so i have cut back drastically on "expenses" and luxuries, until i get my phd thesis written.

so yah, pretty much in hibernation, so instead i try to enjoy the simpler things in life, like sitting in the garden with a good book. or watching dvds. you would be suprised when you take away luxury items, the simple things, are actually enjoyable!
you dont need fancy dancy expernsive restarants, or new clothes. just do the best with what you have right now.

and on cue my best friend just called me i do miss my friends and socialising. ..but i just remind myself its only for another 2 months now. i kinda think of it like a jail sentence. i am in jail and in 2 months i will be *let out* and so in the meantime i might aswell do *something* i.e work on my thesis to past the time.

i rarely go out and meet up with my friends. because that usually constitutes going to restaurants and spending money. they are really understanding though which is nice

the only thing, i will occassionally treat myself is the cinema, and will go during the day, so that its cheaper. and i am also going to drastically reduce my mobile phone bill. and use emails etc to stay in touch with friends, instead of chatting on the phone.

during the year when i was working full time and doing phd experiments, it was tough , so i totally understand how hard it is to have a full time job and work on your phd! but i am really glad i did it for only a year, because i saved up money. now i am able to be in full time hibernation and work only on my thesis, and live off of my savings. although i have a very strict budget! so yes i am just at home all the time in my study room. but thank God i have my savings and my parents feed me

when my phd funding ran out. i did a one year full time job as a Research assistant. so worked full time on a seperate project unrelated to my phd, ontop of finishing my phd experiments. and writing papers. and during that year, i saved up my money. because i planned that i would finish the one year RA job contract and then go into hibernation to write my thesis.

now i am in complete hibernation writing up at home full time and living off of my savings.

luckily i live at home with my parents, so i dont have to worry about rent money as alot of people in this forum do. and my parents are very supportive and feed me well! actually i started the phd for them. they both really wanted me to do a phd!

i think the problem with doing a phd. you never really have any time off there's always "something" more than needs to be done, and something more that can be done. its literally phd 24/7.

but then i guess that's what acquiring knowledge is. its never ending. and thats good in one way. you will never be able to say. okay now i know everything and i can take a long break and not worry about it ever again. its the everyday that counts. i know i am probably not making any sense! finding it difficult to articulate what i mean and am thinking.

mad ramblings.

like i am looking forward to going to a concert next tuesday (Alicia Keys concert after my monday deadline. i will try to enjoy myself at the concert. but i know in the back of my mind my thesis is still waiting at home for me to carry on working. but that fact in itself shouldnt distract me from enjoying the few hours at the concert. when you think about it. every single moment becomes a memory. all we have really is the moment we are living in.

i am guilty of either living in the past or the future, which can detract from accomplishing what needs to be done *today*. but i have noticed when i have set myself a specific task, it has helped me to focus on the *now moment*. and i am less likely to procrastinate or worry about x y z. because i am focued on working on A.

hmmm does anyone else suffer from chronic guilt? taking breaks from your phd writing?

it's like, i sometimes feel guilty taking breaks, even if i accomplish something no matter how great or small. i always think, but such and such still needs to be done and such and such has missing stuff etc. its not finished.

but then i guess you cant think like that. when you work, you work. when you take a break, you relax and try not to think about the phd writing. it will always be there. until you pass the viva. i guess the best we can hope for, is to work hard when we are supposed to and then relax and enjoy the moment of a reward for itself. nothing is permanent, its the moments and living in the moments that count.

going to take a break now, shower, lunch and then get cracking on my final chapter 6.

my aim is:

complete chapter 6 by tommorow morning.

chapter 6: also known as the appendage chapter/the yucky chapter, the chapter i would love to burn, the chapter that represents 4 years wasted working on something that just didnt work.. even though commercially you can buy it (buts its expensive) so sups thought it would be a *great* idea to make our own(ha! never go into development science work, its soul destroying when you just cant get it to work)..

chapter 6 - that has no business being in my thesis, i managed to get data from other studies, but my supervisors insist me including it in, because they think i dont have enough data. but the chapter is so different to the rest of the chapters. oh well will try my best to link it with the other chapters with some heavy duty glue and imagination haha. will worry about the linking for later.

*bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz* the sound of the imaginery buzzer went off at 1pm, but i cheated and carried on working for additional 30 mins.

I have completed my aim, which was a rough sketch of chapter 7: discussion. very brief, mind you! mostly copied stuff from my discussion sections from my results chapters (yes i cheated). just so that i have *some text* to have in chapter 7: so gives the appearance of a full first draft for mondays deadline; even though the content is skeleton at best! and that is being very generous.

but looking forward to getting the meat attached to the bones in the coming weeks. for now, it's just a pencil sketch of some bits and pieces i just pulled and copied/rewrote from the discussion chapters from my *results* chapters. desperate measures! time is ticking. monday deadlins is looming.

that's great Jojo! so happy that the meeting went well and you got constructive feedback!! good luck with the next 6 months. i have every confidence in you that you will do a great job of your thesis! hard work and preserverance are two key characteristics i have seen in you, and that will result in you successfully finishing your thesis!!

its always nice to have their blessing about taking time off, so i am glad you got that! you enjoy yourself!! and wish you all the best !

you've been my inspiration so thank you for that.

good website about questions to answer in the discussion chapter.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~martins/sen_sem/thesis_org.html

okay so update, regarding my first draft *monday deadline* that is looming around the corner.

i have 2 chapters left to write:
chapter 7 : discussion (planning on just writing a first draft, nothing profound mind you)

chapter 6: which is a difficult chapter, i will try to do as much as i can of that chapter today.

and then tommorow, will do final proof read and check.

came across this good website for helpful hints on writing a dissertation: some good points!

http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html

hi angie, just came across this bit of advice on the internet that might help

"....a dissertation does not repeat the details of critical thinking and analysis found in published sources; it uses the results as fact and refers the reader to the source for further details"

maybe that way of thinking may help you psychologically not to feel you have to write every detail down from your reading.

http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html

Hey Sheena, welcome ! nice to have company on a weekend.
may i commend you for writing on a weekend. i know it's not easy. for some reason psychologically its harder to study on a weekend.
--------------------

well i've locked myself in my bedroom and not taking a shower or anything until i get my discussion chapter done lol. going to aim for a 1st draft.
and then take a break. like JB says write first!!! and working in my bed with my laptop like Winston Chuchhill used to do. i think he used to work from his bed till like 11am or something. i read that once.

Aim:
1st draft of discussion chapter by 1pm.
time starts now! eeeeeek.

aim 1 accomplished. hurrah! chapter 2 methods done: a good 2nd draft me thinks. but far from perfect and complete. but it will do for the monday deadline.

took about 10 hours.

going to take a break now

hmmm i am too tired to work on the discussion chapter tonight. i think i am going to have some dinner and chill for an hour or so and then work on the discussion chapter tommorow along with yukcy chapter 6. lol instead of working through the night. best to start fresh i think.