There is some wonderful advise about the process of writing out there, if you "google" the "Flowers paradigm" you can find the information. It is simple yet helpful, it walks you through a 4 stage process starting with the madman, ending with the Judge, which gives you a structure for brainstorming, writing, editing and proof reading, and the sequence to use ( i.e you DON'T get to edit in the madman stage!!!). It WORKS! Everyone I have referred to this process thinks its great, and it gives them a way to plan their writing.

Sleep...sometimes grocery shop.

As a "mature" student I think that having worked in my profession for years and having those experiences under my belt have helped--though at times I wish I could have done this sooner...I think it helps to have some real world experience that gave you confidence, and to learn how to negotiate the dynamics that you encounter anywhere...but there is no complete right or wrong about when to do it, if you have the opportunity, go for it, because really the chance to do a PhD is a privilege, and if you turn it down it may be hard to get the chance again ( money, time, family commitments, etc)

Congrats ejc, that is fantastic!

I think that just taking a deep breath, knowing that it is a long process and you will sometimes go two steps forward, one step back, as that is LEARNING and just take it in manageable bites---day at a time, week at a time, chapter at a time...you have to build your OWN rewards into the work to stay motivated, and it helps me to have my own milestones ( chapter complete on time HOORAY go and buy a new DVD or have a night out with friends, take the weekend off, whatever..)

Up until now I have been trying to manage my professional job with PhD study, which has been hard, and to be frank, what it made me feel like that the time on the PhD was a luxury, hard fought for and important and precious--compared to WORK the PhD was not!

I agree with the advise here, socialising can be an important part of professional networking, and I remember at times the remark my mother gave to squabbling siblings, which is that if you do not have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!

A big smile and a comment on how great the new lightbulbs in the corridor are can move the topic on to safe neutral ground!

I remember when I finished my first chapter, I was so overwhelmed and burnt out that I could do NOTHING for several weeks. All the wind went out of my sails. I usually had let down after finishing a chapter--it was hard to get back on track when I was done, so I just learnt to expect that and take a few days off, and then get back to a fresh start on the next thing.

The other thing is study environment. I will go mad cooped up in an office, especialy one that is shared, for 8 hours or more a day. I like to study and work listening to music, and where there is a buzz of noise...the local coffee shop is great. Its good at home where I can listen to music, and take breaks. I have an attention span/energy level of about 2-3 hours when I am fully engaged with the work, and then I need a good long break, and can get back to work for another 2-3 hour span..if I am not working too hard ( i.e. editing or something) I can work much longer at a stretch.

I think one of the most simple tips for socialising/networking/making small talk in any forum is to ask someone about themselves. People like to talk about themselves ( EVERYONE, not just people in academia)and if you can ask them a question with some sincere interest, they will respond in kind, and voila, the struggle of making small talk just got easy. Maybe this second thought is more applicable to woman than to men, but giving someone a compliment--I like that jumper, its really festive, or that colour looks great on you, or whatever--is a good opener. And remember, make eye contact, smile, nod, stay engaged. Its no more difficult than that--even if you are in a crowd of people that are not the most socially skilled!