Hi CG

Yes, I did have a break and have even been out with friends having fun lately!! So am good at the moment. Thanks for the advice - but I really do need to do the extra, to not only make sure my lit review is up to date but also as there have been major changes in my area I need to detail. Silly me, I chose an area which is really topical and fast moving, so need to update for developments over the last couple of years.

You're so close CG!! That must be so exciting! And a bit weird as well. And also a bit sad, in a crazy kind of way??

All the best. Work hard everyone!!

Is it me, or are the undergrads really getting younger every year?? This year they all look like they're about 12!!

And as for shoes with no support, when will the craze for thongs die down? Ugly, ugly, I don't need to see your whole feet dragging along in these ugly rubber things (I'll let people get away with the not-so-hideous, not-as-cheap ones which have diamantes and things like that...). Oh - but it's winter where most of you are - you're spared this for another few months!

Matilda, try http://mytomatoes.com/ This is better than a kitchen timer as it also allows you to note what you did in the tomato, so you can track your progress. I have this site up for about 15 hours a day, and it works well. You need to register, but that's all, then can start using it.

Hi Natassia

In short - yes!! I have also been upset in front of my supervisor when it's all been a bit too much - and it's been fine. Sometimes these things just happen. I've also cried in front of my work bosses on countless occasions over the years (and I'm not really an emotional wreck (!), but like you, have also experienced bereavement, on top of a massive workload). Supervisors and managers take it in their stride, if they're any good. They know that students have other things going on in their lives, and that at times this can be stressful.

Don't worry about it. It's good that your sup know what's going on with you, your relationship will be back to normal before you know it. Take it easy and be kind to yourself, it sounds tough at the moment.

Hi Poppy and AQ

Glad to hear it's going well for you both!!! How exciting Poppy, to have it all together!! Wow - I can't wait to get to that stage!! That's so good, am v. pleased for you that it's coming together so well!!

Things are going slowly for me - I haven't been able to bear the thesis lately, and have been doing a whole lot of other work - referencing, appendices etc - things that need to be done, but which I shouldn't really be doing now. Am not going to make my June deadline as I need to do rewrites still. Writing my discussion chapter has made be realise I really need to rewrite my lit review, and I have a solid 6 inch stack of articles I need to do for that...then there's the context chapter, which I also haven't looked at in 3 years...

So, it's all progress, but there's still so much major work to be done. And now my sup has given me other work to do as well...Oh well. Will get back into proper writing today, chip away at it.

Keep going everyone!

Yes, sorry to hear you've got shingles Bilbo - hope they don't drive you crazy, and go soon.

Doesn't feel like I'm well-adjusted a lot of the time Eska, but if I occasionally give that impression, then my faking this must be working!;-)

And an award to Wj_Gibson too, for giving us the grim facts on the job market, but persevering anyway.

Hey AL

Sounds like a good, positive, productive week! And excellent that you've got some time off coming up. That's also really, really good that you're going to be assertive with your sup if necessary - he needs to understand that making students feel like crap is not the best way of motivating them!! Good for you!!

Have had an OK week. Am writing the discussion chapter, which is both really boring and really hard. Need to get the basic arguments out of the way first before I can be a bit more creative. But it's going ok. Once I've done this, most of the words for the thesis will be there, in some form, and then I'll really start to feel that this thing is coming together.

All the best for the coming week.

At the start of semester I establish rules with students (well, they come up with some and I do the rest), and I write these on the board - you know, things like, respecting each other, no talking over other people, no sexist, racist language, no texting etc. Then if they break a rule during semester, I point this out, point out that the class developed the rules etc etc. I also get teachery! It seems to work.

As for emails - we only had one central person who received all student emails, so they could say the same thing to all the students. Could they email the course co-ord instead of you?

Students do demand more than we did, probably as they pay so much they think they have a right to behave like that...

Hi Maria

I'm also a distance student so don't socilaise with other PhDers. Some in my course are also older students (like me), they have other commitments, families etc and so a lot of them don't socialise either. I too, am also a bit of a loner. Oh well - as Eska says, we their to learn, not make friends. The downside to not being around a lot on campus is that other students have a higher visibility, they tend to get asked to do lecturing, research work etc, even tho I could do this just as well as they can. This is more worrying than socialising. So, if you can, try and push yourself forward a bit so you get these opportunities too. Don't worry about making friends, but try and make sure that those who count know who you are.

My supervisor is also at the top of her field, and seems to know everything about my subject area. She is hugely respected and knowledgable and able to steer me in the right direction (I assume!). There is one tangential are I specialised in, in two previous degrees and which I know a bit more than her, and she respects this. She also knows enough about this area to guide me, I just know a bit more of theory. So, yeh, it's important to have a sup who knows a lot more than us, I think.

Hi Sam

I'm in social sciences. I didn't collect any data in my first year - I did my lit review and another chapter, ethics and wrote a conference paper. Don't worry about it - it sounds as if you're going fine, and if your sup's happy, great! But maybe you need to have a talk to him, work out some deadlines etc.

======= Date Modified 09 Mar 2010 00:41:33 =======
Thanks everyone - you're all so lovely!! You're right CG, I do need a bit of a rest, so am doing little bits this week, but not killing myself with work. Am taking some time out, will catch up with some friends, and generally try and be a normal human again.

PhD stress is odd - I've had stressful jobs in the past, where the adrenaline flows, there are urgent tasks to be done, and managed this fine. But a PhD - I don't even realise I'm strsessed until I start crying in a public place! Definitely a different kind of stress and one which creeps up...

Right, onto something menial - Endnote is looking like a good place to work this week!

Hugs and positive vibes to everyone. CG - look after yourself in these last few weeks of madness.