Sneaks, this is madness - what on earth is the woman thinking?

I'm guessing that a PhD by publication is probably out, seeing as your supervisor isn't in favour and more to the point - has prevented you from actually having any publications! If you want to submit in a few months and haven't even sent paper one to a journal I don't see that it can happen. I'm not trying to make you feel worse here, just want you to know that you're not mad, this really doesn't make sense.

I wrote up a few papers during my research and yes, regardless of publication status having them done has made writing chapters easier - I just adapt and add detail. But a word of caution, for me at least, this adaptation took much longer than expected. Due to the constraints of journals and the mind-numbing time-eating nature of appendices, etc, thesis chapters really aren't the same animal as papers.

Would she have a total fit if you said something like "I don't disagree with you but I can't financially afford to submit long after my funding ends, so from here on I will have to focus on my thesis. I'll be very happy to return to looking at publications once that's done." Trying to write your third paper while 1 and 2 haven't even been submitted, and as your thesis deadline looms just doesn't make sense for you (regardless of how beneficial it may be for her), I say put yourself first and make the thesis priority number one.

Natassia, I am delighted that you had this time off! Seriously, I think you probably just improved your dissertation and saved yourself from burnout. Be proud :-)

I've seen your posts on here and like a lot of grad students, you're clearly very bright, very capable, and extremely hard working. I don't for one minute think that you've slacked/been lazy/lost a shred of your abilities, I think you're just so unaccustomed to giving yourself a break that you've got a case of the guilts at what most people consider a normal rest!

You need relationships, you need perspective, and you definitely need that spark ;-) whoever it was you lost, it sounds like he knew you well and had some wise advice, go easy on yourself. And try to trust yourself a little more (easy to say, I know), there's a middle ground between slavery and slacking, and it's well-worth finding if you want to get through your phd intact.

WooooooHooooooooooo!!!!!!


SO pleased for you Dr Chrisrolinski :-)

We never doubted your genius ;-)

You couldn't say "2 % of species", or give the numbers?

Would "a subset" work?

"a substantial proportion"?

Sorry, being rubbish here! Feel free to give the full sentence if you want and that might help.

Sending calming thoughts for your tummy chrisrolinski (mine plays similar tricks) and hope you get printed ok. Am sure your viva will go brilliantly and you'll be Dr Chrisrolinski by the end of the week! *Hugs*

Oh, and sub-goal is to buy some goats cheese beacuse you've all got me craving it!!

What a find sneaks! That's like the academic equivelant of finding a £50 note in your old jeans :-)

Goal 1 for today was to write out a plan for how I could get this thesis beast slain over the coming weeks. I have a week to week plan now written and it doesn't look so hideous on paper.

Goal 2 (once I've been for lunch with a friend - a girl's got to eat after all) is to note what's lacking in chapter 4 and start filling gaps.

Arrrrrrrrgh, she's done it again!!! After being very good and saying "thank you thank you, three bags full" and "now I need to send this off", she's emailed again with the tremendous insight that is (to paraphrase) "section XVIII has a typo, there are two "l"s in llama".

Really, out of around 400 pages of documents this is the most important thing you could write? And it was relevant to copy your pearl of wisdom to ten people (including several very busy doctors) because.......??? Oh the rage I have today. I'm just ignoring it, I really could not care less about these suggestions if I tried.

I shall make us up voodoo dolls sneaks, one to prevent this woman from emailing me, another to send your sup running to the nearest Microsoft Word tutorial.

Phew, something done at last. My head hurts though and I'm remembering that:

tiredness + GIANT red bull = still equally unable to concentrate, but with added jitters

What *the kids* these days would no doubt refer to as an Epic Fail.

Sorry to hear about your hubby Sneaks, I thought he used to rather enjoy his work? Hope something turns up for you soon, but don't feel guilty, the job market isn't your fault and I'm sure you give him plenty of support in every way you can.

Oh Sneaks, same here! I haven't even dealt with the stuff I ranted about (although have had another equally irksome email from another colleague who also cannot read!). As mean as it sounds your same-boatness has mad me feel better, so much so that I shall actually make a goal.

Goal 1: Reformat docs in such a way as to satisfy non-reading irritating colleagues whilst retaining actual purpose, then call time on revisions and submit before anyone else can irk me!

I couldn't leave you ranting solo sneaks, so here's my contribution....

No one reads or makes any contribution to the running our "our" project but me, they don't even reply to emails. All this despite the fact that with my phd ending, I'm the one person who doesn't have any future investment in the project. However, now and then an individual likes to redeem themselves by actually reading a document, and making a few facetious "corrections" that they copy to the whole team in order to showcase their masterful insights/ highlight my incompetencies. It would be fine if they were helpful revisions, but the main one today clearly displays that the person hasn't actually read the correspondence that my new documents stemmed from! This so-called amendee has spelling mistakes in their own criticising email as well and I am currently resisting the urge to write back, amending their own errors (with the entire department copied in, naturally). Grargggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

As for your sup, I remember you hair-tearing over this same issue before - what is it with her aversion to tracked changes? Is she a sadist?

Vini,

Look at it another way, you were so motivated about becoming a chartered professional that you gave up your phd in order to try. If you're committed and successful in your masters I see no reason why they would count this against you. When applying you can even highlight it as a positive "I realised that I was motivated and capable at doctoral level, but that the original phd would not allow me to realise my true ambition" who could be more confident than an experienced student working in their ideal field?

Sorry Sneaks, can't seem to get it.

Done and done with a bonus goal as well!

Star-shaped, when you're having one of those weeks a shower can be a very noble goal! I say well done, have a snowman (snowman)

I have been very sucky today. While I did get up earlyish (despite middle of the night insomnia) I have been half asleep and procrastinated terribly all day. Now I'm panicking because I have to go in half an hour and will be busy with non-work stuff the rest of the day.
Bad Teek *hits self with a rolled up newspaper*

To rescue my conscience before I go I shall:
* Chase up ethics about the amendment
* Bullet-point out my plans for the section of doom

Go!