Hey Dunni, thanks for reminding me that I didn't change the deadline on my original post after the earthquake extension!

it's the end of July, although it's a weekend, so I need to get it in before that.

How are you feeling the day after the viva? has it settled in yet? Do you have much corrections to do? how long do you think it'll take to get it all sorted?

so now that Dunni is paving our way, how is everyone else doing?

I'm still been given huge chunks of thesis to change at this late stage (sup just didn't read them at all until now... *cries*) but it's getting there. I'm going to call it quits on Monday in changing things - no more big changes. The rest of the month will be spent on finalising everything and proof reading.

I've also found somewhere to live, which is great, moving in next weekend. It's not the best timing in the world, but I'm so sick of living in a hotel that I am soooo looking forward to it :)

Hope everyone is moving on smoothly!

Congratulations Dunni!! I just cheered out loud in my office for you!!

You have been an amazing and crucial part of this thread, keeping everyone going. If anyone deserves a PhD, it's you, so I am so glad that it all went well.

Now go and relax, you absolutely deserve it!

woooo hoooo! oh I am so so so glad to hear that your viva went so well!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D (up)(up)(up)

Dunni, I really hope tomorrow goes superbly for you!

you have worked so hard and supported all of us through our own stresses. If anyone deserves a great viva, it's you :)

Hey Dunni, I fully agree with everyone else, this is now you time. You need to just chill and relax, so that you are at your best physically and emotionally at the viva. I know how long you have spent in prepping for this viva, so you already know more than is required for it. So it's time to take care of yourself :)

Morning ladies :)

I hear you both on the anxiety front. I think it is entirely natural. We're about to finish something that we worked so hard on, for so long, and be judged for what we did in the last x years of our lives. Of course we'd feel anxious!

It's best to keep reminding yourself that you have done your absolute best, and trust in yourself as a researcher. I understand that the whole point of a PhD is to make you into a researcher, and think that believing in your own researching abilities is one of the qualities you are suppose to gain from the process.

either that or take my approach and make everything else in your life so chaotic that your thesis looks like the dictionary definition of calmness in comparison!!
:-)

hey ladies, thank you so so much for taking your time out to reply, you guys are just so fantastic.

I think my thesis is the only thing that's keeping me going, and I'd like to see it get done.

I have now fixed 70% of what was required from sup's feedback, and have decided that the other 30% is not important. I think I just need to get this thesis handed in, rather than trying to aim for a perfect thesis. It's passable as it is, so a few more weeks tidying things up and it should be ok.

I've extended my stay at the hotel for 2 weeks, just to give me breathing space.

I'm hell bent on getting through this, and it's so much easier with you guys' support, so thank you.

Hi Ladies, I think I'm in crisis mode :-(

So I'm now, 37days away from end of my registrations.

The last chapter (before the conclusion) has been ripped apart and I'm not sure how to fix it.

I'm having to move out of my house

I'm living in a hotel, trying to look for a flat to move into

My ex-husband rang up this week saying he's finally ready to give me a divorce (after 11 sodding years of seperation)

I've no idea how I'm going to get everything done. The simple solution is to get an extension on the thesis, but I reaaaaaallllllyyyyyy don't want to, since it's taken so long to get this far.

Sorry, I just needed to rant.

Absolutely go for it!

6 weeks is the same deadline as mine, and if you plan it well, you have plenty of time to do it.

Write out everything you need to do to get your thesis finished, and assigned the minimum you need to do each day to get them done. Once you can see that you have enough days to do what you want to do, it'll make you feel a lot calmer and able to focus on the actual work.

Good morning ladies :)

Well, I've had a lovely two-weeks off, went to Isle of Skye for a few days, and went hiking in the lakes in between just chilling :) It's been so amazing to have this break, without the thesis 'hanging over me'. I'm so happy that it's almost done! Going to be getting my feedback from my supervisor tomorrow, I'm hoping that there are not too much work on top of what I already know to fix (such as my stats are iffy).

Dunni, I am so glad that they've managed to sort out a date for you! Is the viva soon? I hope it doesn't clash with your house move? You must be so happy!

Ady - Totally understand what you went through on your way home from your lovely trip to Paris. Don't let it get to you though, because you know that worrying and getting stressed is NOT going to improve your thesis in any way. Try just focusing on having fun for a bit (it's hard!!), which will help to clear your mind, and then you can approach your thesis with a fresh view.

Slowmo - How did your feedback go?

Hey ladies, was just wondering how everyone was doing :)


Dunni, have you heard anything about your viva date? - have you chased up the admin people about this? I only ask because I found out this week there were some BIG crosswires between admin office that I was getting blamed for, which was delaying a lot of things.

Slowmo and Fm how is your draft coming along?

Ady, did you get useful feedback off your sup?

Keanbean, how are you feeling? Hope you're not putting yourself through so much pressure now.

Thank you so much guys :)

I am totally hearing what you are saying. I also spoke to the admin people that deals with us PhD students and they said if you can wait, it's best to wait till at least the viva is done. I have realised that this is very sensible!

We are still going on a 6-week trip, but not this year. If I only get an hourly paid teaching job this coming academic year, I will still be free to go on a long holiday, and I will have way more time to prepare everything. I realise how silly it is to think that I could finalise my thesis AND book a trip of a life time in a month or so!

Thank you so much for all your opinions, they were really helpful in making me see things objectively :)

Hey Keenbean, sorry to hear that you are having a rough time. I can totally relate to what you are going through.

You are going through the hardest stage in the thesis writing, the-having-to-come-up-with-stuff-to-write-from-scratch stage. I found it really hard, and I equated to giving birth to something in terms of the mental and emotional pressure you go through (I, of course, have not ever given birth to a baby... I would assume giving birth is actually worse, but I don't know).

The thing I found useful was to not worry too much about the end product right now, and just write whatever you can. Editing is a much easier process than writing from scratch, but you can't do both at the same time. So don't worry about the fact that it's not the best thing you've ever written when you are first writing it. Just write it. You can make it better later.

I did this for my thesis, and I am now in the editing stage. Life is sooooooo much easier, I can see where to tweak, cut and add, much easier than if I had try to edit while writing.

Big hugs are coming your way through the wires :)

you guys are great, I would've never got this far without your support, so thank you :)

I'm trying to figure out what info I need to make the right decision. So far, I think I should email the office to see if they have set a provisional date (as I can't see the actual viva date being any earlier than this). They chased me up about when I was intending on submitting so that they would arrange this, so I am assuming they are planning a provisional date?

I'll also speak to my supervisor. She might think it's the worst idea in the world, or the best. Either way, as Ady said, I need to speak to her about it anyway.

What other info would you need to make a decision on something like this?