I'm 26 and live in a 2 bedroom rented house with my boyfriend (and our cat!). Before my PhD we lived on opposite sides of the country but because he works mainly from home he was able to relocate with me.

We're saving for a deposit to buy somewhere which we should be able to do shortly after I submit in a years time.

Oh I hate it when this happens. See if you can find a relevant paper/basic chapter they can all read. Give them 15 minutes to read it individually, 10 minutes to discuss together in small groups or pairs, and then time for feeding back to the class (this works better if you give each group a different paper to read, then you can ask them to tell the class what the paper was about). And voila, that'll use up a lot of time!

Well I seem to be working alone on this thread today!

My first goal is done. Hurrah! There will be a few more small changes but I'll do them once I've printed it out (which I can't do today) so I'm not just looking at it on the screen.

My next goal is to read over some papers in a particular area and summarise the methods used.

Hmm, applying for jobs. I guess that is something I'll have to start thinking about too in a few months. How depressing :-(

Today I am going back to my chapter. My first goal (which feels like an impossible task which I have been trying to do for ages!) is to get my introduction section finished.

Another one just starting 3rd year here!

Over the summer I started panicking about having to write those enormous 80,000 words in the next year and got really down about things as I was convinced I'm not capable now that it is coming to crunch time.

Another girl in my research group has written half of her thesis already and is on track to submit at Easter 6 months early and is in the middle of writing her third journal article. Argh. I'm just doing my best to plod along and although I feel like I'm working quite slowly, to keep it consistent...

Second goal partly done- I have summarised one paradigm and am so bored by it all that I can't bear to move onto another lot of papers in the area straight away. My second goal is to re-read some papers in my own area which are close to the kind of thing I'm trying to figure out how to do at the moment.

My first goal is finally done- the article I read was very, very long. My next goal is to skim through some papers in a particular area and write a summary of the methods used.

Sneaks I used to love running (but can't anymore because of a dodgy knee). I'd recommend signing up for a 5K or 10K race to keep thins interesting and keep you motivated.

Anyways, I have a meeting at 11. I have a lot of reading to do today so my first goal is to read one article before my meeting.

mytomatoes.com is very good to stop you wasting time.

I get up between 8 and 9 (unless I have to go onto campus that day in which case it's earlier) and start work between 8.30 and 10. I do try and make it as early as possible because I find it difficult to work late but found I got into bad habits over the summer without regular teaching commitments etc to get me up early.

Lunch at 12.30-1 for half an hour.

Finish work and usually go to the gym between 4 and 5.30.

I never work in the evenings because by the time I've got back from the gym and made dinner there's not much time left anyway and I'd rather relax. I'm just starting my final year so I'm preparing to do slightly longer days. But as others have said it's a marathon and consistency is the key.

Oh I hate that stage of work Sneaks, I always find it requires a lot of focussed attention.

My panel meeting went fine. I had a talk with my supervisor afterwards about my career once I finish and my doubts about my work and my writing and she was very complimentary about the work I have been handing in and now I feel loads better. I always feel more motivated after having these kinds of talks with her.

I now have half an hour to search for some literature she suggested I get to grips with before going to the gym.

Morning all. Today I made it onto campus for 9 and have acheived my first goal of reading an article. I'm feeling fresh and motivated so my next goal is to do the bits of writing for my introduction which I have been putting off over the last few days. Then this afternoon I have my end of year panel. Eeek.

I'm also finding it difficult to concentrate and feel like I am getting nowhere with my introduction section. It'll also be easier when I'm in the library tomorrow as I'm finding I can't get hold of any articles I need online, so I will come back to it tomorrow.

My next goal is to work on a fresh analysis and not to give up work for the day until I've actually done a full day.

Hi there Sneaks, did your presentation go well?

I've read through my report and I'm fairly confident about my meeting tomorrow, so that is my first goal done. Next (after popping out to drop something off at the doctor's) I need to write an outline of relevant sociolinguistic work, which I was supposed to do on Friday but didn't.

Morning all. Is anyone going to be joining me on this thread today?

I have my panel review tomorrow so my goal for this morning is to have a read through my report and to prepare.

Argh the redrafting of my introduction is turning out to be more work than I thought because there are a couple of areas of literature I should include but haven't done yet. Spent the morning outlining relevant philosophical and linguistic work. My goal for this afternoon after lunch is to outline relevant sociolinguistic work.