Hey Charlie Brown,

Do you have all your words in one big document, or do you have different documents for each chapter?

I find I'm overwhelmed when I see a wall of text - I don't know where to start.I also cannot multi-task. I can only work on one thing at a time, and that means not having a hint of anything else which may distract me around. So, if I'm working on one chapter, I'll hide the others. I sometimes even go so far as to just look at the text from one single section.

Also, just write and don't edit as you go. In fact, don't even bother about getting the references right. I usually put a rough indication of the source in brackets and fix it later). Someone has described writing and editing as you go akin to building and burning a bridge at the same time. It's not efficient. They should be doen separately

But for this to work you must know what you need to say. So, perhaps the first thing to do after your holiday is to have a look at what you've got in its entirety and identify the gaps you need to work on. Then forget about the rest of the text. I suggest an outline view so you won't be overwhelmed with text. Establish what you need to say in the section you're working on, and just write .... sit on it for a few days ... then edit it!

I think having a gap between writing and editing really, really helps, too.

Good luck!

The second, more specific issue, is whether you're doing enough in your first year. I'm in my first year and I find myself worrying that I'm not working hard enough because I'm not actually writing. I think a lot of us equate "work" with text on paper. But perhaps the reading you're doing counts for something, even if it's unstructured and isn't really tangible? I think my anxiety is largely due to this. The work's all up in my head, but who else but me can see it?

The only way to get around this is to, again, set goals. That way you can reassure yourself that at the very least, you're working towards them, and that's the best anyone can expect of you. It's also important to keep the big picture in mind. For me, that's the upgrade at the end of the first year. The fact of the matter is as long as you pass it and become a full PHD student, your first year would have been OK. Whether you walk, jog, sprint or a combination of all 3 to the finish line shouldn't matter as long as you reach it on time.

If you need more advice, visit http://thesiswhisperer.com Lots of pearls of wisdom there!

Good luck!

Hello Crelansley,

Have things improved?

I think you're struggling with two things. The first is the macro issue of whether you want to do a PhD in the first place. Much advice has been dispensed about whether one should stay or quit a PhD. I'm of the opinion that you can make anything work if you have the right strategies and techniques. "Passion" and "interest" can be fleeting anyway. The trick is to learn how to move beyond your emotions and just get stuff done. There are numerous productivity techniques out there. Look them up, start small, but keep at it. It's really like exercise. It's a pain to get started but once you gain some momentum, it should get better. Honestly, being snuggly at home without a fire under bum makes this a lot harder (I know too heh). The only way around that is to be accountable to be someone with your goals. Again, much has been written about this. Look it up. So the upshot is this - learn new techniques, set small goals and be accountable to someone.

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Hi,

I'm sorry your step-dad's ill. Cancer is no fun. Needlesstosay, a terminal illness is infintely worse.

I've not experienced what you're going through, but I'd like to share my own experience with cancer, thoughts about a PhD, and life in general.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma a month after I received my admission letter. This was in Dec 2010, and I was scheduled to begin in Sep 2011. I successfully finished treatment (chemo + radiation) in June 2011, and thought I could get on with life right away. But as September approached, I realised I was emotionally and psychologically not prepared. Cancer was a much bigger deal than I thought it'd be. I deferred my admission to Jan 2012. Right now, I still feel unprepared. I'm planning on pushing my admission back to Sept 2012. But to be honest, a part of me wonders if I'll ever start at all.

I too struggled with the practicalities of pushing my plans back. I received a scholarship, and they were quite sympathetic in allowing me to defer admission the first time round. By asking for a second deferment, I feel like I'm letting people down, even "abusing" the goodwill they've granted me. Some days I feel like I should just crack on with it even though I don't feel emotionally settled. Other days, I think starting a PhD when I'm not in the right frame of mind might be a recipe for disaster. There's a real tension there. How do you balance your needs and the expectations of others. I really want to do the right thing. You want to do the right thing too, I'm sure.

I've found there are two big obstacles to figuring out what the right thing to do is. First, it's pressure and expectations. You have your own expectations, and I'm sure there are expectations imposed upon you by others. Second, it's always difficult to amend current plans. Plans give you control over your future, and everyone likes certainty. We don't like to give up that control. You probably had everything all worked out and had a good idea of when you'd be done with your PhD, and what to do next. I too had a plan. In fact, because of the scholarship terms, I'd have the next 7 years planned out for me, which was great. Taking a break is a huge spanner in the works. But maybe new plans have to be made. I'm coming to realise life's a journey, and maybe I can plan't things that precisely. If I have to take a few months off, a year off, that's not ideal, but maybe I need it. And assuming I life a typical long life, what's 1 or 2 years of down time in larger scheme of things?

Above all, I'm coming to realise health, including emotional well-being, should come before everything else. I also realise you have to trust your own judgement. You know yourself best. If you feel like you need some time away, trust that feeling, and don't let other people tell you otherwise. It's your life, you know what you need.

If you need to re-jig your priorities for the time being, do it. And don't feel bad about it. Spend time with your step-dad. The PhD can wait. I don't think you can plan things perfectly, but a good start is to figure out what your priorities are in the here and now, and act accordingly. With your priorities figured out, things will always fall into place naturally.

I also found talking to a counselor helpful. Sometimes we just need help in building ourselves up, and trusting our own instincts.

I wish you and your family well. Take care!

Hi Flack,

Good to hear things are moving smoothly.

I had to relocate, but from overseas. So it was doubly hard. We had friends view flats for us and based on their recommendations, put a deposit. If you think being a UK student is bad, it's a lot worse if you're foreign. We had to pay multiple months of rent upfront! Was tempted to take student housing, but it was pretty much a hole in the wall. Wouldn't have worked out for my wife and I.

One thing you should pay attention to is the internet connection in your connection. We had to set ours up ourselves, and it took a month because the agent told us to "call BT" only for us to find out our building is a new construct and doesn't use copper cabling. Only one provider services the block. We only found that out after a technician came down to to the preliminary installation, a full 2.5 weeks after we placed the order. What a waste of time! If only the agent had told us on day one. Thankfully the sole provider had things up and running for us in 2 working days.

I can tell you those ~3weeks without internet were pretty expensive and tortuous!

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I feel better now.

I've actually already relocated to London. My wife and I had planned to start grad school together, but she couldn't defer her admission. So I've already sorted out accommodation and all that. Which is great, because I can't imagine having to do that in the middle of winter!

Hi Sparkles,

Thanks for sharing. This is something I worry about too. I only start in January and I'm already bothered by it!

I really think emotional/social isolation is something universities don't always realise can be a big problem. That it's the highest degree anyone can obtain also suggests everyone must be brilliant or they'll be judged poorer doesn't help.

Out of curiosity, what field is your PhD in?

I wonder if there's a difference between those in say the sciences (with lab work) and those in the social sciences/humanities (where you're pretty much alone doing your own thing).

Perhaps this is a false impression, but maybe the extroverts in the social sciences/humanities seem that much more because they have the "gift of the gab" and a mastery over language. So they talk a lot more, often coming across as sounding really smart, without any moderating influence (ie. humility). Afterall, it's often their words which reflect their intellect, not lab results or things designed/constructed.

Hi,

I was supposed to start in Sept this year, but because of health reasons, I have to defer admission to January 2012. My supervisor suggested this, and says there's usually a sizeable contingent of candidates beginning then, so I don't need to worry too much.

But I'm still worrying a bit about getting to know people, course-work etc that. The important methodology courses seem to run at the start of the academic year (not sure if they run one again for the late-comers).

It'd be great to hear from those who started in January. How was it in terms of classes? And how was it socially? I find it's important to have a support network because doing a PhD can be very lonely, and frustrating, which is an awful combition from an emotional point of view. Did you have trouble meeting people, especially since most of your peers would have met and made friends months earlier?

Thanks

Thanks for sharing! Do you need to take any courses?

Thanks everyone for your replies! I suppose me disappearing to the otherside of the world mid-way won't raise any eyebrows.

Out of curiosity, how much course work did you guys have to do? In the US, it's typically 2 years that's well structued but what's it like in the UK? The Dept's pretty ambiguous about the requirements (general references to some methodology class and auditing others).

Hi,

Has anyone spent their 2nd year and beyond in the social sciences/humanities "off campus", for example, back home in another city or another country?

I have an interesting funding situation which requires me to be back in another country to finish up beyond the minimum term of residency, which I suspect is about a year because there's little course-work in most UK PhD programmes.

Also, unlike a science-based course, you aren't tied to a lab so you can basically work wherever you can, especially with the internet. With London rents being what they are, it might also be cheaper to just fly back as when's required (for example to do any field-work), rather than live here full time.

Anyone have any experience with this or seen this happen?

======= Date Modified 03 Oct 2011 21:57:33 =======
Hi!

I'm about to begin my own PhD in the social sciences and I already feel nervous! It now seems to me doing a PhD is as much learning how to be resilient and hardy as it is an intellectual pursuit. It's like boot camp on steroids - you're broken down (always unpleasant) and remade into something better. Unfortunately, boot camp lasts months at the most. The PhD journey is much longer.

I don't have specific advice or personal experience to share, but I discovered by chance a book titled ""Finish Your Dissertation Once and for All! How to Overcome Psychological Barriers, Get Results, and Move on with Your Life." The title says it all - how to overcome psychological barriers ... and move on with your life :)

I highly recommend you have a look at it. It doesn't really talk about writing and research -- there are many books on that out there -- but instead focuses on how you might feel during the process, and what you can do to overcome those negative emotions, in particular feeling stupid, worthless and not as smart as your peers. That seems to be the biggest open secret out there - everyone secretly feels that way but no one wants to admit it. So they all put up a brave front. Or, PhD programmes tend to attract narcissists or those with poor social skills (high functioning autism? Asperger's syndrome?) because much of the work is done independently. There's a lot of bragging and unpleasantness stemming from egocentricism. Which just makes matters for everyone worse.

Reading the book's quite theraputic. It's well-written, easy to read and you'll find yourself nodding in agreement. And of course, useful plans, time-tables and strategies to cope are provided too, so it might also be useful in a practical sense.

Good luck!