Hi clairaN

I'm sorry to hear that you're having a tough time atm. It's horrible when things like this happen, and all too often, life gets in the way of the PhD and what you're trying to do.

I have no revolutionary advice, but the first thing you need to do is take a deep breath. You've got a lot going on and everyone goes through periods of their PhDs when they feel like they're making no progress and beat themselves up about it. From what you've said, it actually sounds like you're doing quite a lot: sending abstracts; finalising your survey; and starting writing a paper - recognise this and give yourself a break. You're also being proactive by making the long journey into uni to try to sort out your supervisor issues. Well done!

So, it seems like you're doing a lot. Maybe you really need to prioritise what you want to work on. Do you want to write? In which case, have you tried restricting your time at the desk? Rather than sitting down and staring at the computer screen for hours, use pomodoros (20 min timer sessions) and only allow yourself to sit there for an hour or so at a time. Write! Write anything - it doesn't matter if it's rubbish. I always found that just getting something down would help, even if I scrap it all later.

If you need to get your survey out, what did the people at university say about your supervisor? Do you have a second supervisor? Maybe it's worth going in and spending more time finding out what you should do about that.

I don't know if that helps, but I really think you're probably doing more than you realise. It felt like I had vast gaps of time when I wasn't making progress, but I am getting there. Let me know if you need anything else and good luck

=D

Well done, Grumpy. Sounds like you're doing great and definitely doing the right things to look after yourself (such as taking a break from here if it's not helping).

You've all been such a wonderful help and support here for me in the past few months. So, I just wanted to let you all know that I submitted last week!!! I have to say to everyone: do keep going - it feels amazing to have submitted and well worth all the pain and heartache!

Keep going everyone, you can do it!!!!

Hey, Grumpy. It's great to hear that you're doing so well and well done for getting to this point!! It really is an achievement.

As other people have said, everyone is a bit different. It depends what state it's in when you send it, how fast you work, how big the alterations that are advised are etc.
I sent my full draft to my supes on 8 May. They took approximately 2 weeks to feedback. And I submitted last week on 25 June!!!! =D

My final final deadline was 30 June, so I made sure to leave a good week (10 days actually) for printing and binding and any hiccups that might bring.

All in all, I think it's definitely do-able. I had only very minor typo suggestions etc from my supes, but there were some bigger alterations that I chose to do before finally submitting. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect (and nothing ever is). I submitted knowing that there are still issues and problems with my final draft, but in a way, that's what a viva and corrections are for (and it still won't be perfect after that!). I must add that the final formatting and making everything 'look pretty' and be nice and accessible for my examiners took longer than I thought and was really fiddly. But in the end, I think that was worth the work.

Well done again for getting so far. Good luck for the next few months. You can do it! And remember you can message me any time you want. xx

I completely agree with TreeofLife. My academic writing was rather rubbish when I started my PhD (and my supervisor made no bones out of telling me how crap I was). But just getting the student to churn out large amounts of bad writing is not a way to get them to develop their writing skills. Reading other academic scholars, attending an academic writing course, etc. would be more productive, as well as giving him/her more time to write, redraft, edit, and learn how the process of writing works for them.

If it's just about improving the writing, I think what is happening seems highly counter-intuitive and counter-productive.

I'm not sure what other people's experiences are, but this seems like an awful lot. I don't know anyone who's had to produce 20 pages for each supervision. What rationale have you been given for this? In my first year, I had supervisions with one or other of my supervisors approximately once a month. I only brought a list of items for discussion and then after the meeting I would circulate minutes to both my supervisors.

You definitely need to speak to them. Find out why they are asking you to do this and explain your situation. They may have good reasons for it, but you need to know, and you need to have times to develop your thoughts and skills.

Good luck

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

done. Interesting. Good luck!

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. I hope everyone is doing ok. Caro - I hope you get your results section sorted today, or at least make good progress there. Marg, sometimes thinking days are much needed. Hopefully you'll be able to get some of those ideas down on paper/computer screen today.

I don't know what's wrong with me!!! I've really not got that much to do, but I've only got 10 days until I have to take it to the binders and I'm just a ball of excitement, confusion, and zero motivation! I'm so close, and yet I feel so excited, I'm just not doing what I need to do!!! Does anybody else ever have this problem, perhaps with papers/presentation/previous dissertations etc.? I feel like such an idiot at the minute. The excitement is not helped by the fact that I'm going on my first proper holiday in ages just after submission, so I'm excited at the prospect of submission and the holiday!

I guess one thing I've definitely learned about myself doing this phd is that I have to have a certain amount of pressure in order to get things done. If I don't have deadlines, I just coast. *sigh* Oh well, I'm off to make (another) cup of tea and search for my motivation.

Good luck guys! I hope you're all more motivated than me (it wouldn't take much) ;)

Hi all. Great to see some new people joining on here. Just to let you all know that I'm still here and I'm not ignoring you. I have to submit by end of June so all my attention is taken up with that.

Keep going everyone - we can all do it! =D
Take care and speak soon. g

done

I'm preparing to submit and I just spoke to one of my supervisors. She said to make sure that I have something to do and fill my time with after I submit. She says the feeling is like post-natal depression!!!!

It's a real thing and I think it's natural and probably everyone goes through it. I also think most people can find mistakes/problems when they look back at the finished document. I know that most of my friends have and some even cringe at their completed thesis just a little bit on from completing.

I know it's hard, but try not to worry and find something to fill your time. Good luck! :)

Hey Tulip

Good to hear from you. I've done ok with referencing, but it's been hard to stick with it and concentrate cos I'm still in my little limbo zone! :) One of my supes is sending me feedback today and the other one seems to have gone AWOL at this really convenient time!

Oh well, at least it's the supervisor who will give me the most useful feedback who I'm still in contact with.

Good luck with your lit review and have a great weekend. G

Congratulations and thanks for the great advice!