Hello everyone! Just thought I'd pop by to say hi as I haven't checked in for a long time.

Good news is that I have sent in the final draft!! The past few weeks had been very intense, I was glued to the laptop for most of my waking hours, and never got enough sleep at night. But at last I can feel a little less anxious and worried as it now looks like I can submit before moving to a new city at the end of the month!

After taking a couple of days off for a proper rest I'm working on the thesis again, but I can't seem to concentrate very well. So I'm starting to feel a little worried about getting everything done in time. Apart from revising and editing there are lots of other jobs to do e.g., formatting and references. I feel like I'm losing steam a bit but I just have to press on I guess!

Well done on the final draft Sue! Have you heard about the job Sue? And how's your doggy doing?

Well done on the final draft too MatildaL - when will your baby arrive? What an achievement - a PhD AND a baby! :)

I hope you find something good to apply for soon algaequeen - it will come up! I had been looking for months and just as I started to get seriously worried about the prospects of finding a job (I'm in a very small/niche area) something came up and it was almost exactly what I hoped for! So keep faith!!

alpacalover - i know what you mean about paper-conscious. But i'm also going to print out my thesis for final revision/editing. I think the fact that you're reading it off paper will make it easier to read from a reader's perspective and hopefully easier to spot the unclear passages for editing/rewriting.

Good luck everyone and have a good weekend those of you that are taking a break. I'll be glued to my thesis again though.

Not long to go now!! We WILL get there!

PS: on the topic of sweet snacks - I've recently discovered sweet Ryevita - it's the only sweet version of Ryevita crispbreads. It's got currents and roasted sunflower/pumpkin seeds. Once I have one I have to have another one! When I bought it I just thought it'd be "healthier" than chocolate cookies. Never did I expect it to be tasty and even addictive!
PPS I love baklavas too Matilda!

I found the reformatting and preparing the bibliography very quick, even though I was doing the latter manually, without using EndNote or similar to generate it automatically. So don't worry too much about the time needed for that stage. This is assuming you have footnotes/endnotes filled in already of course. I did, and just had to sort out my bibliography to go at the very end.

On the subject of healthy snacks my recent favourite new discovery are WeightWatchers Cranberry & Sunflower Seed Oaty Biscuits. They're really yummy! And there was me thinking they'd taste like cardboard :p

Hi Monte, Congrats on getting your final draft in!! Well done!!! And glad to hear you had a rest too.

I applied for the dream job, and my partner will move there too, eventually, if I get the job, So, fingers crossed!!! And my dog is doing really well, thanks. She's on chemo, is a lot better, and has energy and is happy. So, things are going ok at the moment! Apart from my paid work, which I hate, but oh well, hopefully won'e be for too long.

I'm referencing at the moment, and it's taking me forever. I had the references included in the text, but chasing up online versions of old speeches/government publications etc, checking journal edition numbers etc etc is a slow and tedious process. I get about 10 an hour done, if I'm lucky. Ah well.

You'll get it all done Monte, it'll come together, and soon we'll all be free!!

Hello all!

Congratulations to everyone who has a final draft. I'm very very envious!

I'm feeling very depressed at the moment :(

I still have so much to do and I really don't know how I'm going to finish everything!

I have exactly 47 days left to complete the following..........

- Finish chapter 6 (qualitative result chapter)
- Edit and revise chapter 8 (Final result chapter)
- Flesh out chapter 9 (discussion chapter)- I have all the main points in bullet points
- Flest outchapter 10- conclusions and implications chapter -I have all the main points in bullet points

(I wanted to complete the above over the weekend)

- Edit chapter 1 (introduction)
- Reduce and edit chapter 2 and chapter 3 (literature review chapters)
- Reduce and edit chapter 4 (aims, method and methodology chapter)

Will this be possible?!?! I'm working towards having a final complete full draft by the end of the month.

I don't think I can do this!!!! (and I'm trying desperately to hold back the tears). My supervisors are seriously doubting whether I can do this and I'm starting to agree with them- which is making me feel like giving up!!!

My PhD is completely new and original from other projects in my area and my research questions are rather ambitious so it's taking me along time to write up!! I'm also really drained,  tired and lacking motivation which isn't helping matters. I'm desperately trying to stay positive (supervisors feel my PhD contains more work than their PhDs) but very difficult to do when I'm faced with supervisors who are making me feel like a rubbish failure with no hope in finishing! (although their preparing me for a pass with major corrections).

Very unhappy and stressed :(

Hi Pineapple

(((Pineapple))) Hugs!!

Don't cry - or have a cry, and then get back to it. Have you done a reverse calendar to see if you can do that amount of work in the 47 days? Do a plan and see how it looks - it may not be all that bad. And it does sound like an awful lot of work, but it is possible to get a huge amount done towards the end. You'll need to put in lots of hours, but keep steadily working, and you'll see, it will get done.

Do you really need to meet this deadline? Can you extend it at all? And am sure your sups don't think you're rubbish - they're planning on you passing, after all! I think that sometimes sups just forget that we need encouragement, and they go blindly on critiquing our work. The stress in the final stages of writing up is enormous, and it's physically, emotionally and mentally draining. I was in tears every few days for the last couple of months. It's hard, but keep going. You can do it!

get an extention. i applied for one just in case i do not make the sept 30 deadline, which i will.

the extention took the pressure off me and i was able to think again and get on with the work.

all the best!

Sue - i agree with you. the stress before the first draft is really bad. it took me more than a month just to recover.

Hi everyone, I hope you are all getting on ok. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed like Pineapple thesedays, I haven't received much in the way of positive feedback from my supervisors about my work, and I'm truly starting to feel it's all a pile of crap. I have a meeting with them tomorrow and I am totally and completely dreading it. To the point where they may have to drag me in kicking and screaming. I have still got so so much to do and one of my supervisors has sent an email tonight and I can tell from it that he's not going to be in good form with me at all tomorrow. Plus I've just flown home for the first time in a month to several bits of bad news and I'm at the edge of my tether. I know I'm having a right old moan here but I don't know what else I can do, apart from keep plodding on which is just the most depressing thought ever. :-( I keep telling myself that it's just another month until submission, but I have a feeling I'm not going to make it on time and my viva will have to be rescheduled. ugh I don't like this bit at all.
Sorry for the moan....

I'm really sorry to hear you're having a tough time of it, both with respect to your PhD and with the bad news in general, Algaequeen. The worst thing that can happen tomorrow is they can tell you they're not happy with something. Just take it on the chin, ask them for feedback on how you can amend it and go away and do it. I know that sounds simplistic, but the way I see it is that you have only one month to go and then an entire future away from what you are doing now. I've got to the point now where when my supervisors tell me something is crap, I just say 'why?', shrug my shoulders and ask them whether they'd like me to change it in such a way. I'm like you, loads to do and probably not enough time. But I know if the worst were to happen and I don't end up submitting for Xmas, then it won't be because I didn't try my hardest, just like you. Try not to get too stressed and worked up. I know, that's the pot calling the kettle black.
So, Algaequeen, one more month and lots of and hard work and then you'll cross the finish line. I wish you the best of luck.
(up)

Hey AQ

Sorry to hear things are bad for you, and hope the bad news isn't too bad. Why does it happen like this? It seems that on top of the thesis stress, we also have to suffer awful other life stresses too, right when we're most vulnerable. Like Walkminksi says, go in there, listen, find out what you need to do, then do it. Try and have a thick skin, and just think, this will be over soon!!! Count down the days, plan rewards, do whatever you have to...you can do this.

I've also received some bad news, which could potentially get a lot worse. And also have 6 weeks till submission. And a meeting with my sup in 2 days. Honestly, these things are sent to test us...

AQ

How did it go????

Matilda

Dear all,

just wanted "to show my face again", as not been sending a lot of mails over the last few months. I had some serious problems regarding my health making reading problematic. Now a lot better again.

I sympathise with you related to the final struggles of the PhD process. Although I have handed in my thesis already the issue is still ongoing, as I have not heard anything for months, have no idea whether it will be accepted, when the viva will be, am trying to keep up with the literature etc.

Perhaps on a positive note having had health problems did make me realise better what the real priorities are in life, and although the research is important, it is not everything, especially the nittygritty becomes irrelevant if you are ill. As such life events, as described by several of the recent posters, may help to put the whole PhD into perspective. Obviously I am fully aware that having to deal with and your project and significant issues in your private life is the last thing you want. Evenso I wish all the strength to persevere and to stand up again, even when it is hard. It can be done!
:-)

Hi Rick

Nice to hear from you! And glad you're well again, sounds like you've been through a rough patch. Hope you continue to stay well. That sounds frustrating, not knowing about your thesis, and when your viva will be - hopefully you're well enough to chase this up now. Has to be over and done with!

And interesting what you say about health issues...I'm facing (or rather, hoping I'm not facing), serious health issues too. Last time I went through a bad patch health wise, I determined to do a PhD, to do something major with my life. Funny, huh? Weird logic...Now I just need to get it finished, so I can enjoy other things in life, which are more important than the thesis...

All the best, take care.

Hi Sue,

thanks for your quick and kind message.

Sorry to read about potential health problems you are facing. I think he worst regarding these is often the now knowing, as such I hope you have clarity soon, and hopefully everything will be fine.

Indeed, in my opinion, an unusual decision, to decide to do a PhD when you were ill. For me the whole project was the last thing I had on my mind, was more worried about getting better again. I would have happily accepted that I would not have made the PhD, and although a pity, would have restarted my life, focussing on other issues.

As such I admire your strong will and vision to complete the whole thing. You are absolutely right, the project can be completed, and you are nearly there. Keep going!
:-)