Hello everyone

I have just over a week before I need to submit my progress following from my 2011 viva voce. My sups want to see my progress before meeting with me in a few weeks time. Trying to remain cool, calm and collective, although I don't think I'm going to be sleeping much this week!

I think I'm making good progress, I've substantially reduced my word count by rewriting, deleting and reducing some sections and thanks to a few 'light bulb' moments, my thesis is really starting to shape up.

I'm starting to feel nervous about submitting for this progress review though! Last thing I need right now is a serious knock to my confidence levels when I'm trying desperately hard to keep my motivation levels up to meet all of my examiners recommendations.

Just wondered if anyone else had these progress reviews with their supervisors following a viva voce?

I can't believe I'm STILL working on this thesis...... (this is my fifth year!).

Scary stuff!

Hi Pineapple

I'm still pre viva (just about!) so no direct experience of progress reviews post viva but it sounds a good idea to me - you sound like you're on track for a great re-submission but still a progress review will ensure that your -re-submission is as tight as it can be.

Best of luck with it (gift)

Good luck Pineapple, that's right, don't get stressed, that progress meeting is happening for a good reason. NB: No sign of my examiners report yet.

Good luck Pineapple. Try to get extensive feedback.

Thanks everyone.

Well due to illness, I'm not going to be able to submit for their deadline, so I'm probably not going to be able to get extensive feedback from them. Their probably going to 'skin me alive' for not submitting sooner, but I can't help it!

I know I've made some significant changes and improvements to my thesis that I hope to discuss with my supervisors.

I'm really struggling keeping the momentum up though! Currently holding back the tears :$ I've been working since 5am on this thesis and I'm dosed up on coffee to see me through this evening.

However, I keep reaching false summits. As soon as I get through one series of corrections, I come across another big set of corrections that I need to work through. I'm going through my systematic review stuff, updating studies and integrating extra detail omitted from previous reviews. The major structural changes have reduced the word count considerably. I'm still going to struggle bringing this thesis under 100,000 words, but I think it's getting there.

I've put so much work into this thesis, I've sort of shot myself in the foot! Even my examiners criticised me for being overly ambitious (yet complimentary at the same time).

Just want this to be over with.

Thanks for the support everyone!

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Really struggling today :(

I've still got loads to work through and I'm supposed to be discussing my progress in a matter of days.

Will I ever get through these corrections??!?! I have until the end of August at the very latest, but it feels like I'm dragging something dead around my ankles today on this never ending climb to the top. Hopefully just a blip today.

Maybe I should focus on what I've done so far, rather than thinking about what i've got to do?!?!

-chopped out a significant amount of extra detail- most of my corrections involve deleting, rewording and editing
-sorted through the major changes my examiners wanted,
-extended, updated and developed my literature review chapters- this still needs considerable work, but my systematic review tables highlight my research problem and research gap.
-fixed the 'thread' throughout
-My new overall structure and new model makes the whole thesis more 'readable'
-added some new qualitative interpretations to my fourth result chapter that my internal requested to see (if I had room!)
-eliminated some rather embarrassingly large typos
-introduced some new models to chapter 1 which frames most of my research questions
-reduced my research questions to four as my examiners requested.

Nightmare! I think this evening will be a case of gritting my teeth and setting small ACHIEVABLE goals rather than thinking that I need to do so much by Sunday!

Onwards fellow PhD candidates
(sprout)

======= Date Modified 24 Jan 2012 13:48:41 =======
Hey everyone.....

Currently picking myself up off the floor after a soul destroying meeting :( . They think I've almost written work needed for 2 PhDs. If I want this PhD in the summer, I need to delete 3 chapters and focus on one aspect rather than 3/4 aspects and submit omitted stuff for publication in books and articles. I could scream!! :(

My main supervisor was really lovely today though :) The other one (who kept mentioning MPhils before the viva) was less so.

I'm shaking like a leaf!