Hello fellow researchers,
Goodness where to start, I'm second year going into third and this whole year I feel like I have done bugger all (pardon my language)recently having attended training on vivas etc, I feel like at the end I will fail, I've never been positive about myself during this process, even though I know my project is good and I can do it. I just think i'm gonna be rubbish at it.
Its awful to say that a crippling insecurity about my ability is creating the effect I feared. I have 5 more chapters left to do, Im submitting in a year. I just can't seem to get myself motivated to do anything...to quote Macbeth, 'To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,' I swear the days are sliding by and I manage to get nothing done, just looking at others work so meticulously referenced and cross referenced just fills me with fear.
Is this just me? If the other PhDs in my faculty are to be believed they have practically finished with no problems at all. Have any of you experienced this...is it just me?
Thanks!

Hmmm PhD's, well Im second year going into third, what have I learned so far...

1)its seriously hard to get motivated
2)you will feel lonely and somewhat isolated at various points of your work but you will come through it.
3)fellow PhD students will play games of oneupmanship with you, quite often the best thing to do is in your department just take everything they say with a pinch of salt, i have a few who used to tell me the huge amount of work they had done, it does nothing but make u feel inadequate. Dont listen.
4)You will frequently feel not good enough, or that your work is pointless, don;t its all part of the process.

Ok what can I say thats good, its just an exam, at the end of the day thats what it boils down to. You have three years, and after that you will be a doctor which is pretty neat. Try not to stress.

Hi sorry to interupt in the middle of your threads but I havent been on here in a while, I've had a serious bout of writers block, i'm so thrilled to see what youre doing. I find it really inspiring and might try to follow your example. Im second year going into third, with one chapter written 5 to go (crap huh) I've just ordered the writing your thesis fifteen minutes a day book, thank u for motivating me.

shes a wee pug and she is getting better day to day, we've had no crying when I left her to go into my office today hurrah!

Try not to worry, i'm also more productive in the wee small hours. As for your panel members apologize if you need to but don't forget they probably wont mind too much, they have other things on their mind as well.

Good Luck

oh loose women, although I'll see your loose women and raise you Dickinson's Real Deal ...thats terrible

Hi guys, listen try not to worry about the writing thing one of the best tips I ever got was try to write 1000 words a day it adds up very quickly... get yourself into a habit of doing a little bit a day and it will start to feel better....

lol juno one dog is bad enough two might just have me cracking up. Im hoping she will calm down as she heads out of her puppy days...

oooo can i wander in on this one too, I've stopped talking to people doing their PhD's in my department cos it was making me so ruddy depressed, but i'll tell u right now they all lie. My supervisor was amazed to hear what they had supposedly done when I was on a particularly low ebb and telling her how behind I was with regard to them. Turns out they all fib, thats whats so wonderful about talking to people on here, we have no reason to lie and for the first time im not panicking nearly as much, thank you all!!!!

lol chocolate, crisps, copious amounts of diet coke, does anyone find they write much better when slightly tiddly on wine? Is that just me. I have put on so much weight since i started this PhD lol!!!

Ok so I got a puppy, and I love her to bits, and with us PhD lot who frequently spend a lot of time working from home writing away I figured this would be grand. I love her to bits but shes doing my head in... Anyone have any pearls of wisdom, theres no question about keeping her, im in it for the long haul but it seems she has no regard for the fact that I have a thesis that needs done!
lol

Firstly, you lucky lucky person. I wish I got to go on good research trips. There are some really nice church hotels in Manhat which are really reasonable and basically just owned by the church beside them. There are also some good hostels where u can get a private room for next to nothing. Have a good and productive time!

Lol i once managed 7,000 words in a night and whilst it was ok it needed a good bit of redrafting. Now tell me about this drink!

you aren't alone. At least you still enjoy your PhD. Just think it will pass with time and keep your chin up and soldier on!

This is something that doesn't take a long time and can stimulate ideas.It will also reduce the volume of work you feel needs done. With diagrams it is broken into smaller pieces which you can work through.
Don't be afraid to show your supervisor your working diagram it will help them to see where your focus and how your theory will be used.

Good Luck!