Hi Slowmo, you could be describing me there..... Firstly I found the way to deal with some of the imposter syndrome was to just go along with the 'pretend' me. The one that everyone else seemed to think was doing well etc. I found this very useful when i got myself in knots over presenting and just viewed it all as an act. I'd act confident/smile/never allude to being nervous and after a while you manage to convince yourself a bit. A couple of people even asked me how it was possible so remain so calm little realising how many insecurity thoughts were crashing on in my head.
Secondly, I also did exactly this, beat myself up if I wasn't working yet when I sat down to write, ANYTHING (forums/ebay/wikipedia/you name it. I'm now an expert on random things that are never going to be useful!) was more interesting than writing. Many people on this forum have mentioned 'write your thesis in 15 mins a day' and I tihnk that really works for some. I had a timer on my computer for 25 mins, I'd work on it for those 25 mins no matter what. If after those 25mins it was going good I'd carry on. If not, I'd stop, do something I wanted to do for a bit then reset the 25 mins. As for having a draft thesis already - in my dreams I would have one 4/5 months prior to submitting, in relality, no chance. But it's not theirs, it's yours. It doesn't matter what they think. I hope some of this helps....
I've just seen Ady's reply, I totally agree!

Haha, no I haven't made them up! I have now found the reference list that was supposed to go in the back of the thesis so have printed it out. A girl from my Masters course did exactly that though - made up references and never got caught... and passed! I will let you know how it goes independant of the result....

Thanks Bilbo, I keep seesawing between the anticipated relief that it will all be over soon (aside from corrections, assuming not a fail!) and panic at the viva hurdle. Small things (like missing a bunch of references) really knock my confidence. At the least though my long reference list is now even longer - not sure if this is a good or bad thing but it makes by short thesis several pages longer, even if it is just references!

Thanks, I realise what is done is done and have set about recifying it right away, at least the other chapters are fine reference wise. I wanted to go into the viva confident but find it being eroded away the more I look at it, I am completely terrified!

Hi All, Just having a panic here, I have 2 weeks til my viva and picking up my thesis I am happy with most of it (coherent etc) but I have made a complete boo boo and missed out quite a lot of references. I have cited them but then not listed them in the back! Not really sure how it happened - it's only my lit review that is like this so all I can think of is I forgot to add chapter 1 refs to my list. I feel very foolish....
In order to recify I will take a list of them into the viva but I am so concerned it looks very bad :(
Any advice gratefully recieved!

At some of the conferences I have attended (ecology/biology subject) you would stand out a mile in a suit. Jeans and a t-shirt/wooly knits seem to be the way, even for presenters, it's very subject dependent

On the other hand, the worst sentence I read in an acknowledgements was "I managed to complete this thesis, despite my supervisors". They got the PhD, but I found it tricky to read bits of the thesis without their negativity coming through, no matter how bad their supervisors might have been

Haha, i love what you have written in your blog so far, it feels like me all over! I look forward to the next installment

Yeah flight of the conchords has become a big thing in my lab! Even caught my Supervisor humming "Business time" the other day!

Hi, I know how you feel! My first paper for a conference I left until 6pm on the date it had to be submitted by, then had to do it in a panic. It all turned out fine though, they came back to me and asked to change a few things and then if was published in their proceedings. Make a plan with the objectives of the paper and what you want to say and just keep chipping away at it. Get others to read it too if poss, I find feedback from friends good as it is usually constructive. Good luck,

I work at a reseach institute where there are no oher PhDers but I find this benefits me loads! I am considered staff more than a student, I can see my Super anytime as he has no other students to worry about and other scientists chat to me about my work and chuck in the odd idea from other disciplines.
I have felt the odd bout of isolation, but I have made friends from conferences etc., and keep up with them through email. It really depends on the sort of person you are and your social situation. I have friends unrelated to PhD life as I lived here before I started the PhD. I think a good supervisor is worth their weight in gold though!!!

as I handed over a report
"Perfect, drawing paper for my children..."
but I have the impression he wasn't joking

I have big fat lop eared rabbit who absolutly adores my slippers It can be off putting when I am trying to write to find a rabbit attached to my leg... He also runs around the garden trying to make friends with (or shag??!) cats who are scared of him. Much fun to watch instead of working....

Upon giving my supervisor a report, and before even reading it, he said it would be very useful as drawing paper for his children

I hate spiral staircases! I am fine with heights (climbing etc) but I freak going up them. Once a guide up a castle tower had to turn back 50 people so I could come down backwards