It's good to know you can finish pretty much on time with a good few weeks holiday each year! I would imagine you come back much more refreshed and work better. I bet there are people out there who don't take many weeks but just burn themselves out!

Congratulations BB!!! How long did it take you to write your first draft? Was it a very painful process? Or not too bad?

Yeah having flexible working hours is a good point of PhD. Thing is I always finish at 5 even if I haven't started early! Bit bad, but want to enjoy my evenings!

Just wondering what time people manage to start work in the morning? I have to get up early for a lift so get in early but can never bring myself to start working til about 10. If I didn't have to get up, I think it would probably be later! I guess I'm not a morning person!

Congratulations!

There does seem to be a big difference between universities. I've heard that at some places you have to write a really long report too (100 pages someone told me!) but I don't think the written report is a big deal or very long where I am.

When did everyone do their upgrade? I'm a year and quarter in and haven't done mine yet and was thinking maybe in a few months or so. Is that a bit late? Feel like I have enough done to do it now but want to get on with other stuff at the moment so keep putting it off but maybe this is a bad idea and I should make it a priority?

Sorry I don't know anything about maternity pay but this website might help you in terms of what benefits you are entitled to:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/index.htm

dazednconfused I'm so impressed that you've got 5 kids and doing a phd and also planning another one! Do you do your phd part time? I struggle with my phd with no kids!

There are definately women out there who have had a baby during PhD and go on to have a good career. There is someone in my department who did that. Someone pointed out to me though that all the successful women were divorced and they think that as a women you have your relationship, career, children, and your health and it's not possible to have all 4 things, one has to give! I'm not sure if this is true and would like to think you can have it all but I would rather have a bit of a less successful career than compromise on anything else.

I'm intersested to know what people's plans are for after they've had their baby/ies. I recently asked at a careers in academia thing at a question and answer session whether they thought it was possible to have a successful career in academia if you take time out after a phd and maybe a couple of years postdoc to stay at home with your children until they go to school (so say maybe 5 years) which is what I'd like to do. I got a really negative response about how it was unheard of which made me feel really disheartened!!! Surely it's doable even if you have to start back in a bit of a lower position. People take career breaks and swap careers all they time don't they?!

My brother got major corrections and 18 months to do it. He was really dissappointed and quite down about it after spending a lot of years getting that far as he was part time. He was so fed up about it that he was talking about not finishing it but he went off to do some travelling and take a break and finished and resubmitted. Now he has his PhD and is having a really successful career. You will get there! I'm sure it's fairly common. Good luck

Thanks for that. 4 months of no TV sounds awful! I have trouble thinking if I don't have breaks! I suppose when you get near the end and the funding is running out the adrenaline kicks in and you get motivated to do it.

How long would you say you should plan to write your thesis at the end? I know it's a good idea to write as you go along and have a lit review and method and results section of one study written and should have some more by the time I get round to properly writing but just wondered how long you should plan to leave for it.

Thanks for your messages guys. A speed reading course sounds like a good idea fluffy. The notes section in end note sounds good too snappyjaws. I often write a few notes here but like to do my longer notes on paper, not sure why! And yeah I agree verdy, probably the reason I'm taking ages has something to do with no looming deadlines! I'm sure I'd work a bit quicker if I did!