One thing that makes me happy about my Phd is- an opportunity to not go to the work every day at the same time and an oppportunity to take time/day/moth off whenever (almost) I want

So, how are you today- unstuck? Motivated? I have started to get going again- little bit of moaning to everyone wanting to listen, reading in this forum that I am not the only one, and unmeaningful activity of sorting my papers in alpfabetic order, seems helped:)

Krashty, hope you will find motivation:) Maybe that is a norma 3rd year stage we are going trough...question, how long it will take;)

I am thinking about contacting my supervisor, as suggested, to have a moan on his shoulder;)

Reading takes as much time as you got for it;)) If it is the day before the deadline then reading an article takes on avarage 5-7 min (and no important information is lost:) but if you got all the time in the world- well, yes, than it takes ages...

Thank you, Cryogenics, for your advice and wishes. Currently I am spending most of my time on other things than PhD, what worries me a lot. I have been stuck for around month, took 2 weeks out, and avaioded for for another weeks...

I am in my 3rd year and planning to finish in October (when money runs out;). I have written 40 000 words: methodology chapter and two results chapters+ an early draft of the literature review. Not bad but I have got stuck.....absolutely. I hate my PhD, I hate my topic, I found it very very boring and useless...So, anyone experienced something similar? Any good advice how to get going?

wel, my PhD stipend is only 10 000 and was only 9000 for last two years:) And I am fdoing PhD in the second most expensice city in the UK after London:) But what makes me think whether doing PhD is worth are jobb ads like this ' Overseas student administrator, salary 28000-34000, recquirements: first degree, some work experience' compared to this ' Lecturer in.....' , salary 24000-32000; recquirements- PhD, publications, research grants, teaching experience etc, etc'. And knowing that for that Lecturer' s place in my field will be extremely taff competition...I wonder, why I am doing this...

Hmm, in fact, in all universities PhD students dont do any courses, so just work on their research. So, how 'crap' is one's PhD really depends only on how good quality PhD thesis they produce.

seperate your work and personal life. Do work and keep your hands away from her when in lab and leave other pleasures for evenings/nights together.

"can't deal with the 9-5 Mon to Fri, 28 days off a year thing, when will i actually ever LIVE. at least with teaching, i can travel during the holidays and do other things with my time during the week"


I so much agress with you on this point;)) Hate working from 9-5 in office!!!

When I did not use Endnote, referencing was a nightmare. Now, with endnote it is a pure pleasure. But it takes little bit time to learn how to use it. I suggest go trough help chapter bu chapter before using it.

Yes, you create two seperated entries- one for the whole book (edited book) and one for the chapter from this book(book section.

Jojo: sounds so familiar:) The most straightforward way to happines is to do things you want to do, not what others suggest. It is not easy, I know, as I hear very frequently that a woman of my age must think about getting married and not about getting a research grant for the next project. Accept you own needa and wishes and follow them, you live your life, not your family.

The national average of completing PhD is 4 years, BTW

good luck and tell us how did it go:)