oh and No.6 Bibliographies. Use EndNote from day 1 - means you always have everything you read in one place. And make sure you attach PDF files to each reference where possible so you can access everything really easily.

Don't get too tied down to non-phd work e.g. teaching, lab work. The more you take on, the more they expect you to do! Its a never ending cycle and its better to finish your phd on time with a bit of this kind of experience, than finish it 2 years late with a load of lab work on your cv!

(am I conveying my bitterness enough?)

Just thought I would remind you that moving into the university may also include lots of noise and not being able to work. Even though you would probably be housed in a post grad block, you can still get inconsiderate neighbours.

You will also have to take into account that you may have to take some days off during the year e.g. when coursework deadlines are looming, or exams are scheduled so it may be better to save your money and stay at your mums at least you won't have an added pressure then!

Good luck with your decision

Can you not commute from somewhere more rural? I have about a 2hr journey (2.5 door to door) because I prefer living in the country - I grew up in a village and prefer the freedom. I only go in once a week to catch up with people as I have set up my home office so I am relatively self sufficient in terms of resources and I am a bit of an introvert so much prefer sitting on my own lol - how sad but true!

If you can't cope with a commute - then you will have to go to speak to him. It's worse to quit half a year in than at the beginning. The sooner you tell him, the sooner he can get someone else in.

Maximum 4 hours :-( but most of the time only about 2! But I do end up doing work most weekends and at odd hours so I like to think I do more overall - probably don't though!

I have a west country accent so would probably say "olivierrrrrrrr" :-)

sounds like you did fine. I know someone who had an experience like this at upgrade. Then he met the examiner who gave him loads of stick in a corridor one day and the bloke said it was the best upgrade he had ever seen. I think people often want to come across as taking a hard line - I wouldn't be too disheartened, you've passed! 12 weeks and you never have to look at the thing again - can't wait for me to be in that position!

I was really scared of this, but then I read through a colleagues thesis and was surprised at how simple the writing style was. I always think I write in a babyish style and always have the thesaurus open in word in an attempt to put in 'big words' but my supervisor said that my writing was better because its not all academic jargon.

I would definitely recommend reading through a thesis or two in your area.

I started in October and this sounds very familiar. I have read a reasonable amount and thought I would write it all down over summer. I have only written about 2,000 words so far! I am also mid-first study and my supervisors want this finished by Sep and do my 2nd and 3rd at the same time, completed by December. But I already know this will all be shoved up 2 months and quite scared about supervisor coming back from hols to find no writing!

I find writing little essays on each subject is better so I write 5,000 word reports/essays about the literature on a certain topic. They all stand alone but it will help, so I can go back and collate it all together. I have been told that once I have an overview of the subject i.e. in my 3rd year, I will want to change any lit review I write anyway, so this is the best way - I do see their point, as if I had written lit review 3 months ago it would now be completely different and would have been waste of time.

It sounds as if you are on track, maybe you should try to write something each day e.g. 200 words (something I am yet to actually do myself)

I think it depends on what subject you do, I know some PhDs are very time consuming i.e. lots of data collection, others are just linking existing data together with theories, so can only take 2 years of even less.

I too see 'those people' in the library and I am often envious. However, I have also experienced people like this at my work and actually find that they do the same amount of work in a day that I do in an hour and the quality is no different. Same with people who look like they are frantically typing away at something - turns out its msn messenger lol.

I did read on the accountability partners thread about using an egg timer. So I downloaded a little timer gadget for my windows sidebar which 'tings' after an hour (or however long you set it) It really does show how unproductive I can be in an hour and I think, since downloading it I have become a little better at getting on with things, rather than just staring at my desk, then getting ANOTHER cup of tea.

no routine here! I just try and get on with stuff as much as possible without too much dithering. Although at the moment I seem to get distracted and only do a few hours a day. Other half doesn't help either as he is doing PhD but has decided not to work over summer and watches cricket all day grr.

I do know that I cannot work anywhere but at home as get fidgity.

the best way is to read existing articles in the journals you want to target. And also the journals guidelines on what they want in terms of word count, referencing format etc.