======= Date Modified 28 Jan 2010 11:23:19 =======
Yesterday I wanted to:

Why does Word seem to save everything I do twice? I usually access my work through the 'recent documents' bit and there's always two copies saved there, with no ostensible difference between them.

Any clue?!

I'm falling behind a bit this week as the bloody conference proposal is taking longer than I thought humanely possible. So today I need to get the following done before I leave today, by hook or by crook:

1. Read one chapter OR appropriate sections from Book x, whichever is best
2. Edit and send off chapters to second supervisor.

======= Date Modified 25 Jan 2010 15:45:24 =======
Thanks Mathkitty! It doesn't feel that way at all and my first year was a bit of a write off but it's nice to feel like I'm slowly getting there. Hope you've had a good week.
1) Finish Troilus and Cressida. DONE
2) Find and read primary source X
3) Reply to e-mails/ send e-mails to people met at conference DONE
4) Ask sup which publication (big or small) I should realistically go for. If big, start planning how to expand paper. If small, start expanding paper! DONE (answer was 'both'!)
5) Plan lesson and teach 'Kim' DONE
6) Read and research 'Heart of Darkness' almost read
7) Start filling in conference grant application - needs to be sent off next week DONE

This week I really need to remember thereason I'm here-to write a thesis!- and concentrate on getting primary reading done. So:
1)Send chapters off to second supervisor
2)Find sources for play Y and try to find/list/read, if short, if not just work out summary
3)Plan lesson and teach
4)Finish conference grant application by 29th
5) Adapt conference paper into article and have ready to send off next week- discuss extra secondary material/more close reading/ make fit with journal CFP/reference.

I'm completely evangelical about this website :-x I told a friend about it and he told all his fellow PhDers in his dept and now they're all addicted. He's been attending lectures for the class he teaches and he said he caught another TA with mytomatoes on her iphone, counting the lecture as 2 tomatoes!
You're all counting tomatoes as in one per 25 minutes right? If so, I do about 10 on average every day. My aim is to get to 16 which would mean 8 hours work every day; I'd be very happy with that. But as others have said, even if you only do a few a day at least you know they are mounting up. I used to do something like 10 minutes work and 20 minutes staring at websites and then think 'great, half an hour's work done!'

Hi Tired,

I didn't do a Master's but can hopefully give you some advice from doing my PhD. First of all, stop listening to your peers/flatmate. Time out is absolutely essential whan you're working so hard. My supervisor is the most efficent and productive person I know but he spends every weekend with his partner and baby son and won't answer a single e-mail. If you have nothing to fill your spare time then there is no urgency-why bother doing the work this morning when I've got all night too? It's about establishing a routine, never mind the emotional support you need from friends and family.
My advice to you, if you haven't done this already, is write yourself up some really in-depth but realistic plans for the remainder of your Master's. It might take you some time but it's so important that you know what needs done every day so you feel like you are getting through it. I write monthly plans for the coming 6 months, then I write weely plans in advance and daily plans every day. Make sure these are realistic- I can't stress that enough. There's no point in making plans if you've no hoping of achieveing them. Once you have a structured schedule you can clearly see when you'll have time to spend with your boyfriend and won't have to feel so guilty.
I say the same thing to everybody but mytommatoes.com is invaluable too. It's like an online egg-timer which goes off after every 25 minutes. You write down what you've done, have a 5 minute break and then get back to it. Set yourself a target of tomatoes every day; make it small to begin with if you're struggling to work. Then gradually increase until you're doing a solid few hours work every day.
Although I didn't do a Master's I've seen first hand how demanding they are, sometimes worse than a PhD. However, I truly believe it's possible to have some kind of a life outside, you just have to be ultra organized. You might not get as much time off as people working a 'normal' job, but you can achieve some sort of balance.
Hope I've helped and good luck.

Hey KB,

1. I would not try and work from home every day, figuring that I was saving myself 2 hours of travelling time but not gettng anything done.
2. I would not panic like crazy every time I tried to write something because I assumed it was going to be crap.
3. I would have created some kind of realistic weekly/monthly plans rather than drifting along.
4. I would not have shied away from 'networking' opportunities.
5. I would not have been late/missed any supervision meetings.

What a model PhD student I was!! Luckily I've managed to turn some of those around now...about time!

So strange, I was just thinking exactly the same thing earlier!
I study literature and furthermore I'm actually focusing on inter-personal relationships, on love and all that sort of stuff *vague* I've always been very analytical by nature but I really do feel like I'll never look at the world in the same way again *vague and dramatic* and it's kind of sad. I'm a far more sorted person than I was a year and a half ago, much more confident and independant, but it's kind of sad to think that so much vulnerability has gone-my 'soft' side if you like.
As for being self-absorbed.. it doesn't sound to me like that's your problem. In fact if you're anything like me it's more that you see yourself more objectively now.

Cheers all,

I had an early night and an M & S chocolate pud last night and am feeling much better today. Too busy to be sad for too long anyway - PhD is turning me into what the Daily Mail would call a 'career-focused ice queen' :p Onwards!

Done...I feel awful and quite sad, but better than letting things continue, right? :-(

Thanks you two,

I will bite the bullet and do it tonight. I don't think he's going to be happy- he's normally a very nice guy but last time I tried to end it he asked if I was seeing someone else *rolls eyes*. But I barely have time to see my closest friends at the moment, never mind men I'm not sure about. Thanks Mathkitty I wasn't aware of the 'off-topic' thing- move it if you like mods.

Here goes nothing...

======= Date Modified 20 35 2010 14:35:55 =======
========== This thread had been moved ==========
============= Edited by a Moderator =============
Hi guys,

This is probably the wrong place to come for this kind of advice (sorry mods) but we've had hair and Twilight dilemmas so I'm hoping you won't mind. I started dating a guy a while ago. I liked him but I wasn't blown away and I didn't have much spare time so I ended up calling it a day. It took quite a while for him to 'let' me do this. He kept saying it could work so I'd give it another try but in the end I had to put my foot down.
Now comes the stupid part. After about a month of not seeing him he asked me out for a drink and I went. I do find him very attractive and I never really stopped liking him so I guess I just wanted to see if I'd been wrong about him. Well, you can see where this is going. It's a few weeks on now and I'm feeling exactly the same way I did the first time round. I need to end it once and for all but I know I've been horrible and indecisive and I don't know what to say to him....Any ideas?

I know I've been very stupid :$

Thanks guys,

Uber-confident suck-uppery is the way forward! I was plesantly surprised to receive a couple of e-mails saying hello to little old me this morning so it's given me the push to e-mail all the others. This is the kind of thing my sup has been trying to get me to do for ages - my second sup told me last year that I needed to 'put myself out there more'! So I think they'll be pleased.

1) Read sup's comments on paper, adjust as necessary, practice reading out loud and present at conference on Saturday. DONE.
2) Meet to talk about conference grant- is actually happening this week! DONE
3) Go to MPP guidance session and teacher training day 1st DONE, 2nd postponed.
4) Briefly research Kim for class and re-read Heart of Darkness. 1st DONE, 2nd not finished
5) Read Troilus and Cressida (play) Half : (

Last week was really good for me, I gave a surprisingly succesful paper and am feeling on top of the world : D. But, back to earth. This week:

1) Finish Troilus and Cressida.
2) Find and read primary source X
3) Reply to e-mails/ send e-mails to people met at conference
4) Ask sup which publication (big or small) I should realistically go for. If big, start planning how to expand paper. If small, start expanding paper!
5) Plan lesson and teach 'Kim'
6) Read and research 'Heart of Darkness'
7) Start filling in conference grant application - needs to be sent off next week.

======= Date Modified 18 Jan 2010 11:07:00 =======
Hi Fred,

I agree with what Badgerspy said about the girl- go for it! There's nothing at all unusual about going for a coffee with someone in your institution, it's her problem if she assumes otherwise! I've been asked out by two guys after conferences. Scarily similiar tactics actually... After the post-conference drink they both asked to walk me to my train and then came straight out and asked if I'd like to do something another time. Something developed with both of them (separately... I'm really starting to sound like a complete floozy...), I was flattered and it was fun. I like to think that if I spy someone in the future I like I'd do the same thing, although I'm not saying it's easy. If they're at your university or studying for a PhD you've already got something in common which helps to strike up a conversation. Good luck Fred and *Cilla* 'Let us know how you get on'.