Hi
Anyone out there! My funding finishes in 6months and I would like to submit on the 7th month. I only have 3 drafts of 8, spend amazing hours in front of this machine some days producing only 500 words on a V good day 1500. I am at this most days at least 5 the days I miss I put in double hrs but for the life of me it feels like there is no progress. Any tips, suggestions something.

Hi Eeeris

Yes, I'm here!! You're making progress, so don't despair too much!! This is a really slow process, we need to do it bit by bit, day after day...which it sounds like you're doing. If you're unhappy with your progress, have you identified why? Are you procrastinating? Daydreaming? Thinking about other things? Panicking?  Have you got realistic goals and a plan to work to?

Have you read Joan Bolker's book, "How to Complete your Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day?" She talks about freewriting, just sitting down and writing anything on your topic, for short bursts, just to get it out. This book is our bible. Also use the tomato technique to focus you - http://mytomatoes.com/. This makes me concentrate solidly for 25 minutes, then I get a reward of a 5 minute break. This helps a lot of people. Keep going!! Tell us more if none of this helps...

Thank you for responding Sue2604! I was wondering what the tomato technique was and in my anxiety attack I forgot to ask. Thanks! I will take a look at your suggestions. Its just I feel way behind and cant figure out how come. Yes its true I do get distracted even though I am sitting here with all material at hand, thinking about ways to get this thing finished, worrying about why it is I cant remember anything, questioning is my pace norma to how can I make all the time spent really work for me.

Fear of sounding selfish and going on about 'me' let me go and take a look at the resources you recommended.

Eeeris, it sounds like you're worrying more than working! Don't sit there worrying about how much you've got to do, or whether the amount you write is normal. Make a plan up to when you want to finish, work out your monthly goals, then weekly ones. Then the daily ones will follow. Then write a little bit at a time - don't focus overly on the amount you write, maybe focus on working toward completing sections at a time. I could never live up to word counts, so I do it by sections.

Yeh, do have a look at Bolker. Let us know how you get on!

hey folks!
Wow, much posting! :)
Welcome Eeeris, it's good to have you here, do not stress and be anxious, we will all get there in the end, I hope you find the suggestions helpful. I should probably take my own at advice and not stress but this week has got mental and my phd self is feeling helpless!

My day job is getting more and more messy hours wise, what started out as mostly 9-5 with plenty time for writing is becoming more and more haphazard, I am working the next 3 saturdays and don't seem able to get any full days off to make up for it due to some many projects etc. I do love the job but i'm worried its pushing getting thesis out of the way aside!
This week i've had yesterday and tomorrow off, but i'm looking after my nephew who's got a terrible tummy bug, I really don't mind, its what i'm here for and i like to be able to help my sister out (she deserves some help after always having to put up with me!). But I was hoping I'd manage to get some work done as he is sleeping alot, but didn't happen, poor wee mite just wants to be held constantly so only managed to read couple of papers yesterday and no writing.
Anyway, not much I can do except plugging away when possible, I'm sure I can pull it all together with final final submission for September, but i do so want to be done for the summer! I've been trying so hard with coming home at nights and getting straight into the books as it were, but it seems the world is against me getting it done! :-s

Oh well, there's my moan over! i'm shattered and need to be at my sisters very early tomorrow so must be off to duvet land!

Congratulations Dr Seeker on your successful tomato-ing - I keep meaning to get my cupcake timer out and trying it!
AL (up)

Hello everybody, just joined the forum and it is really good to be in the company of people feeling the same way about nearing the completion of their thesis. I am hopefully in the last 3-4 months of it, after 6 years of torture, extensions, interruptions etc. I feel I am one of the lucky ones as I both had a scholarship and I also got a permanent full-time lecturing job in the process, but please let me tell everybody who hasn't, this doesn't finish the thesis for you! Not only that, but with the present condition at UK universities, I had to take a year's unpaid leave to finish it (that's where I am now!). I hope it works for all of us, and yes, I am also one of those thinking it will never come to that, even being so relatively near. I still think what I am saying in it isn't 'enough' or complete enough. We are probably wrong though, if someone is looking at our work and says it is good, then there are several forces that are helping: would a supervisor risk his/her reputation sending a rubbish candidate to the 'lions' so to speak? Does anyone know what percentage of the people who get to their viva eventually get the degree? All the best for now!

Hi all,

like others I have had a lot of other things on my mind related to my job, not so much the PhD. As such there has been a bit of delay in correcting / rewriting my thesis, yet I intend to pick it up again this weekend.

What percentage who do the viva actually pass it? I do not know any exact figures, but I would guess that the vast majority get through, and as such I think the biggest worry therefore is the thesis, making sure that it is completed on time and that it is of good quality. At least that is what I am concentrating on, albeit, as mentioned, not now but this weekend again. I will only worry regarding the viva once I have completed the written part.:-)

What do others do? Do you have the viva on your mind while writing? Does it influence what and how you write?

Hi Rick,
yes, like you I try to concentrate on the writing and I am confident that once it is submitted I will be able to do well in the defence, so let's hope this is the right way to look at it! I just got an external examiner agreed, and yet it feels far too early :-/
All the best!

Hi Ulysses,

yeah, best to do one step at a time.

:-)

hey all,

Just thought I'd update.... I've been sticking the the tomato technique and it's proving efficient so I'm pretty pleased with that. I had Monday off which was heavenly! I haven't had a day off in ages and spend it doing nothing at all :-) My laptop didn't even get switched on! I have decided to have a day like this every 6-8 weeks to recharge my batteries :-)

I had some good feedback from my sup too today. I had given him a chapter of my analysis and (whille it needs a few changes, but don't they all?!) it is up to submission standard and "very good." This now means I have a standard to work against - I have drafted abnother 5 analysis chapters so just need to bring them up to scratch. So things are going pretty well here :-)

How is everyone else getting on?

Hi DrSeeker

Glad things are going well for you and that you got some positive feedback. Well done!! You must be pleased your analysis chapters are going well. And a day off - luxury!! Sounds like a good idea, and I might try and have a day off every couple of months too. Not yet tho...

Have been working my butt off for the last month, rewriting 5 case study chapters and still doing a bit of field work. Am getting there and hope to have them done in a couple of days - will do a big jubilant post! Till then tho, must get back to it...

Hey guys. I have just written my title page, put together some other required pages (copyright and stuff) and my acknowledgements - wuhaa.. it feels amazing, could I really submit by the end of the month?! I definitely think so (now), but hey, there are still some crinkles to iron out in my chapters... so, we'll see. It's kind of strange writing this stuff, it just means, it is all really coming to an end soon.. it is sort of unreal, especially as this aim of finishing the thesis seemed so elusive over the last months/years.. Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to submitting and being finished (and it's not over yet anyway), but there is a whiff of nostalgia around me now- like as if I was already thinking back on the "good old PhD days".. ha, how crazy is that?!
Anyway, I hope you are all on track too, keep it up guys, till the end (sprout)
and the end is near!

hi there everyone, mind if i tag along?! I've technically got 7 months left, but I've started writing and it's soooo boring sometimes! I'm trying to get my lit review chapter done for tomorrow evening, I've still got lots to do! it sounds like everyone here is doing really well, hopefully some of it rubs off! :-)

Hi everyone

After all the pain, frustration, depression, boredom and hard work, I HAVE REACHED A MILESTONE!! I have just emailed my sup my 5 case study chapters, which I had already written, but have been madly completely rewriting over the past month. So - have just sent her 60,000 words, which are closer to being the final version. Hooray!!!! :-)

This is just over half my total word count. The big, scary discussion chapter is next. But first, a beer or three!!

I think the pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel has now gone past being a needlepoint of light, to being a candle flame!

Good luck everyone, keep going!!!

Well done Sue, good show!

That must be relief, you should be proud of yourself and enjoy a few beers.

I have also made some progress (have done major re-writes of my thesis, not fully completed though), however not as much as you, and will reward myself with one beer.

;-)