I just wondered if this is normal. I am going to submit my thesis in 10 days (squeal) and very few people have read any of my chapters apart from my supervisors and a couple of friends who have proofread. Anyway someone who was heavily involved in my research has asked to read a draft of it and I am meeting her tomorrow. I can totally understand that she wants to look over a draft of it before I submit (my research is in quite a politically sensitive area) but I am really excruciatingly nervous about her reading it. It's not that I've said anything that I think she will hate, I'm just kind of worried that I haven't really done to topic justice and that she will think it's rubbish! I've actually noticed that I'm really funny about who reads it. One of my flatmates was looking over my shoulder while I was editing the other day and i actually had to tell her to stop because it was freaking me out!

Does anyone else have this strange protective 'don't look at my child like that' thing going on with their thesis?
:p

Ditto :-(

I have gotten increasingly paranoid about this over the last while and for me it feels like, the more I learn the less I know. When in college, I am always really careful to minimise what's on screen whenever I leave my desk to go the printer or whatever - not because I think someone will steal it, but because I am angst-ridden over what people might think of it. A friend constantly leaves chapter drafts lying around and I admire him in a way 'coz he obviously has complete faith in what he's done! I was pretty confident about my writing ability at the start of the PhD but not so now.

Yeah- I totally get this! It's not just the written thesis, I don't even like the thought of people hearing me talk about it or try to explain it etc. I've just had an email from my sup asking if I want her to be in my viva and I can't think of anything that would make me more nervous! I can just imagine the tutting, sighing and eye-rolling that I would get when I screw a question up! I think when you get close to submission there's also the thought that you don't want someone putting doubts in your mind about what you've done- last minute suggestions and opinions aren't always helpful when you don't have time to respond to them! Completely normal I think! Good luck with the submission! KB

yep. to ad to KB's post; I don't really want my supv in my viva either. To be fair I don't think he would do any eye-rolling but I feel I could 'blag' it better without his presence there.