H, I am very terrified, I am also finishing my report; everyday i keep thinking will i make it, sometimes i get so sacred that I don't work all day then regret. So, for coping all this scary thoughts am just focusing on finishing the report and ignoring everything else. I just eat, sleep if i can and work on my report. I set small targets everyday and try achieving the target. Good luck, am sure we all will make it (positive thinking)

Awesome CC, now this is an inspiration for me, Blue am also setting December 14th as my tentative date, lets see if i can finish my report, I am halfway in my report, still a lot to go but now I am inspired by CC awesome accomplishment

Yep, I do the same as Rick & Shani described; Initially just start typing a list of questions (What, how, who) under my section or chapter heading, then start answering those questions. While answering those questions I get many ideas and remember many other concepts, important statements and start writing in pointers; then organize and expand those pointers, answers. Main key to start a structure is, I think, to start writing what you want to, your ideas and not what your advisor/supervisor expectations. Once the structure is formed then work on those expectations.

For post-doc in USA first, you need to check out the universities which conduct research in your areas and then list out the professors. The next step is to contact the professors and gather information about funding and how the post-doc in your area is conducted. Then shortlist the universities and proceed with your application.
It is also beneficial if you email couple of post-docs in the universities you are interested in so you get the idea of how things are done here. In USA, generally in a good university post-docs are a part of faculty and allowed to teach and conduct research at the same time and paid reasonably good. Good luck

Lastly a good advisor/supervisor matters a lot, your advisor seems to be a mean person, if you are not comfortable then leave him and go for other alternative. Don't think that you have wasted one year instead you have gained a lot of experience and now can identify and deal with problems.
Good luck

Hey RJ,
Keep up your spirits and always have a positive attitude . I am in my final year of PhD and I had changed my subject after spending one year in a project. I had an immoral supervisor and now the new supervisor is sort of ok, well am not happy but I just want to finish my PhD. From my experience these are the following critical pointers to keep in mind if you are determined to do PhD,
1) Be practical - are you funded? How many years you can afford to study?
2) Be dynamic - keep two or three PhD topics and be flexible, you will not get everything at once, some things will get compromised
3) Be focused - your primary goal is PhD, which is finish research and finish report and nothing else should come in your way, ignore everything.

Good luck Sarah I hope everything turns out in your favor. I have been in that situation before with not so much luck but I always think that once I gt my PhD I can publish anything I want on my own and don't have to bother about jerks, just help me keep going
I love the laxatives idea...need to do something

yeah me too am in he same boat as you guys, cc & jojo. Although my scrap books are filled with revised dates and plan to put in a certain amount of hours /day/week but doesn't go according to plan. Couples of months back I was just addicted to WOW (game) but somehow got rid of it and now TV Ahhh... the Phd life

I think 40 to 50 hours a week is reasonable including thinking, writing, working on thesis. I usually take short breaks every hour or so otherwise it gets depressing
Also I don’t plan on time of the day, just say I plan to work today 6 hours and do this task then I am off.
Just my 2c

Well, I am in my third year PhD. in USA, crying everyday of my life, haha, I know not so funny
1)choose a set of universities and start looking into what needs to be done to apply in those universities, 2)be clear of your topic of interest and keep an electronic copy of the stuff you have written or published, 3)After getting accepted in a bunch of universities, browse through their department for contacting appropriate professors, also browse through their biographies so that you know what kind of research they do and funding available, 4)contact those professors through email that you are interested in so and so topic and this is your published work and also interested in pursuing Phd. Also you need to have an admission letter for that university before contacting a Prof
I think this should do it, Good Luck! Usually there is no problem with funding here at all, only if you are in the right university, haha
Saha

Believe in yourself, just keep in mind you have to finish no matter what!!!
You are just in your second year so, don’t worry just stay focused by preparing a log – write-down everything you plan to do for a week, try following the schedule and revise it repeatedly. Introduce some variety in your research, such as reading literature or working on a model or thinking about an article which you would like to publish in future and so on.

I am a third year PhD. Student dealing with Land Use Planning and GIS. Well, if you need anything from me please feel free to post here. Good Luck!