Hi Sue, and everyone!

I'm so sorry about your dear dog, that is awful. But she has been there with you all this time, supporting you and getting you out the house for walks in the fresh air. It is terrible to think that she might not be there at the end to see you finished, and have you all to herself again. But I guess its not the finishing post but the journey that matters. I'm sending big hugs for you!

Thanks for advice Sue, I will try my best to 'own the space', I do like that too! :) Not sure its something i'll be good at though, i'm not really an 'owning the space' kind of person, but i'm trying to get my confidence up!

I have now finished the talk and practiced it afew times, gonna just do it every day once or twice and practice it again in front of partner on Wednesday. Sup had a look at it, and not sure he was too impressed, but really, the presentation is just a taster of the thesis, and the actual slides aren't what matters, its how I present it. I spend my life presenting things to people, so hopefully I will be ok with this.

I also finished going through thesis today, have found 44 errors in 260 pages, and majority unfortunately are stupid mistakes in reference to sections I changed in introduction and chapter 2 :( !

I have also, as I've gone through, investigated a few things and made notes on things I'd like to further investigate or discuss iwth them on the day, and I have Tuesday and Wednesday to do this. And also found afew new papers that I want to read, and also have 5 key ones for my research that i want to go through again.

I think this is manageable in the two days, and tomorrow evening I plan on writing out my brief answers to main possible questions. Luckily I finish work at 4.30 tomorrow instead of 6, so I can get stuck straight into this! :)

Anyway, i'm off for an early night. Sue, I hope your week of writing goes well, I don't know whether its because normally when working my pace is quite slow, but I find I can get some much done in a week off work. Just get stuck in, do your tomatoes, and take lots of breaks too! I hope you have a day off in there planned to chill with your partner too? If not, you should!

AL x

Hi Al

Wow, you're getting close now!! Sounds like you have a good plan for preparing, and you also sound very ready!! Good luck!!!! Keep us updated on how your week pans out!! Remember to breathe, do what you can, and don't let it overwhelm you.

I rewrote 4 chapters in my week off, now have to reread and edit the whole thing again by Friday, then full draft to sup. It's all coming together, which is lovely. I also had a couple of nights off, with partner and friends so that's good too. And thank you for your kind thoughts about my dog AL, we're taking it one day at a time. She's still happy, even though not so mobile, and we're spending good quality time together.

AL, are you planning some time off after your viva? Any holidays planned? I'm finishing in less than 5 weeks and will take some time off, but just can't bring myself to organise anything as I don't actually believe I'll ever be finished....crazy, eh?

Hi Sue,
That's brill, well done on getting so much done in your week off. I'm sure you will get it all done by Friday, and then 5 weeks eh! I'm sure it will come together, so just you start looking forward to the end point!

I was just the same, didn't book any holidays until 2 weeks ago when I knew my viva was confirmed. I actually just booked flights today, just for along weekend down to south of England to visit my best friend. She had a baby in the summer and I am so excited about meeting my new niece! :) I haven't booked a proper long holiday away as partner is now back to masters until next summer so we're going to wait til then. But I have two long weekends at end of October, and then a longer break around Christmas - which for the first time in what seems like forever won't be a rushed xmas dinner and boxing day surrounded by studying! :) Hopefully....!

I'll keep you posted this week i'm sure, although if you don't hear from me I'll be in a stressed bubble of 'pretending its not happening'! :) But I will post up a thread on Friday once I recover from the inevitable hangover letting you all know how I got on!

Thinking of you, have a good week! AL x

Hello everyone! Sorry I have not checked in for ages, but because life has been too hectic in the past month. Anyway the news is that I submitted in late Aug, then packed in less than 48 hours and moved to another city, then went abroad for a conference and a few days off either side, and have now started the new job! So just settling in. Thank you guys for all your support in the last year, it helped me no end. Without your support and advice, and the amazing tomato timer that you introduced me to I don't think I'd be able to finish in time. My supervisor certainly thought I'd need at least one month longer than I planned, but in the end everything moved on so quickly, and he was happy for me to submit too.

Alpacalover: best of luck if you haven't had your viva yet!

Sue: sounds like great progress you're making! Well done! I really don't know how you can manage the phd and a job! Hat off to you! Glad to know you took some nights off too. Breaks are v important!

xxx

Well done Monty!! Wow, sounds like life is full-on, exciting and excellent for you! Wonderful! And so well deserved. Glad to hear it's all going well.

Quick update from me. Well, after not getting the job (maybe to make up for that crappiness!) I found out I was successful is securing some grant funding - $9000! So now I have another chunk of work to do, and this money will let me stay part-time in the day job for a while longer, which is great. A little peak in the sea of academic troughs....

Hi all,

Monty, good to hear from you, and so pleased for you for getting submitted as planned and getting away and then starting job. The hell of getting it all done must have been well worth it. I hope the job is going well and you are enjoying it?

Sue, Congratulations on the grant money, that is brilliant, well done you! How has this week gone, is this you coming up for 3 weeks to submission. Just make sure you get your breaks and sleep too! hows dear dog doing?

hope you're alright too AQ?

I know officially now i'm kinda done, but it doesn't feel real, so if it's OK I might stick around on this thread while I do my corrections, and also just to be there to the end with you all too. You're my PhD finishing buddies, and I really want to stay and support you all through your last parts too, as you have with me.

I've been given a month to do corrections, but plan on getting them done in the next week or so. Had planned on doing it today and tomorrow but full of cold, and just want to chill out, so we'll see. I have a list of typos that I found and want to correct, and also then afew errors that the examiners found, some will take longer than others, couple are only typos too. I'm hoping it won't take too long, but I'm not gonna push myself to do it this weekend!!

Anyway, thinking of you all, hope you're doing ok. AL x

Yes, 3 weeks till submission. I haven't had more than 4 or 5 hours sleep in days, and now I get a phone call that my father, who lives interstate, is dying. Can life get any worse?

Oh Sue, I'm so sorry, that is awful. Have you told your supervisor, maybe you could get extension so you can get home to be with him? Thinking of you and if you want to chat then you know where I am, or just PM me.

Big massive hugs, and take care of yourself, sleep is very important, and your health and wellbeing matters more than the thesis so just do what you can.

AL xxx

So sorry hear this news. I haven' been a regular in this thread but read the forum when I can. I have struggled with a similar situation abt a year ago as ill health and death all occurred in my family. Supervisors were understanding of the situation and I did get few months suspension just to recover from this.
So, as the first thing, let your supervisors know the situation, they are experienced in handling these types of things. Inform your department or who ever is responsible, these are very admin things that you might not want to do, but do this now so when you can come back to work, things would not be a nightmare.
Keep hope & faith, you will get through this. 

Yes I agree: arrange an extension. It should be readily granted in the circumstances.

So sorry to hear your news Sue. Sending you best wishes.

Hi Sue, just wanted to say thinking of you in this final week countdown, hope everything is OK? Not long now and you can sit down iwth a nice cold beer and chill out!

hugs, AL xx

Hi AL

Thanks for your kind thoughts. Well, it's been a horrible, horrible week, with the funeral, I stayed in bed the next day, while my partner had to go away for 4 days for work, so it's just been me and my old dog. Thank god for the dog!! She's hanging in there, urging me on to finish!! I submit in exactly 2 weeks from today. I have a mountain of work to do, but am going to get it done.

Friends have started asking me if I'm excited to be finishing, and I'm not. While I can't wait to have this albatross removed from around my neck, I'm sure it will be the end of my academic career, which makes me sad. It's also cost me too much in terms of sacrifices and I really don't think it's been worth it. I can't get an academic job and it's deskilled me for a civil service job. So - am not much fun at the moment. But will soldier on, have a bit of a holiday, then back again to do a whole bunch of unpaid academic work, because I've said I'll do it. Sigh...

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear about everything Sue :( I'm sure you'll come out of all these stronger. Hope you've managed to get better sleep since you last wrote too.

You are so close to submitting now Sue! Best of luck with the last push! Yes if you can try get a little holiday or at least a long weekend when you're done. You so deserve it. Also - well done on the grant!!

My new job is going ok thanks. So far have spent most of my time collecting data, going to various discussion groups. Haven't done any writing yet even though I know I should (papers based on my thesis). To be honest I feel may be a little underachieving/unproductive even I'm busy at work everyday. I guess because in the last months of my PhD I worked so hard and got so much done in so little time that in comparison life seems a bit too easy/normal now! That's so strange isn't it! That I actually need to re-adjust to the "normal" world again!

Oh and I"m still waiting for my viva date...

Hope everyone is having a good week!

M x

Hi Monte

Glad to hear things are going well. Yes, I know what you mean about adjusting to the normal world again. I can't believe that some people do a job, go home, watch telly, and do fun things on the week-end! I can't imagine a life without working every single day!!

Well, it's been tough going, but I'm getting there. I've been working insanely, sitting at this desk from dawn till late at night, not going anywhere at all, just working. I've been battling with my supervisor, who has made me rewrite the intro about 8 times - was in tears about it yesterday, but she's finally approved it. And, I'm most pleased to say, ALL THE WORDS ARE THERE AND APPROVED BY SUP!!! I have to fix up typos etc picked up by my proofreader, do the table of contents and check references, but the body of the thesis is done. What a relief.

I've booked a week's holiday at the beach. I'm seeing a counsellor and getting physio done, and still need a new job, but lordy, I am getting there. This time in a week I should've submitted (depending on uni admin) and will be kicking back with a champagne. Anyone care to join me for a brekky drink??

;-)

======= Date Modified 22 Oct 2010 22:11:21 =======
woo hoo Sue, that is fantastic!

The last bit is such a drag just checking over everything again and again, but its good cos you know you're about done and the worst part is over! :) You should be so proud of yourself!

So sorry just replying, had pretty busy few weeks! And now i'm on holiday down at best friends down south and beautiful little girl, having lovely time and lots of hugs! :)

I know what you mean both, I'm finding it really difficult to readjust. It's 3 weeks yesterday, and I haven't had a day yet where I've just chilled out and done nothing!! I've had a few evenings, but every weekend i've done something, first one corrections, second one working (and on days off I was running around to binders and things), last weekend running around with family and things (which I guess is what people call relaxing....! ;) ). And now down south, which is fantastic, but also running around with baby and dog. but then i'm at work mon-wed next week and off on holiday again for long weekend, with NOTHING to do on Thursday!!

Ooh, I also got a cat from the cat home, he's called Sidney, he's ginger and 10 years old (and a bit senile), so spending all my time trying to get him settled in too!

I can't decide whether life is just mental even without phd, or whether I'm so restless after finishing, I can't slow the pace down, and am finding things to do to keep me busy - how sad is that!!! (sprout)

Anyway, Sue i'm so proud of you, and totally up for breakfast drinking next week! I'm off Thursday - Sunday, I have a meeting with my counsellor on Friday morning, so prob shouldn't go to that drunk...but other than that name your time, and we can have skype champagne??

Monte - hope you get settled with job soon and feel 'normal', I have to say, i'm not sure I was normal before, but I don't think I ever will be again, this process has changed me in so many ways, and sometimes I'm not sure who I am anymore, but i'm trying to work my way through that. Any ideas for when your viva might be?

hugs, AL xx