you most definately wont be a spoilt ungrateful madam. the phd is yours and you dont owe anyone anything! if banking attracts you, then go for it!

i am also in the biological sciences, and i too have been so jaded by the backstabbing and lab politics, that i do not want to stay in academia! and i used to love studying biology!

after i finish my phd. i am going to have a career change, maybe something in psychology.

but doing a phd, does help to build skills, like independent work and etc you know what you would have taken from your phd. you dont have to stay in your subject just because you did a phd in it. in the past it was more common to do so. but the world is your oyster! life is too short. do what makes you happy! and forget everyone else!!

having a writing up diary helps. it enables you to see where your time is being spent.

even if you work on your thesis, just a bit each day, you will get there in the end.. what matters is you work away on your phd, everyday. whether its doing a particular experiment or whatever.

every phd student feels like this. you are most definately not alone! we all have our ups and downs in motivation. trust me. hang in there!

liminalplace
i totally understand how you feel! i have felt like that throughout my phd. all those years, being told to go from one project to the next. nothing ever working. my supervisors always saying that they dont think i can defend my work, and dont know my subject very well! it can all take a toil on your confidence.

i have to submit my thesis by september, or i will fail. literally fail!

so i work in short term deadlines. if i think of my whole thesis as one big gigantic mountain, then there's no way i'm going to be able to do it. the fear will just paralyse me. so i work in 2-3 days deadlines. i set myself a target, and i just think about that and focus on that.
i think it was cakegirl that had the mountain metaphor.

question for you folks.

on the exam entry forms, you have to say either YES or NO, to the question

"i agree to my Supervisor being present at my oral examination is he or she wishes"

i am not sure. if i should say yes or no.


for people who have had their viva. was your supervisor there?

is it helpful having your supervisor there, or not? would you be more nervous having your supervisor there?

i really don't know. i doubt he would even want to be there, to be totally honest lol.

oh okay thanks good idea, i will ask my supervisor.

okay i'm just about to email my supervisor and organise a meeting with him this week. eeeeeeeek

Thanks miss spacey! i feel so much better now. i have printed them all out and read through the forms.

the only thing that's troubling me, is who signs the bit that says

"signature on behalf of the governing body of college" who's that meant to be?? is that meant to be my graduate tutor?

i'm gonna make a huge spider diagram, of how i think my thesis should be,chapters, and sub sections , and content. and then will have a definate plan for when i meet with them next week.

and then work on my zero draft of chapter 6 today. and 1st draft of chapter 3 tommorow.

hope your work is going well. and you're most definately not alone in the studying department glad my message made you smile! it's a comfort to know you're busy studying away too.

i am going to email my supervisor on monday and arrange a meeting. i finally have to face the dragon. can't put it off any longer. and just deal with whatever he says to me. but i will stand my ground and refuse to do any more experiments. even if they say. i dont have enough data and what i have is not "worthy" of a phd. but i am worried about him threatening me about the decision to submit isn't just mine.

erm i've not started yet. i'm sitting here stressing about the examination forms. but miss spacey, has been kind enough to send them to me by email

i just recieved a letter from the university graduate tutor in the post an hour ago...

and they have given me an extension. but i HAVE to submit by 30th september, or they will DEFINATELY terminate my registration. so i have 1 month as a safety net. but i wont tell my evil supervisor. and i will aim for the sept 1st deadline.

omg missspacey you're a life saver!!! thanks !!! i really appreciate that.

okay i just made a new email address.

thanks so much!!!

[email protected]

now please can someone advice me, what i can do to get a hold of these bl**dy examination forms, because my emails and letters and phone calls keep getting ignored!!! they wont send me the d*mn examination forms, but keep telling me to send them off!

i even filled in the official form that "applies" for examination forms. and i called her, and she said, yeh i will post them to you, but it's been 2 weeks! and i emailed like 5 times!!
and now whenever i call, she's either not in the office or no one picks up.

HELP!!
i'm really stressing out. and it's a saturday, so i cant do anything all weekend.

shall i just go on monday and waste a day in getting these examination forms personally!!!!

what do i have to do, physically go into the university to get them?
when they have told me they can post them to me
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

this is what the letter from my graduate officer said (which is really nice of them i must say!) i just got it in the post...

"I would like to confirm that you need to complete the examination entry forms as soon as possible. Although the university of london state they need 4 months between examination forms and submission of thesis, it is possible to submit examination entry forms and submit thesis within a four month period.

Therefore you should continue working on writing up your thesis and submit your final Phd thesis for examination no later than 30th sept 2008. should you fail to submit your thesis by this date, we will start proceedings to terminate your registration as a student

should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me"

How do I get a hold of these examination forms???

i'm getting really irritated and frustrated, because they have still not sent them to me, but keep telling me to send them off!

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I keep emailing the graduate officer, I have sent off the official forms to apply for the examination forms, I have written letters and made phone calls, but they still haven't sent me the examination forms! but write me letters saying that I must send off the examination forms asap! and submit my thesis by 30th september, or they will terminate my registration and i will fail.

they have given me a 1 month extention. which i am thankful for! which is really generous of them, i must admit!

(but i wont tell my supervisor about it, i want the extra month as a safety net) so i am still aiming for september 1st.

that way my supervisor wont threaten me to do more experiments.
he's already threatening me, that the decision to submit isn't just mine.

Thanks Ang! really appreciate that!

thanks Jojo, still haven't started. i take ages, "warming up" lol.