Hey Pineapple! I'm not sure that looking at the guidelines for 'how not to do a PhD' should be part of your prep! Seriously though, you really have to focus on the strengths and be aware of the weaker areas so that you will be able to discuss them when they inevitably come up. Hopefully showing the examiners that you are already aware of the weaknesses and have already made some decisions about how you could correct them will make them realise that you submitted under a lot of time pressure and therefore weren't able to give it your absolute best shot, but that you know where you've gone wrong. With any luck, if they see that, they will give you the chance to make the revisions. I think it's a great idea to get out of the house- try to get some exercise and fresh air, it will do you so much good. And remember that you really are doing everything you can do at this stage, so try to focus on that and not give yourself a hard time. You're one tough cookie, so keep it up! Best, KB

Hey Sunflower! I can empathize with this- most of my PhD is quantitative but I did a small qualitative study as well. I had no experience with interviewing for qualitative research and my first few interviews were pretty poor as well. To be honest, in terms of the analysis I couldn't afford not to use them, and when I got down to doing the first step of the analysis I realised that there was still a lot of useful information in them. I think as long as you've learnt from these interviews then I wouldn't worry too much about it- it is very easy even for an experienced interviewer to look back and realise what the next question should have been, or which answers should have been pursued further, but that is just a normal part of the process. I wouldn't labour the point that your first few interviews were a bit dodgy in your write-up, it is likely to invite unwanted questions! I would imagine that in all qualitative studies some interviews will inevitably go better than others- some participants just give a much better interview than others as well as the fact that the researcher's skills have an effect. By the time you have done the analysis it is unlikely that this will be evident anyway. What type of analysis are you doing? I guess 'dodgy' interviews might have more of an effect with some types of analysis than others, and depending on how many participants you have altogether. Best, KB

Well done! Really pleased for you! KB

Done! Good luck! KB

I would do it yourself, but try to have a break from your thesis before you do it. If you don't, it's easy to read what you're expecting to read and not notice small typos or repeated words etc. I recently got the proofs back for an article i had accepted for publication, and when I read it there were quite a few typos that I spotted instantly. I thought, there's no way I submitted it with that many mistakes in it (especially since my sup had read the final version), and I went back to look at my manuscript. Sure enough, I had made those mistakes and neither myself nor my crazy proof-reading sup had noticed them- we were just too familiar with what we thought the text said to notice the mistakes. So def take a break first if you have the time! Best, KB

Hey Mick! I think it will depend on whether she has already seen the chapters or whether she is looking at them for the first time. One of my supervisors is very quick to give feedback on a single chapter/paper (usually about 1-5 days, very rarely over 10 days) whereas my other sup would need at least 1 month to comment on one chapter (hence I don't give him things- I mainly rely on my primary sup). So it depends upon the individual sup and how many drafts of each chapter they have already seen. When is your deadline? Are you waiting on feedback from more than one sup? Best, KB

Hey again! Sorry- I think we posted at exactly the same time so I hadn't seen your last post when I wrote my last post! It really does sound like you're nearly there- and to be honest, it doesn't matter who your sup is- if your work is PhD worthy then you're okay. If she says you need to do a lot more work and you know you've done as much as people in other labs who have passed, then seek another opinion. You might well need a third results chapter to be sure you've done enough, but you can get that done. The money thing will be tough, and you'll have to find a PhD-work-life balance that works for you, but it will be doable if you don't have that much PhD left to do. Keep plugging away. KB

Hey Caffeined! Well on the plus side it sounds as though you have a good relationship with your second supervisor, although it also sounds like he is a bit cautious about saying anything that might contradict your first sup (my sups are a bit like that- my second is scared of my first!). I completely understand the thing about going blank in front of your first sup as you're so nervous- it's not surprising given the situation. Is there any way you can get your second sup more involved and ask him about what you can do to ensure you get your PhD? Or maybe your academic sup could give you a less biased verdict of where you're up to and whether you need to do anything extra? I think you're right to go and see him/her- one thing I would do is to ask that your meeting is confidential. I once saw my PhD chairperson about issues I was having with my supervisor being extremely difficult and my sup found out I was going to have a meeting with my chairperson before it even happened, and went up to speak to her right before my meeting with her to make sure she got the first word in! I was fuming! But you know what- it still sounds like you are most of the way there and I think you have enough fight in you to keep slogging until you get there. I reckon if you can find someone else who is prepared to be involved with your thesis and give you some guidance though to the submission stage then you'll be okay- you've come too far to give up on it. Hope your meeting goes well, it won't be the first time they've heard about problems with supervisors! Good luck! KB

Hey Pineapple! Although it must be sooo stressful for you right now I'm guessing you will also be very relieved just to get this thing over with and out of the way. I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like you've done a really good job of your research and have demonstrated the thoroughness of your research and also its originality- two very big issues that will count in your favour. It sounds like you've done enough work- 4 long results chapters sounds great. So it looks like the main thing you're worried about are the more theoretical aspects- your lit reviews and discussion. I would think those sorts of issues could be dealt with through corrections- I don't think you will completely fail if the standard of your research is good enough. I think you need to focus on the strong points, and be aware of the weaknesses, and go in there feeling as confident as you can (I know, that's probably hard for even the most confident of people!) and show them why you deserve your PhD. Loads of luck going your way! KB

Hey! I recently had to do a 5 minute presentation for an academic job interview, and you're really looking at only about 3-4 slides max. So I would very briefly outline the rationale and the methodology (in about 1 minute!) and concentrate on the results and conclusions (including implications of the research and possibilities for future research). I really don't think you'll have time for anything else- and probably they are just more interested in seeing you stand up and present than hearing all the details of your project, other wise there wouldn't have been the option of talking about something else. If they want more details, they'll ask afterwards anyway! Good luck! KB

Hey Caffeined- sounds like you started your PhD exactly the same time as I did! I am the ultimate pessimist when it comes to myself, I just can't help it, so I know how you're feeling. But the thing that jumps out at me about your post is that you don't seem to have any idea what these alternatives might be- of course, you might have just not elaborated on what your sup said on your post- but could it be that the alternatives are nothing as devastating as not getting your PhD? Perhaps your sup has an idea for how you could collect more data, or conduct another study that would ensure you have enough data? If you've got good data, a good story, and it's publishable then that's great- sounds like you're most of the way there. I hear what you're saying about not being able to fund a 4th year- is there any way you could take on a part time job after your funding runs out and finish your PhD part time? From what you've said, it sounds like you've done a lot of the hard work and it would be a real shame not to finish it off and get the award that's within your grasp. I would wait and see what these 'alternatives' are. I can also relate to having difficulties with your sup- mine is 100% jekyll and hyde, and probably when you've finished your work with her you'll want to move on. But again, if you don't have too much left to do would you be able to tolerate her for a little longer? I think you need to get the full verdict (and possibly a second opinion) before you make any decisions! Best, KB

Hey! Telling you that you're too old to do a PhD at 30 is absolute rubbish! I'm doing a PhD and am 30 next year, and there are loads of people on this forum who are much older than that- some in their 50s I think. You can never be too old to start! What did you score on your masters thesis? If your research grade was really low then this might be the reason for your rejection- after all, the PhD is all about research. Are you looking for a funded position for your PhD or are you planning to self fund? Again, this will have a big effect on whether you are accepted. Best, KB

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Hey! I really feel for you- I have a supervisor who can also be extremely difficult and downright out of order at times, and I also suffer from anxiety and depression (bipolar disorder). It is not a good combination. In my case, fortunately my PhD has progressed reasonably well and I will be able to see it through to the end, but I am praying that funding turns up in another team for a post-doc because I recognise that this woman is so bad for my mental health, and so does everyone else in the vicinity. In your case it sounds like your sup is more intolerable than mine, and it's going to be v tough for you to be around her for another couple of years. Exactly what work have you done so far and how much do you have left to do? To be honest, I think if you start over you will have to be realistic and realise that it will be very tough to finish in 20 months starting from scratch. So if you do decide to make the move, then make it with your eyes open and expect that you will probably need at the very least 2.5 years. It dpeends a bit on what field you are in as well, obviously. I think you are right to consider your options, and if you really cannot take any more of your sup then it might be worth jumping ship and considering other possible sources of funding to give you enough time to finish, but I would do that bit before you jump! Best, KB

Hey Ev. Sorry to hear you've been having a rough time, sounds like you've been through a lot. Glad you've returned to the forum. Don't worry about your colleagues- I left a post on here the other day about bursting into tears in front of my sup and other team members- and none of them have made me feel uncomfortable about it, however embarrassed I was at the time (and still am!). Make sure you look after yourself and don't put yourself under too much pressure if you're having a hard time. Sounds like you're feeling better anyway, which is a great thing :) Best, KB

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Haha, that's true- if he can beat me at something he makes sure he does, usually completely mercilessly! Maybe I should stop worrying about it after all and enjoy the 'victory' of the IQ test! The issue has actually subsided a bit over the last few weeks- he's applying for a new training course and I think he feels a bit more confident that it will help him find a job he actually wants to do, and that will use his qualifications, so things are better. I feel a bit guilty about even posting the above because he's so lovely and thoughtful, and very understanding about PhD stresses and strains...sometimes I think he's too nice for me lol! But glad to hear I'm not the only one who's faced the IQ challenge! And you are right, I will make more of an effort to make use of his strengths as well- there are lots of things I'm rubbish at so it shouldn't be too hard to find something he can help me with! KB