okay me going to sleep now. see you all later on today.

well done tractor girl for meeting your aims !
good luck with todays aims.

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met my aims.

recieved an email from my second sup. she wants a thesis outline summary for each chpater, and paragraph as shes really busy and doesnt have time to read my 1st draft. she also said my chapter 5 results section was very simple. so maybe she might give me some pointers.

so todays aim:

1. a detailed summary of entire thesis (thesis map): by chapters, sections, paragraphs. do bullet points/1 or two sentence(s)

2. add extra results and info that was not included in 1st draft, into the "thesis map"

8 years maximum is for full time student aswell. check your uni regulations hand book. contact the student representative and welfare advisor. tell them you need 3 more months.

its a rare graduate school that will be that beaurocratic! i cant spell the word lol

In the light of your Brief, we can persuade your supervisor to agree a suitable extension. He can then explain the circumstances to your UNI to waive termination. This will all be in order and within the scope of the Regulations. [Please just make 100% sure that the max 2-year extension on account of the interruptions is in addition to the 8-year period of study allowed for part-time students. This is critical, repeat critical]

Take ‘termination of Registration’ out of your mind. It is a matter of standard practice that you first go to your supervisor for any problem. He has to be helpful. All Rules and Regulations are meant essentially for the benefit of students, to safeguard their interest."

here is some information my uncle had found out for me, during his case against the university for his son.

"8 years are the maximum allowed for PhD (without the 2 years declared interruptions) in the UK Regulation starting 2000-01

suggest you prepare a Brief on the events and activities by year and right up-to-date over the past eight years. This brief should be no more than 1 A-4 page summary highlighting with key words how you kept yourself busy and whether and what were the “interruptions” which obviously prolonged your ‘period of study’.

You will find that your Brief will clear your thoughts, present options and also guide your actions. It will also help you deal suitably with your UNI particularly for a reasonable extension in time for thesis submission relying on the interruptions which your summary will bring forth.

i wrote a confidential report, to the university, student representative, and to the postgraduate tutor, telling them all of this history. and asked them for an extention. they gave me a month extention, but that is all. (initially they told me to submit by 1st sept).

im not sure about suing, but i know in regulations, you have 8 years.

so since its only been 6 years, they cant terminate your registration, legally.

my uncle had a similar situation with his son, and he read all the university regulations. his son was actually terminated! it was a long case.

my advice, deal with this NOW. not afterwards. contact as many people as you think , contact welfare advisor, student union representative etc etc

i am in a very similar situation as you!

i was given a letter by my uni to tell me to submit by sept 30th, or i will fail by default.

if i dont submit a thesis, they will terminate my student registration and i fail by default.

legally, a phd student is given 8 years to submit.

my 8th year is up exactly sept 30th.

my first year was discounted, i had to start again in my 2nd year, then the next 3-4 years were wasted on another crappy project, i only really started my phd, in 2005.

*they* always do. but i think finishing your phd *should* be your main aim and priority.

i've heard many cases of supervisors using students to do other work and making it sound like a *good* idea. until crunch time the student gets a letter from the university telling them they MUST submit their phd thesis or else!

a friend of mine got such a letter about a month ago and she has to submit by august, or fail. and her supervisor is *STILL* insisting on her writing papers and doing a bunch of other stuff!!

no one but you will consider your phd your priority, i've learnt that myself. its your phd, so you gotta be selfish and say no. i have to concentrate on my phd..

lol nice to see you so excited!!! that's really great!! i know, i've had that feeling on a minor scale, when i found a research article that explains things, i usually highlight it heavy with "excellent review" big smiley faces lol

my aims:

1. print out all 6 chapters of 1st draft

2. make a new plan for the deadline ***15th August***

3. make a plan for the rest of the week.

4. choose which chapter to do next and make a spiderdiagram and organise files and folders and papers needed for chapter.

5. tidy up study room. its a mess folders and papers everywhere

celesmai, thank you!

and wow well done on meeting your aim, 3000 words is very impressive! well done you

Hello fellow A-team members, nice to see you all

I am back from my two day holiday lol. still feel abit overwelmed by the huge task of it all, but based on everyones advice on this forum (and how valuable that advice is, its priceless!) i am going to start again and do it bit by bit, egg timer in hand, and aims in hand.

it's really nice to have you guys in this thread as company, makes me feel encouraged and motivated. you all are great! really inspriring!

Celemai good luck with your aims today!

Tractorgirl, i wish you luck aswell!

longway74, nice to see you back !! and encouraging for me to see your aims.

Sillybilly, we missed you! nice to have you return to the team!

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i look forward to hearing everyones aims for the day and what they have achieved.
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Glad to hear you are feeling more positive Tractorgirl, that is great, well done you for picking yourself up and getting back to it. i know it's not easy psychologically and so i admire it

i will take a leaf out of your positive outlook and do the same. i will make a plan today of what needs to be done, set mini deadlines, and print my first draft out. and start doing things bit by bit.

good luck tractor girl, it's nice to have company for the next deadline!

Tractorgirl,

I'm sorry to hear that you are in the exact same situation as me! and please never apolagise for what you think is moaning, it's not moaning in my book, its sharing negative feelings, and i think its important to do that. i once read in a psychology magazine, that the very process of actualling writing down negative things down, helps to release it and they no longer hold that much power of you, its something to do with the act of actually writing it down. so please feel free to share anytime. it also makes me feel better that i am not alone in feeling how i feel.

August 15th, sounds like a good deadline for me to have aswell. i will join you! in aiming for my final draft by 15th august. and email my supervisor my final draft by monday 18th august (so gives me the weekend to do final checks and convert to pdf files etc).

BilboBaggins, a pleasure as always to hear from you! and your words of wisdom and understanding
Thank you!! I will do that, pick myself up and get back to writing. thanks