Today is the big discussion day! I have already had requests to annoy me - but I'm trying to drown them out a little!

Goal 1: read through study 1 and summarise in the discussion

I second the cooking and cleaning - I wish I had someone to do that for me! I find that I just need someone to agree with me haha! The last thing I want to hear is "well you just have to get on with it" or when moaning about my supervisor "you could have raised that with her earlier" - i.e. anything that may be my fault - I DO NOT want to hear! I want to be agreed with that my supervisor is a complete pain and everything i have done is wonderful.

At this stage, I'd also like someone to proofread for me and do my referencing! But as my hubby is a) dyslexic and b) lazy then that is not going to happen :p

i find that they just regurgitate what was said in the lecture, with no critical evaluation, just descriptions of theories, with no supporting evidence. Ours are also asked to give case studies - and they have ALL used the one from the lecture :-s

omg - those dog bed days were heavenly!

I managed to get the survey sorted, still have about 2 hours work left on the module guide. I'm going to sit down tonight and try and get some of my referencing and appendices done as that requires less brain power and i've just driven in the fog for an hour and my eyes are tired.

I'm supposed to hand in my final final draft this friday, but I'm so busy with other stuff and still haven't written the discussion chapter!!

I have a meeting in a minute, but then should have all afternoon to

1) get another project off the ground - creating a huge survey
2) finish plannning a module i'm teaching
3) maybe get around to writing the discussion!

yay Batfink!

I've done goal 2.

Will try and do ..

read through lit review to see if it makes sense after I cut 3000 words out of it

now. :-(

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/may/15/postgraduate.highereducation

I'd like to think I'm no. 8, but probably no. 3 lol 8-)

goal 1 done :-)

goal 2 - do HORRIBLE changes to discussion :-( father in law is coming to put in another radiator so will hide upstairs and do PhD all day and shout down ocassionally for tea to be brought up I think.

I am GOING to make some headway on my PhD today :-s

Sup wants a full draft by Friday, but I'm also setting up a range of other research projects this week which she wants done too, so very busy. My PhD aims for this week are

- read through lit review to see if it makes sense after I cut 3000 words out of it
- try and cut more words out of lit review and then re-read again
- add changes suggested by a colleague to study 1
- add changes suggested by sup to study 2
- add changes suggested by sup to study 3 (she has not yet provided these!!!)
- write the discussion chapter (!!!)

My 1st goal today is to make small changes to study 2 before attempting the big change she wants :-( NOT looking forward to this, but it has to be done!

Then it may depend on your examiners - do they need reigning in? If it would help for him/her to be there, to keep them on track and asking suitable questions, then I'd swallow your pride and allow it. But if you think they're nice enough people who act fairly, then go with what you want

I think its more about your relationship with them because it will affect your performance. I know for my I'm a bit timid aruond my sup, but will quite happily be quite bulshy and defend myself and my work better without her there (so I'm not meek-sneaks)

I also worry about my sup contradicting me e.g. if I say I did XYZ because.... and she butts in and says "no you didn't..." it would be awful! And no matter wha thte rules are about butting in, I'm sure she would anyway!

I think if you think its better for him/her not to be there, then its going to be best for you.

I like to think that people on TOWIE, BB etc are actually much more intelligent that us mortals - Whilst they realise that acting dumb may increase earning, they then become what they try to act and then are actually dumb, but are really intelligent for doing it :p

I find it easiest to read on Mendeley, I like the highlighting and note functions. If they had an Ipad app (not sure if they do?) then I'd be tempted to get an ipad. I'm rubbish with handwritten notes, because I live and work in about 4 different locations, so would mean dragging half a library around with me.

ok, this thread is making me guilty - I don't think I've taken a paper anywhere, or read one for that matter in about a year!

I envy you timefortea! I want Pizza on the piazza at Lake Garda *sigh*.

I think that if they're understanding of the subject is there then that's fine. I do think they should be using a university proofreading service though! My hubs is dyslexic and without my extensive proofreading, his thesis would have been unreadable. Having said that I do think language is a major issue in universities. I teach a range of groups and some of them have barely any english. I've talked with them individually about their understanding of my teaching, I even supervise one overseas student, and I said (slowly), "I need to talk to you abour your dissertation" - blank face - "dissertation" - blank face (looks to her friend) "d i s s e r t a t i o n" - blank face, "project?"....... Now they apparenlty have been through the english language tests, but they really struggle. I think they're fine with the written word because they put it all through tranlations, but can't keep up with lectures etc. - that's undergrads though, not PhDs.