at half way, I had a lit review chapter that was way overlong, a plan for the thesis which was what the other chapters would be conceptually, and a draft of two of those, including a methodology chapter. I had three draft chapters, with the emphasis on DRAFT!!! My supervisor asked for a chapter draft per month, so if starting from scratch, that was 10,000 words, or so for each chapter in a month, and if revising, it was just the edits, or new research added in, etc...which somehow was more work than initial drafts!!!

Sorry for all the boxes, I am a poor judge of how many words this thing tolerates....

I am about to start writing up ( I hope) in the next few months, but have to re-do my literature review as the one I did initially would not fit any longer! Which is fine with me, I am not bothered, I see it as a mark of the progression of my research and learning. I have one chapter left to draft on interview results and then just polish up the rest of what is written ( which is every other chapter), and that is really I suppose the writing up stuff.

" I am also working on a case study which is not going to form a great part of my thesis. I just want to get on with my research and start writing chapters for the actual thesis, which is what she appears to be wanting me to do.
How much did people have written, and how polished was it half way through their PhD?"

I started writing from day one, with a lit review but it was hardly a work of art. It was just a way to get started. I also did drafts of other chapters, and have been revising and refining as I go along with my work.

"a full thesis plan with 800 words for each chapter with a bibliography for each chapter."

I am nearly in the writing up stage, and I could never have produced that ahead of writing the chapters! The writing would often reveal new areas of research that were needed, and I really wrote as I read and researched. I wrote early, from day one on the research, which was what my supervisor encouraged, but I did not have this level of detail ahead of my writing. Its too linear for me...I would have gone mad as a hatter trying to work this way.

"She wants a detailed timetable of everything I have done since the last review panel and how many hours I have spent on doing each thing;"

This seems excessive! You are not an hourly employee. Is there some need to justify your previous progress? Otherwise, can't you just list drafts written, etc?

"plus a detailed timetable of what I am going to be doing next right up to when I finish which is in a year and a half "

Can you do a monthly plan that shows the progress you intend on chapter drafts, revisions etc?

In short--its a difficult situation to be in--with work and a PhD study! If you can concoct an out of sight, out of mind, scenario, so people forget you are doing it, all the better ( while you maintain the necessary boundaries so you do not get run over with extra work). If asked, let your supervisor know how much you like your job, how supportive your supervisor is, how flexible they are ( if true) about your study and how much you appreciate it.

I would suspect then people would simmer down. My sense is that confrontation about it would only make your situation worse, but a slightly over the top Pollyanna attitude will make everything fine!

And I was straight forward with those few folks, saying, I did not want people to think I had a big head about my studying or traveling, and was afraid to talk about it. They assured me of a genuine interest, and we talked about it. They got the picture that travel to the UK to distance learn was far from a holiday! They were not jealous, and it never caused a problem, but I kept the conversations low-key, private and that might have been the only time I talked about what I did.

I worked out careful plans for covering all aspects of work when I was gone, and phoned in regularly to check on things when away, and gave them numerous ways I could be reached when gone. This seemed to take care of any problems or concerns they had about me being gone. I was just as reachable in the UK, as I would have been on holiday in the US. A few of the non-management level workers became really interested in what I was doing, and I was afraid to talk about it to them for fear of the things you describe ( I was in management but worked very closely with all levels of people internally).

I did my best to be bright, active and chatty at all company meetings, to ask people about their summer holidays, their kids, their ingrown toe nails, whatever! In short, the PhD became for them, out of sight, out of mind. I let my supervisors know about the need to be in the UK, upfront, and told them what value added my work had from my study, and told them that of course their work had priority.

To say that I was a fish out of water in some respects was an understatement~!!!! Eventually I think I was seen as a sort of kooky eccentric that worked really hard and got great results, and was friendly in the time allowed. I NEVER talked about the PhD, if directly asked, I might mumble a few words, but that was it. If asked to do things on the time I needed for study, I would apologise and say I needed to study ( but never said PhD) and asked if another time, for lunch, or right after work for happy hour, etc, might work. Even if it did not work out, people felt I think that since I offered an alternative, at least it meant they were not just being rejected.

I worked and distance-learned the first two years on my PhD, traveling to the UK 2-3 times a year. I was in full time professional work that was extremely demanding with insanely unpredictable hours. I ran into similar things with people wanting to socialise when I needed my precious free hours to study. I had also to negotiate the time off or away from work to go to the UK--in an environment where no one else had ever been overseas!

Should a wise woodman appear and rescue all the students? No, that is shades of Red Riding Hood.

Were the students are lured into the evil castle by an evil step-mother of some sort? A fairy tale staple...

Would a Pied Piper come? if he was a student he would be a Pied Pauper...but a pie might be nice to have!


Time to throw in the towel! I am no longer making any sense.

Are those tears and sweat why the tower has the shiny, ivory hue???! Its starting to sound like an enchanted evil kingdom, where the unsuspecting are lured in...tempted by some vision of goodness, or riches, or magic...and then SLAM goes the door...and...the hapless victim stays on to do the PhD, or sometimes, flees into the night ( or day)...Several fairytale images blur here...should there be a wolf that huffs and puffs and blows down the ivory tower? No, thats the 3 Pigs.

Mark on, mark on! Keeping on checking! ( trying to motivate myself back to this task....ewwww!) My reward will be to WRITE A SECTION ON MY PhD! Ohhh! What a life! ( eyes rolling). This is not what I had envisioned...I go mad having a surfeit of these kinds of tasks. Fortunately, there may be options with post docs, ( nearly typed post dogs! perhaps to go along with the PhD Pizza--PhD Pizza and Post Dogs!) think tanks, policy organisations, non-profits....or of course this idea of PhD Pizza and Post Dogs! =)

Is this my future then?? =) PhD Pizza--that has a nice ring! Ring 0800 PhD Pizza for quick and efficient delivery! The cleverest pizza in town! =)