Hi everyone

Update from me. I've had another day off - that's like, the second one in a month!! Heavens!! And I'm supposed to be writing up!! Ah well, was the partner's birthday, so we spent a week-end away.

I've emailed my discussion chapter to my sup - so - apart from the conclusion, all the words of the thesis are there!! Woo!! A couple of the chapters need a major rewrite, but at least I have some material to start with. Woo woo!! Light at the end of the tunnel is now maybe a ray of hope!! Next week am meeting with my 2 sups - I haven't met with my 2nd sup for about 3 years and she hasn't read any of my work in just as long. They're giving me feedback on my 5 case study chapters, so that'll be interesting...

Also went for a job interview in the civil service, and expect I'll be starting work in about 6 weeks, which means I'll need to crack on and get as much done before I go back to the 'real' world. Am quite looking forward to a normal job, with colleagues etc, altho my dog will miss me being at home every day...

So, bits of progress. Hope everyone else is travelling well. And Bilbo - best of luck with your viva!!! Not that you need luck at all....

Hi Sue,

That sounds like a you're doing fantastically well, congratulations on getting so much done! You really deserve your weekend away (and it was hopefully good to spend some time with your partner and not your thesis!). 2 days off a month during write up is too little! Time off is so important.

Good luck with your meeting next week. I hope the 3 yearer is constructive and engaging with your work.

I'm doing okish, the end line is in sight and the whole experience just keeps getting wierder...I will report back sometime soon

CG x

Thanks Sue for the best wishes. Sounds as though you've been making great progress too, and it's wonderful that there's may be a ray of light showing up towards the end.

Cakegirl, your post is intriguing! I want to know more about how things are getting weirder :p Good luck as you near the end.

well, the time is almost upon me to get a whole week of writing time!
i've got a day off today and tomorrow after just doing a 90hour week at the centre! :( was really good and they were mainly all my own projects i've been delivering etc so it was really good, but right now i am still in my PJ's and had a desperate housewives binge :$ just so tired today, with stuffed nose and swollen glands so determined to rest.
I am going to get stuck into chapter 3 tomorrow, finish loose ends in materials and methods and finish the introduction too although doubt that will happen in one day! I am back to work friday but then i'm off for a week and hoping to get as much writing done as possible!
It's my birthday during my week off and my best friend is coming up with husband and bump! so want to spend some quality time with her before baby arrives. I'm just hoping that I can get lots of writing done and I don't get pulled in other directions to do social things!

Also,I need your advice - as you know the other week I finished chapter 2, but I still havent' sent it to my supervisor, I was hoping to get partner to read it but he's totally bogged in masters assignments at the moment and its not fair of me to ask him. But mainly I think i'm just scared of what his response will be after last time, i'm going to have a read of it tomorrow and if I still think its OK then I guess i should send it to him. I know that its my first proper draft and i know there will be corrections, but I don't think I could handle it if he went off like last time, I need him to KNOW that i know its not perfect but get some constructive criticism back! I could spend more hours on it and try and change odd sentences etc, but if there are major changes that need to be made its just a waste of my time when i could be getting draft one of next chapter sorted. Does that make any sense?
Feel bit silly to be procrastinating over submitting something i've finished but I think it is FEAR!? :-s

anyway, hope you're all doing well and progressing and i'll see you here next week for hopefully some productive updates! AL xx

I understand your fear alpaca, I'd rather have my entire supervisory team read my work than take criticism of it from my husband. I caught him watching a video clip of my science presenting the other day and forcibly turned the computer off to stop it! That said, I don't like taking criticism from anyone, I've been bitching and avoiding the last two days over my supervisor's first round of feedback (even though deep down I know it's generally helpful).

Do you have any fellow phds or friendly postdocs who could look over it for you if hubby is otherwise engaged and/or a bit heavy-handed?

Hi AL

Wow you've been working hard!! 90 hours is insane!! Hope you get paid for all of that!! And am not surprised you're sick - make sure you rest and look after yourself. And you're working on Friday?? It's not a public holiday for you??

Send your chapter in - trust yourself, don't bother getting other people to read it, just send it in and get rid of it. Move on, churn through some other work. Your sups will no doubt have lots of comments, but they'll have comments whether you change it to accommodate other people's suggestions or not anyway, so, email, forget it, and make some progress in other areas.

I had a major meeting with my 2 sups a couple of days ago, they gave me lots of feedback, upshot is, I have to rewrite 110,000 words - again!! AARRGGHHH!! They think I can do this in the next couple of months, so that's going to be a challenge. And then be done!! Which I don't quite  believe...the thought of finishing has made me really sad, and I got unexpectedly teary at our meeting. Of course I want to get the thesis finished, but I don't want to leave uni....ah, never happy eh? And then what do I do with my life??? All too overwhelming...

Yeh, CG, tell us how you're feeling weird, and how you're coping with finishing. And Bilbo, how're you going??

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Oh well done Dr Bilbo!!!! Am so pleased for you!!!! That's fabulous!! Hope you're celebrating!! Will tootle off and read other thread.

Hi Teek,
sorry didn't explain that very well, fearing my supervisor reading my chapter as last time he was horrid to me! My partner has never actually sat and read through any of my work fully, but I know he'd be great, helpful and constructive, he just doesn't have the time!

Sue, you're right I should just get on and get it sent to him, therefore i'm going to have one last read tomorrow AM and then send it on. I have to face it sometime so better to be sooner rather than later! :) (feel the fear and do it anyway...?)

I'm afraid I don't get extra pay for the long hours, but hopefully get to take them back over time! As we're a science centre we don't get public holidays as they're our busiest times, but it's fine, get from Saturday off for a whole week of writing! oh the joys....I can not wait....:-s

Sue, don't worry about the rewrite, just remember how far you've come, its been one hell of a journey so far, but you've survived it, and just remember that big tunnel of light you are walking towards! I'm sorry you're finding it hard, especially knowing that your academic life is coming to a close for now, but it is just for now! You can't predict the future, and i'm sure lots of amazing things are still to come, especially once you are Dr Sue! :)
I like to think of each of these parts of my life like a chapter in a book, you can never know what is to come in the story, its a winding path with twists and turns, one of your future chapters may be back in academia, so don't despair. Keep walking towards the light, and i'm sure when you get to the end of the tunnel a whole beautiful scenery of future paths and adventures will be laid out in front of you, its scary and exciting but it has to come, and at least you won't have to keep working on the damn thesis then...:p

Big hugs and keep smiling! AL xx

Thank you AL, you always give such good advice. You're right, we don't know what will happen, and I could snag a nice research job somewhere, just seems unlikely. But other things will happen, am determined to move from the city where I live, and living in a lovely big, new city will keep me happy for a bit. I think job hunting will become my new hobby post-thesis.

Yes, of course you need to work on public holidays - but make sure you get the hours off that you're owed!!

Send the chapter off, be prepared for your sup to be his usual awful self, but just know, that you're also getting closer. Enjoy your chunk of time for writing!

Thanks Sue, I will do! :) will keep you posted how I get on over next week!

hmm, maybe a star rating for me... :p
well, new surroundings, new city, new uni....you never know what will happen, so just keep positive. We're getting there aren't we!!! :)

night night x

Chapter 2 sent!!!!! I put in my email that I am in the lab next Thursday and maybe we could meet to go through it and get some constructive feedback, explaining that I would like to know how my style is and whether I am on right tracks as I am working on Chapter 3 now. Fingers crossed that gets the message across that I don't want the hell i got last time!!

right, off to make a cafetiere to go with my creme egg and get stuck into chapter 3 methods! arghhh, i've been dreading this section for months.....!

AL

just 95% completed my materials and methods for chapter 3, and tidied up the results. Going to nip into lab on saturday to get the info I need to finish M&M and then got 2 sections to do for intro, couple 1000 words, and then discussion time again... :(

hope you've all had good days, i'm off to relax before bed and a very busy last day of work before my writing holiday! :p
AL x

oooh AL creme eggs....I've tried so hard to stay away from this year but now you've put it in my head, I may just have to succumb... :-) Just had a very very scary moment there where I though I'd lost lots of data but I've found it, well, some of it anyway, it's rather strange! I've got what I need though so I refuse to panic any longer! Also realised I'm getting very behind with my little schedule I set for myself, I'm supposed to have written another chapter and a paper by now...neither of which I've started....God. I can feel panic building!
Good work on submitting your chapter AL, I hate sending stuff to my supervisor when he's been mean previously, but better to be rid of it and on to the next thing! And keep smiling Joyce, it's going to be soo strange not being a student any longer but it will be great having the phd sorted! You can always come into your uni to job hunt so it's like you're weaning yourself off and not going cold turkey! :-)
Happy Easter, and happy writing everyone!

whoo! after a few days of not being able to do any work, totally lost interest, I found out today my paper is finally published! now I feel all energised and ready to get stuck into the next whack of writing! I think! fingers crossed!
How's everyone else holding up over Easter?