Hi Lara, thanks ever so much for all your encouragement and for such kind words. You are the superstar though and like the other people on the forum are able to boost others when they need it

Hi everyone, it's good to see how you're getting on!

Tractorgirl, great to have finished your chapter, it's such a brilliant feeling to meet a significant deadline, even if you're really tired afterwards. One more step towards the end (up)

Lara, hope you manage to sit still and get stuff done today, without resorting to glue (!) Your dream made me laugh, but it's completely understandable!!

I'm going to give this accountability thing a proper go now, if I may? I've wasted far too much time recently, and checking in with your aims for the day and an honest account of progress made sounds a good idea. Especially as you were so right about the 15mins tip!

So for me, my chapter 7 has to be emailed off on Sunday night, so 3 days left to do it.

It's worrying me because it was a completely new chapter started from scratch about a month ago - one problematic chapter got turned into 2 new ones after my first draft. I don't know if it's going to work or will be a bit weak - haven't done enough reading for it, though I can chase up more references later when the whole 2nd draft is done and I know how it fits into the overall argument. And I suppose I can contact relevant people if I need to supplement my primary sources by answering other odd points that might crop up during the writing, as long as it's documented.

Today, I need to write about 1500-2000 words to finish the current section.
I also need to look over my notes for the next section, so I can start writing that tomorrow.

I'm a bit tired from being at work for the last couple of days, but the deadline is still there, whether I'm knackered or not, so I will obviously have to make myself get on with it. I kept being dive-bombed by a ladybird yesterday at the bus stop, it kept coming at me from all directions. I don't know why it picked me as there plenty of other people around, but it was a bit weird.

Anyway, hope you all have a productive day and see you later!

No!!!!! My message has again been lost!!!!!!!!!!!! In summary, also just wanted to say try not too worry about what is left. The brilliant thing is that you have achieved so much already and this is just the last hurdle to get the chapters finished. You are doing so well, and it will get done. Don' t think that loads has to be done on the chapters, it is only little bits to make them all shiny and new!! Also it is great you saw friends yesterday as you need breaks so don't worry! Hope you have a great day today and

Half my message was again cut off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe tomorrow it will work a little better!! Anyway, sorry if my messages read a little funny, it's just some words have been lost and big chucks are missing!!!!!! Finger's crossed for tomorrow!

======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 10:52:54 =======
Thanks so much Tractorgirl!! your messages and encouraging words has given me the boost, love how you always spin it to a positive way (up)

--

Ruby, thanks for your message :-)
hope the accountability thread works for you! and glad you found my dream funny hahaha lol. I will join you on the deadline. because i have a deadline too, for chapter 5, my deadline is sunday also. i have to get: 3 sections done to final draft version: introduction, results and discussion. so we can spur each other on!

introduction is at 25% 1st draft version

results: 1st draft (which needs to be converted to a good neat 2nd draft)

discussion: 25% zero draft

today i am working on the discussion section. i too have loads of reading to do.

plan is:

friday: discussion zero draft
saturday: discussion 1st draft, and results 2nd draft
sunday: introduction 1st draft

my aims:

1. read all the papers relevant for the discussion section and make notes. but be selective and not get distracted by tangent subjects. stick to what's strictly relevant.

2. write a zero draft of the discussion based on the results i have shown and link it to the literture.
i think i have about 10 mini results/subjects to cover in the discussion section. i only have a vague idea, not exactly sure what i am going to say, but will just try the "writting messy" approach and see what words appear on the paper.


good luck everyone!

i'm using the old glue method today, but i will also take a 10-15 minute break every hour or so, to keep my attention perked up. i just got in the post today a girly chick lit book. guilty pleasure indulgence! so might read for 10 minutes or so as a break.


feeling hungry now, but will try to do at least 15 minutes before i have brunch.

Can you give me more details of this problem including you browser version and if your using a PC or Mac, thanks Pete

Pete to the rescue! teehee hee :p

I know for me, what happens is that , you get the error box coming up saying maximum word count reached, and then you hit backspace once, you hit it again, to delete another word and then the next time you press backspace, the entire message gets deleted in one swoop!

i'm using internet explorer, PC

Thanks, I see, can you tell me which version of IE?

Thanks for looking into it. IE -Version 7. hope that helps (up)

Hi girls,

checking in for the day. I managed to sort out things at work so I can work non-stop from today, and obviously it's going to take the whole weekend.

TG; fantastic news that you finished chapter 7! you really beat me on that, I haven't been able to finish my 3rd.
Lara; you are going to be grand, just keep focused and stay at it. even if you take breaks, just come back and work some more.
Rubyw; I know the feeling, seems like no matter how hard we work, we are always behind, both at work and on the thesis. I'm with you, we'll get through this.

It seems like we all have a pretty critical weekend ahead. I too have to finish this chapter 3 by Sunday, otherwise I won't be able to do the rest of the chapters in time. Can I propose something? Since our deadlines are similar, why don't we just post short messages every time we stop for a break with a brief description of the progress we are making, and then try to do some more to account for in the next post, and so on. It's like running a marathon with your mates keeping you company; we are not competing with each other, but trying to finish together. What do you think?

Hi Armendaf,

It's reassuring to know we're all the same boat this weekend, I was feeing like a bit of a saddo yesterday while others at work were planning their weekends and talking about their bank hols... *sigh* Still, next year I will have a life again and use annual leave for holiday, like 'normal' people do. Good that you've arranged time off to do your writing though, hope it's going ok!

I've just had a tea break - I'd done 300 words (amazingly), so thought it seemed a good time have a tiny rest. Am going to Tescos in a minute (how exciting)and then back to work. Maybe I'll get it finished better in short bursts....

======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 14:51:56 =======
======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 14:48:51 =======
======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 14:47:46 =======

Hey Armendaf, so nice to read your message, thank you so much for your lovely kind message about me, I really appreciate it!! :-)

I agree with you, that this weekend is critical! i think if we can meet our deadlines for sunday, it will prove to ourselves that we can do anything! hehe.

I love your idea of short progress throughout the day, as i think it will help us keep motivated. fantastic, good thinking!!!

okay, so far my day has been:

read one paper (1 hour and 30minutes)
had lunch and watched a tv show (2 hour break)

next aim: read paper no#2:
then a 10 minute break, either after i have finished reading the article or when the hour is up.

i have LOADS of papers to read and get through today.

*Starts timer*

ps i really enjoy reading everyone elses progress and what they have been up to, feels like a virtual world we're living in, like some sort of library hehe. where we are all connected but we're in our own seperate pods.

Ruby, i know how you feel, but it wont be forever and besides it's quite comfortable to just have some alone time and study, most people would love to study but dont get the chance to. and we're actually contributing..

great on the 300 words, and i agree short burts are best, as i find that after the hour my attention levels decline rapidly and i get bored and fed up. but after a break, i perk up again.

So, I just managed to add 500 words and a table to chapter 3 which make for a finished subsection (final draft like). It's the kind of discussion that says: "I know all about this, but it is not the right theory for my study because of... bla, bla, bla." So some analysis went into it and I dealt with the issue in such a way so I do not have to come back to it any more. Jays! this thinking business is so hard ;-)

Good work Rubyw, you must have some more words on top of those 300 already. Good for you, keep it up.

How is the paper reading going Lara? When I'm reading like that I tend to go a bit uneasy because every time I hit something in the paper that gives me an idea for the writing, it immediately knocks me out of concentration and then I can not finish reading and if I go back to writing, since I didn't read the whole thing, the idea is usually gone, so no gain. Now what I try to do is to read everything fully and force my self to have some patience until I've read it all (either the full paper, chapter, or just the section that I'm reviewing), make some notes, and only when it makes perfect sense in my head, I try my luck writing up whatever came out of it. Otherwise I keep jumping back and forward without going any further.

Now I think I should take a bit of a break and eat something.

Back soon. Come on girls, keep going (up)

======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2008 17:32:51 =======
Armendaf,you are doing so well! well done getting the section, its a great feeling when something is done,and you know you dont have to go back to it! yah good for you.

that was interesting to read about your paper reading and ideas. i know what you mean. sometimes i'm reading it, and i am like, oooh i can use that for such and such section. i dont write whilst i am reading. i used to make copious amounts of notes whilst reading, but realised most of the time i was just copying it verbatim, which slowed everything down.

so this is my new technique.

i have listed a bunch of key words and sections, that i want to cover for my discussion and introduction. when i read a paper, and if i come across a sentence of a subsection that touches on any of my "key topics" i put an asterix next to it, along with the number that corresponds to the section. that way i feel like those are anchors, so when i sit down and start to write my zero draft, i can find all the relevant bits to go underneath that section. its working out rather well.

i am reading the paper, just underlieing key words and sentences. even if i dont understand the full paper fully, i dont worry about it, and move onto the next one.

i went to the garden to get some reading done, i was feeling sleepy in my study room. so took 2 papers out there, and read the first 1 in 30 minutes and the 2nd one in 10 minutes. review articles always take longer to read. the 2nd paper was an original research article, where i will only be using a few sentences.

so far my progress today, have read through 4 papers.

still feeling sleepy, but will plough on, and maybe take a little nap later on.

i cant believe its 5.30pm already!

thanks for this idea Armendaf, its the only thing thats motivating me, to carry on, because i know i have to give an update regularly throughout the day!! nice one!

hope you had a nice break and something to eat.

okay i am off to the garden again, taking with me 3 papers, will report back when i am done reading them.

Dear All,
very glad to know everyone is making such good progress. Also the idea of frequent updates is excellent ..good thinking !!!

I am still not done with the report as was given two MBA theses for correction ..but cannot afford to give up although I think my supervisor certainly has ....he actually told me that I do not stick to my plans :-( ...i felt very unprofessional not to mention embarrassed... i also think he odes not trust me anymore )

how do you all manage when this arise all of a sudden ??? it seems to throw me completely off balance ( would appreciate any advice)

lara- I was just reading your posts on the way you are dealing with each chapter and found it very informative, however as I am only just going to begin my writing up in a month i was wondering if i could ask you how you developed your structure for each chapter ..if this is inappropriate for this thread my apologies ....

keep up the hard work everyone!! (up)

cheers
mira