Wow well done on being so organised Glowworm! If you don't have much to do (I'm guessing it's all those little last minute things like checking tables of contents, references, acknowledgements etc), just get them over and done with! Then you can have a nice break to before your holiday! I can't wait to be at that stage =)

My results are getting there, I have completed one proper section, writing, stats and all (I usually do everything separately and now I'm realising it's much easier to do it all at once!), but still 2 sections left to do the data analysis for, although I'm hoping it won't take me too long as it's the same format as my previous chapter just different data and I made all the mistakes last time, so hopefully it'll be much simpler this time!

Great! It's motivating that you're meeting your deadline glowworm. I can totally relate to that feeling - my reward center is always activated a bit to soon, sending me off into excited states when I really should be concerned and focused. You seem to have everything in control though, so I'm sure you'll meet your deadline just fine. :) I have a deadline next week and will have a mini-holiday with friends shortly after. The excitement kind of propagates to feelings for my work, which is both motivating and derailing at the same time.

I'm working on my discussion section today and throughout the weekend. My language sucks, which breaks my heart, but I'll try to get a complete draft within Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks Marg and skysthelimit. It's great to know that I'm not the only one who gets distracted by premature overexcitement!

And thanks for the words of encouragement, Caro. Like you, I used to do things separately and then found it such a pain when I had to go back and fill in the other bits. I think doing it together definitely worked better for me. Good luck with the chapter. I definitely found the 2nd and 3rd results chapter took a fraction of the time of my first one which took aaaaages!

Marg: Just get it down on the page and sort the language out afterwards. That really helped me because I struggle sometimes with my academic English. Good luck with the discussion section and the deadline. Your mini-holiday sounds lovely and well-deserved.

I'm going to be working all weekend (I seem to have found that motivation), so if any of you are about, I'll be on the lookout for posts. Oh and btw, I worked out why I wasn't managing to get much done. As well as the excitement etc. I also did some soul searching yesterday. I realised that I'm actually really scared of submitting because at that point you have to let go, relinquish control and there's nothing more you can do. That was really scary for me. And the imposter syndrome hit as well, and I was scared that my examiners (who I've cited heavily throughout because their work is so close to mine) will think it's rubbish/not my own work etc. Anyway, just thought I'd share because realising that has really helped and I'm back on track now. I'm trying not to think about submission at all and just take each day as another work day, focusing on what needs to be done for each chapter.

I hope that makes sense! Anyway, enough waffling - have great weekends everyone!
g

Hi guys,

Good luck to all of you with your writing progress.

Sorry for not getting in touch. I have not been productive for these days. Week-day mornings went well, but then I was distracted too much with talkings in the office I work in. I went home earlier on Friday to work from home, but did not do anything since then. I was not able to finish the revisions for the chapter/paper I am working on. And I think I really have to (MUST) send them by Monday.

Caro, I feel ashamed, but I don’t have much time left (1 month). I hope to get an extension, if not I will be placed under review. This chapter dragged me down a lot last year, but I am happy that I am almost done with it. The key word is “almost” :) nevertheless, I have other chapters/papers to write-up, and I really hope they will be done much faster. I find the writing-up is the most difficult part of science, but that’s what we should learn during PhD.

Marg, I will be away next weekend too. Let's hope we have a productive week so we can enjoy our mini-holidays!

Glowworm, I totally understand you and your motivation problems. Recently I found a very nice advice: motivation is nothing comparatively to discipline. This really helps me sometimes, because there is no need in motivation, if there is discipline. I think we all look forward getting to the stage you are in your PhD ;)

Enjoy your weekends!

Hi guys!

Hope you're either enjoying a nice holiday weekend or working and prospering academically. I'm currently writing my discussion, with renewed motivation after visiting this forum. I must say: It really helps!

Glowworm, the imposter syndrome was something I only had heard of before I started actually writing on my thesis. The moment I got the few first words on paper (articles etc), I felt entirely useless, unoriginal and like that memedog sitting in a car or lab thinking "I have no idea what I'm doing". Now I've realized this is a phase in my writing process (I'm actually there today). Whenever I start thinking "this is useless, nobody cares", I know I'm on track. Also, (once "procrastination hour" is over) I start writing with the goal of convincing myself that my work is significant, instead of my reader. I usually employ a different strategy at that stage, which is to target all those fuzzy and crappy parts that I know I've avoided because I found them troublesome. If I get to the bottom of those parts I know that I will believe in the text and my work, and more importantly, that I can defend it in the face of any opponent.

Nautilus, to me, one month now is as productive as my entire first year (I truly had no idea what I was doing). Also, I keep reminding myself that if I focus on efforts rather than outcome, I perform better. I agree that motivation is nice to have, and discipline is need to have - Especially now that motivation is so hard to come by!
I cross my fingers for your extension!

Hi guys,

Marg, thanks for your wishes and understanding! and good luck with your discussion! I find the forum very helpful as well. I see people struggling with the same problems and it is nice to learn how they deal with them.
I think I also have this syndrome too :) for sure it is very hard to start a new document. I also have these feelings like "what new ideas/things do I bring to the world?" and that my work is nothing compared to other studies. if fact, this was my major issue..... but as you say, it is very important to convince ourselves. slowly, the writing bits come together and get improved. I am sure there are no people who can write manuscripts in one go.

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good start to the week! I had planned on working most of the weekend but we ended up getting keys to our new flat on Saturday morning as as it's over an hour's drive from where we live now that took up most of the day. Then yesterday was my partners birthday so I felt too guilty to work when I should be celebrating! And today I am struggling with some data - my database was badly designed by someone who no longer works here and it spits out very confusing data in different forms which then need to be combined/multiplied with each other to get it to make sense...and I don't have the patience today. So the rest of this afternoon I'm going to finish reworking a discussion on another chapter to get that sent away to my supervisor and I'll start again on the data of doom tomorrow!

Hello everybody!

I got to do a lot of writing and thinking yesterday, so what remains today is to make some tough decisions to make my chapter become more clear, coherent and concise (it's currently like drinking from a water hydrant). I had a rather "diverging" weekend, which was good as I got a more comprehensive perspective of this chapter and my overall contribution. On the one hand, I wish my deadline was extended now, because I feel I haven't really digested this chapter well enough. On the other hand, I think more time could make me diverge more than I strictly should. So perhaps this deadline right around the corner will help my chapter evolve around a fundamental core of my topic. Anyways, the deadline is only fictional (I'm submitting it as a report for a course) - afterwards, I may complete it more so that I am satisfied with what it brings to the thesis. At this point, I'm not (and should not) be concerned with grades (although a good grade could help boost my motivation a bit).

For some reason, I've been more productive and content when working on weekends compared to weekdays during my entire PhD period. I'm not sure why, but guess it has to do with constant interruptions (invited by me and my colleagues) during ordinary working hours. I see how most of my eureka moments have been on weekends and that I find myself being more efficient those days. Any of you feel the same? It's so backwards..

Caro, good luck on your discussion today and data processing later on! Good luck on whatever you do today Nautilus - vacation right around the corner! And glowworm, I guess you're swamped at the moment, so good luck on the last few days before submission! =)

Hey guys. Thanks for your kind words, Marg =D

Good luck with getting your report together. When is your deadline for that? I love your simile of 'drinking from a water hydrant'! It's really rewarding working on sections like that, I think, because it takes time, but you can really see the difference once you've hacked away at it. I hope it went well for you yesterday.

Caro: Database issues are horrible - yuck! I really feel for you, especially if it's at the hands of someone else and there's little you can do about it. How did the discussion reworking go? Good luck with sorting your data out.

Nautilus: hope everything is going well.

I'm still sorting out mostly small (and some less small) issues with my final draft. It's so fiddly and I still have to sort out some referencing issues and I want time to sit calmly and read through the whole thing from start to finish at some point! I really want to be able to take my baby to the binders on Monday, so time is ticking. I'm still trying not to think about it in that way though (elephant in the room or what?!). So just taking each chapter, comment, and correction as it comes and I'll get there slowly but surely.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone. Keep up the good work.
g

Hi guys!

Thanks for the encouragement! Yesterday ended up being very productive as well, mostly cognitively but today is the great day of writing and finalization. As opposed to work in my articles, which is rather quantitative, the text in my thesis is more conceptual and abstract somehow as I have to bring my contributions together in a coherent framework.

My deadline is rather elastic, but for myself, I'm finishing this today as I have other commitments rest of the week. I'm so excited (a very, very rare feeling) about my work in this section, as a lot of stuff came together over the weekend. My text is a mess, of course, but I'll "write" it from start to end again today, starting with a blank page and writing/copy-pasting the entire text.

What type of writers are you guys? I know a lot of "brick-by-brick" writers. My approach is very messy. I create an outline, write a bunch of crap here and there, think and read for a long time, make some notes, procrastinate for some time, and then I start again, writing the whole thing all over in one piece. It's probably inefficient, but it's the only way I can. Also, I often have problems reading it again once I'm done. I have to apply a lot of discipline to that final editing process. Luckily, I have great coauthors working with me on my articles, who are both great researchers and communicators (my supervisor is none of those, and extremely busy. Great person, though).

Anyways, guys, I wish you all a productive day! Glowworm - I am so happy for you and it's so motivating to hear that you're so close to the end! Oh, how I wish I was in your shoes right now...

m

thanks, glowworm. hope, your corrections will be sorted shortly.

Caro, congrats with new place!

Marg, I have the same problem. It is so hard for me to be on focus. and when I get interrupted, it is hard to get back where I was... I work from home sometimes. Yes, the weekend is soon, it was planned several months ago :)

Today I worked only half of the day, as I had to help friends. I think I am stuck again, in the end of discussion and conclusion sections (since last week basically). plus, I need to work out the implications. I am confused with these sections. I thought I wrote a story, but my sup said these parts were too much interpretive :))) and I need to focus on evidence from my data. Do you guys have/had such issues? What would be your advice?

Interesting question, Marg. not sure who I am :))) I think before PhD (in my previous Life) I was "brick-by-brick" writer. and for sure, it is more quick and productive and less stressful for me.
With this crazy paper, well... I think I was here and there :) it was a mess... and it took me a long time to write it up. I had 2 large chapters last year, which were hard to read. I thought they will be 2 chapters of my PhD, but then they were cut and collapsed into 1 paper, with additional data acquired. 2014 was very stressful...
then I started a new document, and put it section by section.
I hope to write "brick-by-brick" my next chapters/papers.
I also do an outline! I think it is a very helpful thing! and it is better to make it as clear as possible.
My close friend is like you! she writes parts and then combines them altogether :) you must be an artist!!

Haha, Nautilus, funny you should say that. I think my main challenge in my PhD is that I'm not that creative. I was a really good master student, but this lack of genuine creativity (which is rather vital for my PhD as I'm developing methods) has given me quite the struggle. I was very "narrow minded" when I started my PhD, so it's safe to say that I didn't hit the ground running. I guess this could be one of the most underestimated tasks of a PhD - transitioning from that safe learning environment we operate in during our studies to become scientists who set a research agenda and by creation form new methods, theories and concepts. I believe this can be the most difficult and ambitious thing I'll ever do in my career, which is funny as I'm only at the very beginning of it.

I'm not sure if I have any good advice for your remaining sections, also because there might be different practices within different domains. Generally, I try to present data in its pure (but structured) form before I analyze it. In my discussion I also interpret wider implications of my results and compare with other findings. There might be some differences in engineering, natural and social sciences, so I'm not sure how transferable my approach is.

Hi guys,

Your project sounds interesting, Marg! I guess I would not mind have some creativity skills too :) I find PhD is the hardest thing I have ever done. I had no idea that PhD would be so much harder than the Masters. that's because of we need to juggle with all the multi-tasking jobs that arise with it. haha true. it's only the beginning! I wonder WHEN will my work in academia become easier? probably never ;))

Thanks, Marg, the advice is actually useful and multi-disciplinary. I agree, that the results part should be solid before we move to the discussion. I like to work step by step. In my discussion, I also used quite a lot of references to interpret my results. I guess, I need a bit more clearer section with comparison to other studies. as my sup says link back to a bigger picture that was introduced in the introduction...

Today I have fixed 2 figures with interpretations, and a little bit of text. Still need to do the implications part and the conclusions.

Hi everyone,

Great to see many new and old names keeping this thread going. Despite good intentions, regular updates of my writing progress was leaving me panicking rather than motivated so I took a break from here. I'm not sure how others are but I find that different motivational tactics work at different times and for different tasks.

I'm glad this thread is some mutual support for a few people :)

I'm plodding on with the writing and trying to balance writing with admin, job hunting and other work commitments plus home life. Advice always welcome.

My supervisor is confident in me which is good and on the whole I'm feeling positive and motivated.

Hoping to show my face here a little more often too :)

Hope all are well and having a productive Monday.

All the best

Grumpy x