Hi all,

I am submitting my thesis next week and I'm pretty excited, albeit a little anxious about it. At the moment I just want to work on it all the time because I know I've only got one week left to make it as good as it can be and I don't want to look back and think that I didn't make the most of that time. I am still making time to go to the gym and have a coffee with people at least once during the day. I am feeling really guilty though because I haven't caught up with friends and my girlfriend in particular keeps asking me to have a night off and is very disappointed when I say I can't. I had a night off to catch up with her on Monday and we met for coffee today but she wanted to do something tonight too and I had to say no. I feel as though she thinks I am being melodramatic but it's the last week and I just feel like I have to keep going. I just wish I didn't feel so guilty! My flatmates keep asking me too and don't seem to understand why there is still stuff left to do because I've 'written it'. It's like they see it as a goal number of words that must be reached and then it's done!

Does anyone else have these issues in the write up period? For those who have finished - did you manage to make much time for other people in the last week? I'm not sure whether I am just being selfish and over the top. I honestly don't know how you people who have kids manage to get it done!

It's your final week and you must work in a way or do what you need to do to get through it. Try not to feel guilty about making others wait for a week. It's an important week for you and a week of ongoing weeks for them.

All the best!

What Delta said. It's an important week for you and as you say, you want to know that you have made the most of it. I'm sure your girlfriend and flatmates will have forgotten all about it in a week or two.

I have to have a full draft written for my supervisor within the next few days and feel a bit guilty because my friend was hoping to meet up with me over the weekend but I am going to have to work. I'd go mad if I let myself dwell on it though. We have enough on our plate over these last few months of write-up as it is!

The last week or two prior to submission was pretty hectic for me.  I was tweaking things and checking over the thesis right up to sending the electronic version to the printers. I had some guilt issues with spending my time on it (and getting quite tetchy about having my space to do this!). This did mean hubby was resigned to evenings alone and the bambinos had an incredibly grumpy and selfish mummy squeezing every little bit of time out of the day  :$

I would try to stay focused on your thesis in this last week but compromise with your girlfriend by arranging a nice evening out with her after you have submitted. It is only a week and your friends/girlfriend should all understand that you just need this time to finish it all off.  That said you also have to realise that the thesis is never a finished product, you will find errors in it post submission and again when read years later! Good luck with submitting (up)

Hey Slowmo- I think you really have to do whatever you feel is right for you and your thesis this week. I have just over three weeks left until submission but even at this stage I have had to cut down my meetings with my boyf to just once or twice a week (and he gets the train here and back to save me time) and I have changed any evening arrangements with friends to lunchtime meetings instead since I work best in the evenings and lunchtime meetings take less time! I feel really guilty but luckily my friends are mostly doing PhDs as well so they understand. My boyf does make me feel really guilty (not deliberately) because he only works 3-4 days per week and wants to meet up on the other days, but we have a few days away booked straight after my viva so we are both looking forward to that. I am having my first day off in a month this weekend to go to my nephew's first birthday party and I even feel guilty about that but I am looking forward to it! I don't think you are being melodramatic at all- this will all be over in a week and your friends won't have gone anywhere! You will regret it more if you feel like you didn't quite put 100% into it so I would just keep going, whilst also building in breaks and coffee etc with friends when you feel able to. Best of luck! KB

I certainly agree. Keep going and try not to lose momentum. I submitted my thesis in June and have my Viva next week. I worked flat out right until the last possible minute. And still, I find that there are still mistakes (mainly typos) in it. If you've built up momentum then don't spoil it. After you submit, you can do all the going out and meeting stuff.

All the best and good luck for a successful submission!