Nooooooooooooo, oh I hate computers so so much, stupid bl**dy things!

oooh, one of my favourite procrastination techniques and being a historian too sooooo many times! I'd love to go back to the court of Henry VIII - very cliched I know, but its what kicked all this off in the first place - I'd so love to see it, smell it, observe those incredible events that shaped our history - I'd also love to see him and meet Ann Boleyn - oh it would be soooo good.

The other part of me says that if I only had one chance then I should go back to somewhere between 1851 and 1901, probs around 1871 to see the world I'm writing about, could I interview the women?? Now that would be incredibly useful! Wow, what an amazing concept.

And yes, I would so love to see a dinosaur ;-)

Yet another part of me would love to go back to me at the end of my 3rd year, say take the teaching job, the MA and PhD will be a living hell lmao - but then I wouldn't have met you lovely people.... ;-)

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Awwwwww you're an ickle baby!!! Wait til next year :-p Actually, wait another 11 years, 40 is a killer *I'm soooooooooooooooooo old!!!* I do like your plans for this year, they sound very mature and very sensible - I would recommend however that you consider adding those suspenders that men wear for their socks... you really need to consider at your age how scruffy wrinkled socks look. They will add an air of sophistication and maturity to match your smoking jacket.

I'm so glad someone has asked this question as I was beginning to feel a combination between a total slacker and a no hoper who should really get her backside into gear lol! I 'can' do those kind of hours, and sometimes when writing up a board paper or something I will be (although its not constant - Wal has just described my day lol). Generally though some days I'll do sweet nothing, very little, other days I'll work significantly more hours, but like you describe Slowmo, after about 5 or so hours of being sat here constantly I'm so exhausted that I just can't physically carry on full stop. I'm collecting data at the moment and the majority of my current work involves reading handwritten documents from the mid 19th century from an online source and making notes - that is a total killer - some is nice and easy, the reproduction is clear and the handwriting good, others its enough to make your eyes cross, almost indeciferable! I'm not 'writing' as such, but I'm making graphs each day, and I suppose as I'm going through I'm getting a clearer and clearer idea of the issues I have to address with this particular section and the theories I intend to put forward. In that respect I guess that yes, I am making progress, although if I worked more I'd make more, but then would I? I find after working for 6 or 7 hours at this, even with breaks and a bit of internet procrastination time, that I am starting to make mistakes so maybe that's my limit?

I wish that I did have the self discipline to sit here and work the hours described - it would make it all go so much faster - but then I also have to have a life - I have a family, a home, a p/t job, pets, livestock, etc etc and they have to be as much a part of my life as my thesis. I suppose that if that means that I take 6 months longer at this, then so be it, but at least I have a semblance of a life at times - although we all know the life of a PhD student isn't really one lol lol lol - do you know, some people go out sometimes.... fascinating - someone should do a study on it ;-)

Massive congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like the perfect viva :-)

Good grief!!! We're at the same point KB and I now feel totally inadequate! I haven't published one single paper, and haven't even attempted to. Haven't been to a conference, and don't intend to for the foreseeable. Don't teach although I wanted to and was offered a GTA position this year my sup was the opposite, put his foot down and said absolutely not - ok, so I'm working p/t on his research project as an RA for 10 hours a week, but if I go over that 10 hours of 'outside' stuff by even an hour my line manager is 'reminded' by the grad director for the dept that its not acceptable and I have to be focussing on my thesis! Because I was doing the RA work I'm not allowed to teach - again, the 10 hour rule, it may be that I can teach next year, but as my contract looks to be renewed again til Nov its unlikely. I work more like 7 or 8 hours a day, if that - the sup insists that I don't over do it - I did and have been ill for a couple of weeks. Its not that he doesn't encourage me, far from it - top sup - but he is quite insistent that I work steadily and don't over do it or the quality will suffer. Your work load just sounds terrifying and really totally unsustainable if you want to get out of this sane. In the words of the Grange Hill kids - 'Just say NO!' lol lol (showing my age). I think they do respect it if you give clear and concise reasons.

Wally, you are shameless :p, the job is mine!

Definately send a card, just something simple. I've been there but mine was sudden and just knowing that people care and are thinking of you helps so very much. I don't think its inappropriate at all, just caring. Its so hard to know what to say, but in cases like this something simple and genuine and caring is all it takes.

Hi Emma

So sorry to read your news, I've been there and got the same tshirt - twice... It doesn't reflect on you in the slightest, its just as the others say there is so much competition and its whether what you propose is their current 'thing'. Fingers tightly crossed for the scholarship, I got one from my uni and although its nothing like a funding offer it helps a bit. Take care and I hope you get some good news soon

(((((((((((((((biggest hugs))))))))))))))))))))))) really feel for you - utter nightmare xxxx

Good grief, your question has given me a headache Satchi! No help, sorry, just fascinated! I have to do some Stats for my thesis and did a course on stats and understood- ermmm - none of it - so hoping I can learn through your questions!

Sounds like panic attacks and full blown stress related tension to me hon. I suffered with the same after a cot death, I'd be ok as my eyes opened then bam!!! You NEED to get on top of it right now, drugs don't necessarily help - yoga does (but normal, not the yoga for self harmers lol), meditation, relaxation, looking at what happened and seeing it for what it was, acknowledging the pain and the fear and then starting to move on. On top of all that you've had the health scares and worry over that and we don't even realise that our body is tense til we relax it, so the muscles including the deep core muscles become strained and we end up just hurting horribly :-( Make sure you take care of yourself now, I didn't and ended up with a chronic condition that was brought on by stress and ended up virtually bed bound for 5 years - you won't get that (or very unlikely) unless you had a previous condition, but either way, it can make you really ill physically and mentallly so let it all go hon.

Lol, at least you'll be exercising if you can't sit on the chair ;-)

My aims are to watch what I eat and avoid high fat/sugar
Exercise more - ie actually get on the clothes horse, I mean treadmill
Continue to shift the weight a bit more which will come from the above aims
try to eat more fruit and veg (sprout) - I do like them, well some of them, but never seem to get around to eating them! Its so much easier in the summer when you don't want hot food so much. I like salads then, can't stand them in the winter, and don't really like cooked veg very much so I'm a bit stuck. I hate pulses and seeds and nuts and know that my vitamin intake must be atrocious!
I don't really drink very much at all, would like to drink more ;-) but that's prob not a good idea

Ooooh I LOVE those mini clips and page markers :-x

I too drink a horrible amount of tea, in a big mug (I mean HUGE) all day. Its quite tragic actually and my teeth are a state - I think prior to graduation whenever that might be I will have to invest in teeth whitening too :$

I so wish I hadn't read this thread, its got me thinking about Staples (I am incredibly fussy - I like those pens with the 4 colours in them - normal biros make my hands hurt too much and I like writing in different colours (lilac atm)) I also love pretty paper, I don't have any, my desk is ermm, omg....... I can't find a bl**dy thing! And yes, I have 'safe places', as my daughter says, 'safe in the knowledge we'll never find it again' :$ I've lost a bunch of articles to a 'safe place' or they may just be on my desk... hmmmmm.... may have to tidy it up - but then I should carry on with the data collection I'm doing atm..... but what if i lose that too???? It needs stapling, i have no staples.... me thinks that just maybe I'll be in the shop tomorrow ;-)