i feel abit under the weather today though, my throat sort of hurts, (lol not from screaming or anything at the concert) but you know when you're really stressed and then you relax for a day (like when you go on holiday) and then you get sick. i think when you're stress and on high alert and then suddely you relax its like your bodys defences go down and you get abit sick.

feeling very tired today. but just taking it easy, and like Olivia said, will try to make a plan and do something even if its bite size.

Olivia, i love that horse metaphor!! it's brilliant. you're so right. I will do just that! egg timer in hand and work on little tiny chunks. bit by bit. yah thats exactly how i was feeling, very overwelmed by the huge task.

Thanks Olivia, for taking the time and effort for your encouraging and insightful messages!!

BilboBaggins, a pleasure as always to hear from you! and your words of wisdom and understanding
Thank you!! I will do that, pick myself up and get back to writing. thanks

Tractorgirl,

I'm sorry to hear that you are in the exact same situation as me! and please never apolagise for what you think is moaning, it's not moaning in my book, its sharing negative feelings, and i think its important to do that. i once read in a psychology magazine, that the very process of actualling writing down negative things down, helps to release it and they no longer hold that much power of you, its something to do with the act of actually writing it down. so please feel free to share anytime. it also makes me feel better that i am not alone in feeling how i feel.

August 15th, sounds like a good deadline for me to have aswell. i will join you! in aiming for my final draft by 15th august. and email my supervisor my final draft by monday 18th august (so gives me the weekend to do final checks and convert to pdf files etc).

Glad to hear you are feeling more positive Tractorgirl, that is great, well done you for picking yourself up and getting back to it. i know it's not easy psychologically and so i admire it

i will take a leaf out of your positive outlook and do the same. i will make a plan today of what needs to be done, set mini deadlines, and print my first draft out. and start doing things bit by bit.

good luck tractor girl, it's nice to have company for the next deadline!

You are so welcome, Lara, I just hope you carry on. I am sure you will get the DR LARA title in the end!!! I get my own inspiration from watching you carry on despite the hard challenge, and I am sure you will succeed! Whats the old saying, its 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration... I think that describes the PhD process!

Hi Lara,

Glad you are feeling better and hope the sore throat heals!! Sounds like you had a great time. Its brilliant to know i have some company for the 15th Aug deadline!! Brilliant, we can hopefully encourage each other along! Thanks for your lovely message about not worrying about moaning when things are not so great! I felt really quilty posting it as i meant to be encouraging you, not dragging you down!! I guess like you said i just needed to get those feelings written down, but once again i hope i didn't make you feel worse. I guess i just wanted to know you were not alone feeling as you did at that particular time!! Anyway hope you are having a good day today, remember bit at a time and we will get there!!!

Hi Lara,
I've been away for a few weeks, back in PhD world now. You've made so much progress since I was last here...well done! You have such determination to get this finished and I'm sure you will. Keep going but remember to look after yourself and get a bit of space each week to let your brain rest. Well done so far

Thanks Olivia!! That is really nice to hear that you get inspiration from my diary. thank you for your kind words :) and you're so right,that is a very good saying, hard work gets us there in the end.

Hi Tractorgirl, thank you! I took some medicine yesterday, and feel better today. I agree, its nice to have company with our new deadline! and you're very welcome, you are more than welcome to share your feelings anytime! and you were right, it did make me feel better that i was not alone in feeling how i felt. yep, you're right, just bit by bit! hope you're well today.

Hi cakegirl, nice to hear from you! we missed you! Thank you so much for saying that you think i've made progress, that's really good to hear and encouraging :) yes, i will take a break at least once a week thanks again!

Tractorgirl, we should call our club "bit by bit" BBB lol
how's your writing coming along?

*clocking out*

aims accomplished today:

thesis outline/summary of :

chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 3

-
total number of hours studied = approximately 5 hours.

feeling tired and sleepy now, so calling it a day. i will finish the thesis map tommorow God willing.

Hi,
Bit by bit club! brilliant!!!!! How is your writing going today?? Mine is going very very slowly and think i will be up quite late tonight just trying to meet my aims for today!!! Still worrying a bit about everything that has gone on with my two supervisors!! I mustn't focus on it and i have to just get on with it but i am just starting to worry about which supervisor is right and i have this sinking feeling that if i go with the wrong one (i.e do or don't merge the chapters) it will affect if i manage to have something decent enough to submit in the end!! Oh well, must not worry and i must get something concrete done today!!!
Hope your work is going well

hey tractorgirl! i will join you in the midnight oil burning!!

i have to finish my thesis summary by tommorow morning!! that's my own personal deadline.

i totally understand about being piggy in the middle. there was this one time, i had a meeting with my two supervisors, and they were arguing with each other about, how results should just be description and the other one was saying, no we should put in some discussion in the results aswell.

i felt like the child and mommy and daddy were arguing! they wouldnt even ask my opinion but were literally arguing with each other.

i didnt know who was right! but felt sorry for 2nd supervisor, as she looked quite upset, as my main supervisor can be abit aggressive. her point was better though, and i agreed with her.

if i were you. i would go with the option of what i personally feel is right. and then just go with it, it really wont be as dramatic as you think, pass or fail. its just splitting or merging. every one will have an opinion about it. all you should care about is what YOU think and what the examiner will think.

remember this is YOUR thesis, at the end of the day, YOU decide on the organisation and content. they can simply advise you, but its the examiners that decide. not them. i assure you, you wont fail, based on whether you decide to merge or split. if worst case scenario if your examiner doesnt like it, he can suggest a correction. almost all phd thesis go through corrections. they wont fail you cause of one minor thing like that.

alot of my friends had to do major corrections, its uncommon to get a thesis passed without no corrections. the examiners are there to help you aswell. they are not sadistic dragons waiting to fail you. some examiners even go as far as helping the student improve the thesis, this happened to my friend. she had to completely rewrite and restructure her thesis. but the examiner helped her!


Patrick Dunleavy speaks about how no chapter should be more than 12,000 words.

if combining the chapters will make the chapters longer than this, then its best to split it up. so that its easier for the reader to follow and understand. as they say divide and conquer!

go with your own gutt instinct. and dont worry about anything else.

oh and in answer to your question, my writing is going at snail pace!!! lol