======= Date Modified 10 Sep 2008 11:03:43 =======
welcome Sheena!!! it's always a pleasure to have a new recruit!! good luck with your aims today (up) and lol at the fingers crossed comment. i look forward to hearing your updates on a regular basis :-) thanks for joining up!
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Tractorgirl, you are whizzing through your chapters!! that is brilliant finishing chapter 7, you are so there!! i cant wait to be the same position as you. you are definately motivating me to keep going. i just hope i get to finish my chapters in time. you really deserve to submit your thesis next week, you've worked so hard! i wished i had worked as hard as you last month, oh well, never too late i suppose. GOOD LUCK with the job interviews! let us know how you get on.
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Ruby thanks so much for your message! :-) i really appreciate the encouragment!! and thats great that your getting on well with the thesis now, well done (up)

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Armendaf, that is absolutely fantastic finding those "lost words" !! so glad to hear it fits so well, what a lucky find indeed!! good luck with the chapter.

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well my update from yesterday, in total i did 8 hours of productive hours. i've been looking through my "writing diary" and thats the maximum i can obtain on any day no matter what. but i didnt finish the discussion section of chapter 4. i wrote 1,167 words. but i did edit my discussion section from my 1st draft, and i know where to "slot" in the extra writing i am now doing, so its all planned out, which is good.

i wanted to stay up ALL NIGHT and push myself, but in the end i just couldnt do it. i even thought i would take a nap at 12.30am , but i kept extending the 15 minute powernap and in the end it was like 2am, and i still was too tired to get up again and continue writing. i have realised,that its just not possible, and i should just concentrate on getting as much done and realise i do need sleep to function. i heard that sleep is very important its when your brain is able to make connections and formulate ideas etc.

i must i must finish the discussion by early afternoon!! i am sticking myself to the chair, until it is done!!

i am starting the egg timer in the hopes it can speed me up. will pretend i am in an exam room!

i have 3 mini sections to write. have already written about 1000 words for the first section. and have about 30 papers to comment on. time to be speedy gonzales!!!

good luck everyone.
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Ruby and TG , love your talks about diagnosis murder, you two crack me up!!

and Ruby i had no idea that they were real father and son till you pointed it out and i watched it the other day and saw his name, so funny.

======= Date Modified 09 Sep 2008 00:58:33 =======

Hi guys :-) I am also calling it a night! clocking out for the day.

i just had a major reading session! 5 hours!! i've been reading since 7.30pm, the last time i clocked in. kept saying to myself, okay 15 more minutes than i will be done. just another 10 minutes. and then another hour would zoom past lol.

i have skimmed read 28 papers for the discussion. getting better at skimming papers, instead of getting bogged down by the intricate details, keep saying, blah blah, oooh that's interesting, *highlight* but now i just have absolutely no motivation or will power to do any writing of the stuff i've just read, and feeling abit hungry but more than that, feeling tired and my brain is now mush from all the reading..so calling it a day. i didnt meet my deadline for writing my discussion section by midnight, but oh well. will get it done tommorow. and i like Ruby's idea of artificial deadlines. they do work.

Thanks so much Tractogirl, Ruby and Armendaf for your wonderful and lovely encouraging messages! I would reply to you all individually, but feeling tired. But i really appreciated everything each one of you have said :-) you three are the best!! hehe

well i was contemplating in torturing myself and staying up all night to write the "extra" discussion stuff but i am way too tired, and you guys are always right in saying there's no point working when your tired.

Thanks Ruby about the comment about the examiners comments and not just padding, that made me feel better :-) and glad to know i'm not the only one that gets those comments. and i love elvis presley!!

Tractorgirl, you're so right, i didnt even think about how much we've accomplished in just a week. you're so very close to the finishing line, well done ! you really are inspiring me, to get finished too. and i also had to tell my friend i couldnt make it to his dinner party on saturday, he was dissapointed! and couldnt understand why i couldnt spare a few hours. but i know what i am like, it would have wasted a whole day and night.

Armendaf, glad to hear your tooth isnt giving you too much hassle. and am so impressed you lecture , very cool!! your comments regarding those "conversations" made me laugh.

okay see you folks tommorow for a marathon writing session!! i have all my material infront of me now to write my discussion, tommorow i just gotta glue myself and write it.
it will be nice to have the company , since its an intensive thesis day for you too! and TG no doubt will be around and Ruby too.

and ruby dont worry about falling asleep, i did that all the time!! trust me, every day after lunch time, i would take massive naps lol

goodnight folks :-)

apolagies for the stress/peeved ourburst. :$

i do feel better now that i've let it out.
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okay *puts all that stuff in a box and locks it until sunday*
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right update for today so far:

I have written 1296 words: based on all reviewers comments. and i am now going to find relevant papers to answer their questions and queries and comments, and so that should bulk up my discussion abit.

my deadline for writing extra stuff for the discussion chapter 4 is midnight tonight!!

i better get cracking.

short deadlines that i impose myself - works for me :p

======= Date Modified 08 Sep 2008 19:21:17 =======
ugh i'm going to have abit of a moan, everyone keeps asking me *when* i will finish my thesis, and the simple answer is I DONT KNOW!! i am not psychic. i can say, i would LIKE to finish by such and such a day, but you never know how long things take. and i am trying to impose deadlines on myself. but its stressig me out -when people keep asking me !!! and again with the, "are you on target" no im not on target now **** off. sorry just stressing out now. one of my dads friends son, (whos done a phd a couple of years ago) phoned up my dad to ask him and my dad just asked me, and its really really pissing me off :-s i said to my dad, tell him, i dont know and i will let everyone know, when i've finished.

its stressful enough trying to work on your thesis without having the extra burden of worrying whether you will get it done in time. its like you cant do both. you cant worry about meeting the deadline AND focus and think and write at the same time. its just not possible. so what i do, is when i am working and writing, i just block it out of my head, the 30th september deadline and i dont think about it. i just think about today, and what i need to do , today. but when people ask me, when i will finish my entire thesis, that really freaks and stresses me out. and it upsets me. i know they mean well when they ask,and arent doing it to stress me out. but it peeves me off.

okay i feel better now that i've let that out.

sorry rant over. its just sometimes i just want to cry thinking about how much i have to do and how little time i have left. but then i just force myself to focus on the task at hand. its not just the major stuff that needs to be done, but also the niggly little things that just seem to take a disporportiate amount of time too.

*takes a deep breath*

okay, going to continue working on the discussion section of chapter 4. and just block deadlines and all the other chapters and all the other things i have to do for my thesis out of my head.

oh and when i mean everyone, i mean the people out there (Friends and family) not you lot, you guys are great! :-) the only people that really understand and know exactly what to say to motivate and encourage me!! (up)

YIKES i only have 10 days left!!!!!!!!!!!! to finalise 6 chapters (chapter 7 : conclusions, will be a short chapter,so i aint counting that one!)

okay i wont panic yet, i will panic on sunday. i will postpone my panicking until sunday. till then, will try to get big chunks of the chapters done.

WOW Tractorgirl, you are a STAR!!! that is absolutely amazing!! i knew you would be able to meet the deadline! that is so great (up)

you've motivated me to try to get as much of my thesis done this week aswell. so will definately be joining you for the night shift.

but wow that really is great that chapter 7 has passed with only a few things to do, you must be so pleased. and looks like your phd thesis is practically done with just minor things to do now.

and thats super your planning on submitting next tuesday!

you must tell me what goes on the side of the spine of the thesis and the front cover, i have no clue lol. and in what order. all i know is PhD goes on the spine and your surname with your intial forename. dont know anything else.

well that is really great news about your thesis. you have nothing to worry about ! you're so close to the finishing line!!

Hi Ruby and Tractorgirl, aww you two are so nice, thanks so much for the positive messages regarding chapter 5. i really appreciate it :-)

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well i clocked in at around 12pm, and i have just been printing and sifting through my folders grabbing all my drafts and reading through the reviewers comments for my 2nd paper, to "improve" the discussion section. so i now have all my material infront of me. and i just have to add extra information to the discussion.
the discussion section for the paper is at around 800 words. my 1st draft of my discussion chapter is around 2000 words.
i think i want to add something like 2000-3000 words more and then i will be happy with that.

so my aim today: is add extra information to the discussion for chapter 4. there's quite alot to do, the reviewers comments have thrown up all sorts of things i need to address! so perhaps i wont get time to even touch chapter 3 discussion. so i am going to concentrate and finish discussion of chapter 4 today, and only allow myself one day. so deadline is tonight.

i'm feeling hungry now though, so going to get some lunch and then start writing! i wont worry about writing in order, but get the content down first and then figure out how to slot the extra info into the discussion section.

i think i will start with the reviewers comments first, as they are like "mini examiners" lol.

Ruby thats annoying about the low res thing. yeh just leave it for now, you can always replace it later.
TG hope your writing is going well for chapter 1.

Armendaf is probably busy lecturing.

Hello my budding phd writers! :-)

i am calling it a night aswell. I am going to be like ya'll and wake up early, well early for me is 8am!! so going to bed at a decent time tonight, will relax with a book in bed.

Ruby, your message made me laugh !! loved the whole metaphor of the slug cracked me up, and am so pleased to hear that i make you laugh i cant imagine when though lol. thanks for that!! :-)

Armendaf, like you said, it is sunday after all, and i did relax -abit too much perhaps!! naughty me!! oooooops hehehe. but i did drag my butt back to my computer at 11.30pm and spent about an hour finishing off the last papers that i wanted to include in my discussion and wrote 760 words, and i have now finished the 2nd draft of the discussion section! hurrah!! no more new writing needed for the discussion section.
BUT now -it needs MAJOR editing!! as its abit all over the place and i have repeated myself a few times no doubt! just to get the message across, i do tend to keep repeating things but in different ways. but i need to leave it for a few days, because right now i wont have the ability to cut anything out! as it took so long to write in the first place. so after a few days i will spend a few hours and transfer both the introduction and discussion section to final draft version. and also write up the results section from my scrappy papers, but will do that later on in the week. need to work on the other chapters!!!

Tractorgirl, good for you for getting the abstract done!

and i agree we should definately celebrate once we're all done! you lot are just so amazing, i dont know what i would do without you, it just feels so nice to know you're all working and kinda motivates me to do the same. and you all are so encouraging and positive and supportive! :-) its just easier to talk to people who are going through the exact same thing. its like when hostages bond lol we're all bonding over a stressful experience!!

Armendaf, that is so cool you listening to the proms whilst reading. i love the proms, i went last year it was so amazing!! if you go a few hours before, you que up for ages, but you can get a standing ticket for £5, i went with my friend and we went to the top and it felt like as if we were in the past when poor people had to stand in the back to listen to the proms and the rich artistocrats were seated down below lol hehehe it was great though! had fantastic time, was very cool atmosphere at the balcony, people just lying down or sitting on the floor,and the music just enveloping you. never forget it.

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well chapter 5 is finally done in rough version!!! it needs tidying up and i still need to type up my results from my scrappy papers. but the content and the thinking part is done hurrah! God how long did i spend on chapter 5! i shudder to think!!

but tommorow, i am going to work on the discussion section of chapter 4 and 3... and hopefully finish them both in one day, most of the discussion of both chapters is already written, because i nicked it from my two papers, but need to rewrite it so dont get in trouble for plagerism and need to add MORE content to both discussions to make it more like a thesis so will trawl for papers etc. but i wont spend more than a day on this, as need to get moving.

i think i am done for today. i cant face any more writing or reading. i am not sleepy but i want to start afresh tommorow.

okay so tommorows aim wake up early!!!

see you folks tommorow :-)

okay its 4.40 and i said i would finish my discussion section by 4pm, but i still need to do abit more writing, i have 7 papers left for me to mention in my discussion.

but right now, i dont have any motivation to do any more writing, so i am going to take a break and take that bath :-). and finish off the writing this evening. i was hoping to get started on a discussion for chapter 3 today. but i think that may have been pushing my luck!

so my aim today is to finish off my 2nd draft of the discussion section. once its in 2nd draft format, i will then leave it for a few days and then do the editing to it etc.

total words written today = 1967 words

i wish i was a robot and could just sit here finishing off the last writing on the 7 papers, but unfortunately i am not :p


how is everyone's sunday going?