you want for your academic career. I've found thinking about it this way, and pulling all the elements which are important to me together, really useful.

P.s. I just read your last post - we must have been writing at the same time! That's great, I'm sure your meeting will go well, these things are just part of the process, part of you developing, so you'll only go forward now. I hope my words above weren't too abrupt, I'm just writing what coomes into my head, because it's so late. Good luck, I'm glad our advice helped. :-)

Hi Keep_Calm, I think it's quite easy to do that - I've been writing different versions of a thesis blue print, with chapter outlines, on and off, since May, and my sup keeps wringing it out and finding conceptual misfits (amongst other fautls!) which I then iron out. Hopefully - all my fingers and toes are crossed now, and I'm touching wood wherever I can - next time it'll be OK. Could you alter the central argument in terms of emphasis so that the whole thing is coherent; that's something I did recently, and my thesis makes loads more sense: it's the way I saw it being when I first started. I think sometimes you choose the right texts without really being conscious of why you've chosen them, but the reason is there.

Writing papers is soooo much easier than this! Good luck, it sounds as if you have a good grasp of the problems and have ideas about how to move forward.

I count the times when I don't feel stupid during the PhD process as moments of achievement, like reaching the top of Everest; it's a process which is constantly stretching us, so we're bound to feel not ready or out of our depth much of the time. There have been quite a few posts on feelings of inadequacy - look for 'imposter syndrome' in the thread search thingy and you'll find loads.

I've been living off the banana bread I made on Saturday for most of the last three days. It's 'bread', and it has bananas in it, so clearly it's good for me; the butter and sugar are, thus, nicely conceled out. I may be the size of a house by Christmas, and wailing my head off about it, but for now, I am very, vey happy. ;-)

Baked bananas are pretty good, as is Cadbury's Highlights chocolate drink: it's only 40 calories a cup - I usually put an extra teaspoon or two in, so it's extra chocolatey.

Hi Keep Calm,

I'm film studies, which is pretty similar in amny ways to literature and I think it sounds OK to pursue your central argument again (with other case studies?? is that right?) and explore differences and nuances in this other chapter's examples. Surely you have to pursue your central argument all the way through your thesis? That's what I'm doing, in my current plan each case study chapter will come to different conclusions about the significance of the core argument in relation too different material. Even if your findings overlap in different chapters, I think that's Ok.

I'm earlier on in the proces than you, just finishing up writing a blue print outline, so maybe I'm wrong! But I think even small differences in conclusions are worthwhile, and there will be differences in the contexts of the books you are looking at; or do you mean this chapter is literally repeating previous material?

Best,

Eska

Thanks Walmin, that sounds like a great ide; I really miss reading for pleasure, but can't face more books when I'm switching off. tend t o listen to the radio, guess this would take things a step further. (up)

Hi Lara, Good luck tonight! Must be frustrating to be doing this now, but we know you can do it.

Today I read for about 4 hours, then finished the first draft of my chapter outline, and I've decided to re-draft it tomorrow before moving on to the next one. So tomorrow morning I:

1. Re-draft the 2nd case study chapter outline.

Then celebrate my friend's daughter's first birthday.

======= Date Modified 10 Oct 2009 14:57:25 =======
Hi Lillily, When I first started with my new sup it became very clear to me, through him pointing things out and giving detailed feedback, that I had serious problems with my writing. He re-wrote one of my sections as an example for me and the difference was amazing; rather like the process Stressed described. I read 'Ten Lessons in Stye and Grace' (now indispensible for me); got some books on English grammar and punctuation (including Lynne Truss's 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' which is hilarious and very informative); and thought and worked really hard on it. Now my writing is much better, although I will always be improving. It's hard work, my productivity in terms of words written per hour has dropped dramatically, but my fnished work is miles better, and the whole process is more straightforward and less time consuming overall. Developing these skills has also helped me to formulate my ideas and frameworks in a more organised and coherent way, it seems to have created a tidy space bewteen my head and the page! So the hard work is well worth it, and the necessary improvements are more than possible.

So good luck!! And let us know how you get on.

p.s. I'm so obsessed with it now that I had to come back at place a missing semi-colon, or maybe that's just procrastination...