My Phd is in computer science, I've seen alot of really good researchers get bogged down in writing their implementations (programming) before they can start running test and getting results and many of them had degrees in a comptuer related subject or at least some knowlage of programming. I think you may find that learning to program is relatively easy, learning to design large programs which can be easily maintained requires a degree of experiance.

Tiggs

I don't think I ever had chapters back quickly. It took me a year from the first draft doing corrections and a full time job to get to where I am now. Which is on the verge of completing the thesis. However and this may or may not motivate you, the nightmare does not end when you submit the thesis you have to prepare yourself for the defence!!

Tiggs

I think its got to be well worth your while doing, I know I presented a paper and basically went beyond what was in the paper to give a sort of story so far with my PhD. I don't think its a bad thing to say at the start 'I'm a PhD student and this is my work' No one really wants to put you on the spot, its meant to be a learning process. If anything supportive members of the audience may ask you to clarify things they didn't understand or you didn't explain enough.

At the first conference I gave I was asked questions by the very man who's lined up to be my external examiner!

Tiggs

At our place we had to attend a block taught (every day for a week) module on research methodologies and that was it. Personally I always worked in uni, my mate andy worked from home and had no problems at all. I suppose it just depends on where you work best.

With regards to an earlier post about the proffessor not getting back to an email. I'm a lecturer and on my contract it states that the bulk of our leave (and there's quite a bit 35 days or something) must be taken when the students are on holidays. With a result most people take much of the summer off and come back in for clearning (A-Level resutls in the UK).

Regards,

Tiggs

Hi guys,

I got a job before finishing my PhD as a lectuer. My mate Andy went on and did a research fellowship before leaving academia. He now pays almost as much in tax a year as I get salary!

Tiggs

I can't help myself Tom. But the PhD has given me sleeping problems on a number of occasions so your probably asking the right people!

Tiggs

My area of study is artificial intelegence. At the momement I find myself worrying about the defence of decisions I made early on in the PhD when I was reletivly nieve.

Tiggs

At the moment, I've just bought a house completed the first year of a my first lecturing job (with all the preperation that entails) and I'm finishing up the thesis and preping for the viva.

I really sympathis with what your going though, I think I've already mentioned it in another thread but "Rescue Remedies" are a really good herbal relaxent they seem to work for me.

If you find any sites with information on the via perhaps you can could post them?

Tiggs

Hi guys, I'm in exactly the same position. I finished the initial write up of my thesis a year ago and started a job as a full time lectuer last September. I've been working hard to get corrections and omissions sorted out and I'm just about done with the thesis now. I had a mock viva a few weeks ago and I really took a pasting, I'd lost touch with my work to some extent and its taken me 4 weeks of leave working on the thesis to get back into it.

After the mock viva I was a wreck, I shook uncontrollably for about an hour and even the next day just talking to my supervisor on the phone made my hands shake. My second supervisor had been under orders to have a real go at my work and I was interllectually savaged.

contines ..

I had to do a transfer report from MPhil to PhD. I read the relevent documentation it said something like around 6 pages with various stipulations about content etc. I prepared the report and the committee refused to read it because it was too long. My supervisor brought the documents which were still 'current' to their attention, it seems due to the huge numbers of PhD students at the uni they are trying to get them down in size and have not updated the docs. It was a real pain trying to get it sorted out.

If your thinking of staying in academia there is a general rule when it comes to such things, this I have found though both personal expeiance as a lectuer and from my supervisors observations - Administration is something you find out about after you were supposed to have done it.

Tiggs

I've found the PhD experiance extreemly difficult and lonely, its probably the most depressing thing I've ever done and there have been a number of occasions on which I've seriouly concidered quiting. I actually applied to joint the army at one stage (end of year 1 start of year 2) if I'd passed the medical (to much damage to lower spine) then I'd have already left. As it is I've stuck it out to the bitter end and I'm still as unsure about both doing the Phd and the validity of my work.

I was told by a close friend that as well as being a great intelect you really need to be a bit analy-retentive to do a PhD. Perhaps she was right.

Tiggs

Also avoid if at all possible taking a job while your still working on your PhD, its really hard to finish off the thesis when you have something else which requires your attention. The difference it makes dedicting only a few hours of your day to something rather than the vast majority of your waking hours is amazing.

Best of luck in your search,

Tiggs

A year or so later I find myself in an interesting position, despite the first draft of the thesis being finished a year ago, I'm still making changes and preparing to submit and viva in the next few months. I got the job and with the pressures of a first year lecturing with full time table I've had very little time to work on the PhD and with a result I feel I've become distanced from it in a way that I didn't think was possible. I've been on leave for 3 weeks and have spent most of it working to get back into the work I've done ready for the thesis defence.

Reading though I keep thinking I have found holes in my work which are actually not there, it seems so long since I wrote the work.

My advice would be, don't worry about the apparent lack of jobs. The jobs market in post docks and other positions seems to go crazy between now and September as staff come back of holidays and try to push things though before admissions.

cont

Things only kind of worked out for me, I finished doing my experiments and with around 8-10 months funding left I started writing up and looking for a post. Because of my situation over running was not an option and I worked really hard to complete the thesis. I applied for around 6 post doc jobs for which I felt I was reasonably qualified and had only one interview. I also applied for a lecturing post which I didn't think I had a snowballs chance in hell of getting due to a lack of experiance and having not completed the PhD.

cont ..

Talking about hobbies, I know its probably concidered a bit weird but I get a real break from thinking about the Phd playing for a local brass band. Its a weird thing, to play the music you have to concentrate on the notes you can't think about anything else while your doing it.

Tiggs