and why is your nickname 404 and are you a girl or a boy?

404, what are you up to today? what have you got planned and why are you bored? is it cause you rather be outside doing something fun, but are stuck at the computer having to work on your phd? it seems like a lovely day, blue sky, i wish i could be outside!!!

i am bored of my conclusions chapter. im writing it and in my head im like to myself 'yeah whatever, who cares what your bleedin thesis is showing' but i must prevail i gotta get it done within the next 30 mins! okay break over.

Hi SillySally, you are definately not alone!!
a draft is a DRAFT, its not meant to be the final perfect polished version. it can be improved, it aint over till you stop trying. they should give you constructive critisisim to improve it. nothing is AWFUL, if you handed in a one line sentence than yeh that would be bad, but you gave it your best shot, and thats whats important.

my sups always said all my drafts were rubbish, and i know they will say my final thesis is completely crap, but i just gotta try my best really.

but you just keep going back to them and improving them. you will get there. it just takes time. the only difference between a good piece of writing and a bad one, is that the good one has gone through several different drafts.

leave it for a day or so and then go back to it and read the feedback they have given you. if they have just given you a blanket "its awful" rewrite, that is not helpful, and you should ask them for constructive critisism as to how to improve it.

dont take it personally when they say it, its not a reflection on you as a person.

Hi Girls!! so nice to have you two as company and Armendaf too! no doubt he's busy typing away!
Ruby you really make me laugh :-) thanks for your message, yah it definately feels good to have chapter 5 in the bag!
thanks so much for your advice last night about getting some ZZZzzzzz i feel so much better now, and rearing to go. last night i finished writing some extra stuff for chapter 7, but by the time i hit 6am, i felt sick, so i couldnt do it anymore, and had no willpower or motivation. so i went to sleep, i was planning on only sleeping for 2 hours, but i didnt hear my alarm, eventually got up at 12.40. and now i feel refreshed. sleep is really important. so even though i've lost 6 hours through sleeping. i will actually be able to work better today. i needed to sleep. one of my dad's friends son, said to me, to just stay up all weekend and get all the chapters done (he's done his phd) but i just couldnt do it. i'm not a robot !

Pari, your message made me laugh. i like that acronym. yes indeed let the marathon session begin!

Armendaf, i hope you are okay.

my aims for today:
1. chapter 7: spend maximum an hour on this.
2. chapter 1 introduction: cut out irrevelant stuff, add a few sections and finalise
3. chapter 2: methods: add one major section and extra details

chapter 6 i will work on tommorow and the appendix.

good luck everyone!

======= Date Modified 20 Sep 2008 04:14:30 =======
i say quit ! if the phd is making you feel that unhappy and miserable, it's not worth it. life is way too short to be stuck doing something that is making you feel that worried. there's so much to life. find something you do enjoy and go for that. its best to quit in the first year. i wish i had!!! then i wouldnt be up at this ungodly hour trying to finish chapters in a ridiculous short space of time.

but on the other hand, dont pay attention to the guy that said you look abit lost, all first year phd students are lost in their first year! you learn as you go along, thats all part of it.

ultimately the decision will be yours. just its not the end of the world if you decide to not pursue doing a phd anymore. it only gets harder

whatever you decide, i wish you the best! the world is your oyster, loads of things you can do! draw up a pro and cons list of staying and quitting. and perhaps discuss with your supervisor your concerns..

======= Date Modified 20 Sep 2008 04:08:33 =======

======= Date Modified 19 Sep 2008 21:48:26 =======
Hi Ruby! i love your monologues, they really make me laugh! :-) and glad you like sleepy hollow too! i agree its a brilliant film! and 8 pages edited, fantastic progress well done you! and lol at the fish story hahahaha
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Armendaf, i will be joining you for the writing marathon this weekend, so you have me as company! i also have the ultimate deadline on monday too! so lets do it grrrr (battle face).
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Pari, loved the story about your dad and why its called a doctorate of philosopy, that is so sweet :-) and you're so right! thanks for sharing that with us, and of course we missed you, you're like our very own cheerleader!!
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well i havent quite finished chapter 5, my discussion is abit disjointed and it doesnt flow well and i keep jumping topics and then coming back to them again several pages later! so i printed it all out, and using the carpenter and archictect to fix it!
i have to finish my entire thesis by monday! no joke!! i have to confront my sup and demand that he sign my exam entry forms. but the only way im going to be able to do that, if i say that my thesis *is* completed. if he still refuses, than i have to phone the admin at my own university and ask him what the hell shall i do.

so i have to get all the chapters wrapped up as best as i can by monday morning. so no sleep for me this weekend! i wonder how many days a person can surivive without sleep? i'm literally running against the clock!!

my plan for tonight:

1. discussion section chapter 5

2. intro section chapter 5

3. conclusion chapter 7

4 chapter 1 intro

5 chapter 2 methods

then i will sleep for a few hours and then go onto chapter 6, at this stage, its gonna be my worst chapter, which i dont mind cause i personally dont think it shoudl even go in my thesis but my sup insisted that i should put it in.

okay will update as soon as chapter 5 is done. im working on my bed now.

======= Date Modified 19 Sep 2008 01:42:11 =======
Hi guys! so happy to hear other people are up at this unGodly hour! i am working at snail pace! but i wont go to bed until i get chapter 5 done!!

good luck you all. and i am too clocking in for the graveyard shift.

Chris, i did that yesterday worked from my bed, Dale Carnegie once said to prevent being tired, sit as comfortably as you can!

Wal, wow lectures eh good luck with that.

and procrastipro, good luck with the 1200 words!
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my aims for the night shift are:
1. finish results section
2. edit discussion section
3. edit introduction section
and finalise chapter 5. once and for all!!

Hi Armendaf, that sounds great that you finished another section, way hey! you are getting there!! great stuff. I dont blame you for feeling depressed, that is totally understandable. Yep, just show him everything you have done, and he will realise how seriously hard you have been working. and i am sure together you can sort it out. it's not over till it's over! so good luck! and hope you get a good night sleep. good luck for tommorow!!
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i'm still working on the results section at snail pace, but getting there word by word. i have "sleepy hollow" on in the background, great film! so it's keeping me awake and motivated to stay glued to my chair. i should get it done within the next 30minutes hopefully! then will take a break for food and relax abit.

======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2008 23:19:40 =======
Hi Ruby :-) nice to hear from you. this thread was quiet today! sounds like a really nice working environment, thats so important. so what does your job entail?

see you tommorow :) hope you have a good night. and lol at scary robot woman hahaha
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today i have been very slow and crap! still havent finished the results section of chapter 5. i'm being really rubbish!! i've run out of steam. but i've got plenty of glue so i'm not moving until i get it done grrrrr and then take a break and get the discussion section done and then introduction. i HAVE to get chapter 5 done today!!! (battle face):-s

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Hey Armendaf, hope you managed to wrap everything up and good luck with your meeting tommorow! let us know how it goes. i have faith and confidence in you, that you can get it done!!
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anyone else out there working tonight?

lol 404, are you procrastinating by any chance??

nice idea! i will be a frequent visitor:p

reading your description of your thesis, sounds like a great amount of work! and sounds fine to me, i would be very suprised if they failed your upgrade! i am sure you will be upgraded to phd status. and your sup does suggest , just a few field work things to do for phd status.

i completely bombed my mphil viva and report! it was complete shite, the thesis itself was rubbish and i didnt know much of the viva questions, but i still got transferred, which was shocking!

just be confident and say you will get all the stuff required for phd done, and you will be fine and dandy!

based on the desciption of your thesis, it sounds more like a phd than a mphil transfer report. im very impressed by the amount of hard work you have done. makes my phd thesis at the moment seem like a middle school science report!

impressive stuff pineapple, you have nothing to worry about!(up)