However, my husband also brings home a ton of work and he's not an academic. You just have to be very organised and disciplined with your time. I do roll my eyes, frankly, when I read post about procrastinating and dawdling in stead of working. Of course I used to be just like that but now I really can't afford to waste any time.

Sometimes it's hard to swtich gears between a day of moms and toddlers to writing up.

I agree that it is better than working full-time, but probably not as easy as working part-time. But if you can work nights and trade off working time with your partner it certainly is doable.

I had my daughter at the end of my second year. I took 2 years out, and now I'm in my final year bur likely to tak a fourth term, unpaid. We manage because as well as my grant (which is eaten up with part-time childcare costs) my husband is quite well-paid (but was a lot well paid when this all started).

I do find it difficult but it certainly is alot more flexible than working full-time. I have 3 days/week childcare. I have just moved and switched from nursery to childminder which is a lot cheaper and my daughter is much happier there. Apart from that I work most Saturdays - which provides some good one-on-one time for my daughter and her father

And I generally work 2-3 of the nights that I don't work during the day. Personally, I have found that something has to give, and rather than take away time with my daughter, I do struggle a bit to make up the time.

How are you getting on with Sem - I remember that, like me, you were new to it? I don't think I'm going to get into it to submit but may try to use it later for a further paper. It's hard going without someone to get regular advice from. The basic principles are not rocket science but there are some fiddly bits (apportioning errors etc) that I don't want to spend the rest of the year sorting out.

My one thought would be that if you have contact with someone using Listrel but no-one who uses AMos - maybe you should try the method you can get advice on. Just a thought.

I'm surprised a teacher has so little understanding of the situation. I'm about to hit my grant deadline in Sep too and I have gone into I kind of Zen space trying not to freak out about it. It will take as long as it takes and I'm not going to give myself a hernia over it (I hope). In my case, not only will my husband have to support me, he will have to pay for the part-time childcare that I need to write up at all. So he could be worse a lot worse off. My husband is supportive but I do feel under pressure to submit asap.

I have it through my uni as a package with SPSS. I can't imagine there is any other source that cheap - the student verion from SPSS is not that cheap. Is there anyone else in the uni who is using it and you could get some kind of network deal through them?

I'm sure you could be accepted for a place somewhere - the more difficult thing will be getting funding.

I also don't see the point in a demanding and expensive masters when what you really need are good (and I mean very good) science A levels. Concentrate on those. I have come across people who have retrained in this way - it's tough - butit can be done. Good luck.

Isn't 65-70 a merit? For a distinction, we had to average over 70 so technically you could get say 68-69 for something if you got 71-72 for another. But the pieces has to be equivalent i.e. 72 on a piece of course work would not lift 68 on the long dissertation or exams. So you had to get over 70 for the big bits.

I agree. Editing and rewriting is a total pain - much prefer the original work.

I paid for conferences out of my grant - except for one that paid me some momey (and I was pathertically ecstatically grateful!). Check that your other necessary costs can be covered.

What mistakes

In the UK there is no grading. But there are various ways that people in the field will judge your work - grading isn't necessary.

I'm doing something similar. Meant to have Chapter 1 draft end May but it has turned into a bigger job and a bigger chapter so looking end June. We're moving house tomorrow - house is mainly packed except for pc. Probably be offline for a week

Perhpas you could set a day or two aside just to plan the changes you want to make then break the whole job down into sections with deadlines. I will start that again after the move. This chapter is all maths and I'm struggling to turn it into nice prose.

First year - collect papers. Try to think of some way to collect data that doesn't cost money.

Second year, lots of teaching for CV; realise that data collection will need money - mine from my grant

End second year - have baby (this is optional).

Take year out. Write book chapter.

Take another year out. Collect data that should have been collected in second year.

Final 'third' year. Get ready to write up only to be persuaded to collect yet more data and do more teaching. Try desperately to write up without going too far into.....

Fourth year - funds run out. Desperate to submit thesis. Apply for postdoc grants. Do some teaching to ingratiate self with dept in hope of getting job. Promise husband will actually earn money eventually. Try to justify using childcare while not earning said money.

You need to explain your case to the administration of that institute. There may well be problems with data ownership - a friend of mine is going through this right now and has managed to get rights to some but not all of 'her' data.

Is there enough data for a PhD rather than starting again? (I started again - it's not all that uncommon.)