======= Date Modified 28 55 2009 20:55:58 =======
Hi fellow second year PhDers,

Fancy a thread for us? Some of us might be looking at a 3 yr finish and some mightn't. Some of us might just be doing the thesis, some not. Some may be FT some PT. you get my drift.. whatever be our timeframes, commitments, financial situations, it's a good idea perhaps to keep an eye on the clock, the quality/quantity of work, ideas for the future etc on a second yr accountability thread?

I guess we could use it like a daily/weekly/monthly thing, whoever chooses what suits them. Personally I would find a daily too intrusive, others may not. So let us diversify and sign up to this?

Who all are in 2nd yr now? Me, stressed, emmaki (not sure...), loads of others I think as well.

What say?:-)

So you're only a second year! You really ought to respect your elders dear bugs-bugs...

Oh yes Bug, I'm in my second year of a part-time PhD.
I guess I need a thread like this, so that I can keep working at normal (!?) pace.....


Well, things to do tomorrow:
1) Transcribe one interview and translate it
2) Write an annotated bibliography of last 4 months' reading and email sups
3) Write "case studies" from 8 interviews and send to sups

I'll be back tomorrow same time to let you all know how it went.....

All the best

emmaki

Hey! I'm a second year too! And am desperately trying to juggle so many things this year...my first year went really well but I hadn't quite anticipated how much I would have on my plate this year! Or maybe I had, but I just didn't realise how time-consuming some of it would be! Reading so many posts about how hard it is to get post-docs etc really drives home how important it is to fit everything in...the publications, the conferences, the teaching experience, the networking...but on the plus side I still love my project and my enthusiasm is intact which has to be a good thing. Still time to fall out with it though! Would be good to hear how other people are managing (or not) to fit all of this in and where people are up to etc! KB

Hey Bug, that's a great idea. I'll post my intentions and progress on here instead of the accountability thread (although I'll still pop back to catch up now and again!). HHhhhmmm, I'll resist temptation and leave you to deal with the interference as you wish. Will start after the weekend though as I'm currently veging out.

Delighted to see 3 colleagues on board already!!! :-) @Eska - I think the best way to deal with what you are referring to is to just let it be!

So - my usage of this space is more likely to be weekly at the 'planned' level of things, for I have another 'problem' if you will. I do know, I need to be a little less accountable for the work and a little more ref food/rest/play. This is actually a serious thing, for the combo of no money and lots of ambition and hence lots of paid and phd work plus presenting etc has slightly disrupted the balance.

I have just completed my fieldwork, which I am told is very early but I think just on course for a 3 yr Phd. (I do absolutely have to submit July 2011). I am taking a 'break' frm the intellectual demands of this all over December, to immerse myself in one of my projects, research a related but different area and return to this all in Jan, post a visit home and post a conference!


Goals over week ahead: to complete the database and journal specific search for the project I said. To have Endnoted all stuff I think useful. To have stored all PDFs, pasted all absrtacts and quick read all articles and copied pasted quotes etc. To start moving towards the non acad lit by the end of the week ahead.


Ok, this is good!!

Hi Bug, sign me up too :-)

I'm currently in the middle of a manic week and like you I have paid dept work and the PhD work (FT) so r&r is not in a good balance right now.

I have a lot to do this week - I have to submit my upgrade paper at the end of the week - its nearly there - I don't plan to do much work today - I can't work til this pm anyway as hubby is at work and its tricky with a demanding child in tow lol - but this pm I plan to do at least a couple of hours editing work. The paper is written as such but needs translating in to English lol - plus I have the bibliography to do still, full referencing (I tend to do them as I go but in note form - ie W&W p50 - so that needs doing - tables to label. My back is very bad again today so I can't do much and need to make the best use of my time before it kicks in again.

Over the next week I have to complete the paper, tart up, title, etc etc and get ready for presentation on Friday - I'm rather nervous - not sure why, sup saw it in its raw state as it was too long and I needed help with what to cut, and said (I quote) its looks fabulous - which made me so happy and excited - I guess that with the other two members of the board though and him then reading it properly there is that worry that it may not be as good as he thought. I have the actual board on the 17th and am dreading it. This will be a tough one and although I'm told upgrade for me personally is pretty much a formality, until the get the letter from the post grad board there is that concern that they won't agree and it'll all be over.

Anyway, i'll be back to post how its going :-)

Hi there,

It's nice that Phdbug has started this thread...we really need it at this point. I am also in second year...recently completed my Pilot test and presented my analysis. Lot more work to do and as Phdbug said I too want to complete in 3 yrs...but as we all know there are several factors that affect us. Let's hope for the best!

Hi Bug, I'll sign up as well.  I started in jan 09, so just coming up to my 2nd yr, although I did my 1st yr upgrade in sept. I could really do with being accountable at the moment, because I am doing so badly, I have had to admit defeat and change from full-time to part-time, as I'm self-funding and paying for ft fees when I was finding I could only do 20 hrs a week, did not make financial sense.  And life keeps getting in the way of my efforts, so the PhD is suffering, but I'm not giving up, but can see this taking me 6 years instead of 4 - still as long as I keep at it. So hopefully this will help me to be a bit more productive.

Welcome aboard Swettcha and Stressed! Yes Swettcha, a 3 yr project needs you to be on your toes all the time and of course best if you don't need to work a lot. Stressed, I am confident the upgrade for you is a formality! Take it is a two in one opportunity - one, to have a satisfying intellectual conversation on a topic thatr's dear to you, and two, a great opportunity for feedback from 3 academics!

And if things go well (which I know they will) also, a chance to impress them and feel good with the positive feedback!

Bug

Lovely to have you on here Java :-) Good good... we are growing in numbers and can keep each other accountable!

I'm taking the weekend off/easy (!) and am creating a hopefully positive distance between my PhD and self by focusing on research project till Xmas. Then 2010, am traveling every month, and sometimes 3 times a month combining project meetings in countreis across Europe and conferences (ooh!!)

So, yes, need accountability for wrok but also rest/food/play :-(

Ok, so here's my to do list for the week ahead (will revisit next Sunday)

1. Complete the archives search for the journals decided on.
2. Do the corss searches of the databases decided
3. Endnote, abstract copy paste, soft file all relevant
4. Get directions/feedback from above and reformulate if need be
5. Do the second job
6. Prep teaching and teach
7. Complete the first essay for the PG Cert that I have started and schedule a teaching obsv
8. Write abstracts for conf for Jan sub
9. Write abstract for conf for Feb sub
10. Make chapter deadline plan for supervision
11. Formulate plan for chap 5 for supervision
12. Once archives for acad search done hit policy search by 5th ish...

Hmm, Ok, that looks enough for a week I think :-)

Hello fellow 2nd yearers.

I'm definately up for being held accountable. I would like to use this a few times a week, I reckon, as I think admitting to the Internet every time I fail to so something will be a great motivator :-)

So, by the end of the week (Friday) I need to have:
1) made all the adjustments I agreed with sup to chapter 2 and have sent it back to him- for Wednesday.
2) Looked again at abstract for conference in Jan and worked out a plan for writing my paper (gulp).
3)Worked out what primary/secondary reading I'm going to do over December.
4)Started marking essays. If I could get about 10 done, that would be great.
5)Read Jane Eyre and taught my seminar.

Tonight I need to read up to p.300 of Jane Eyre *sob*

Tomorrow I will:
1)Continue making adjustments to my chapter: neaten up bits I've added, add some more close textual analysis.
2) Finish JE, map out lesson plan.

Well, I couldn't complete all my scheduled tasks for the weekend, because the weather was fantastic, and my friends INSISTED on going out and then I HAD TO go to the cinema (Dr. Parnassus is on, I don't know if I liked it.... Strange movie).....

Well, it;s not that I haven't done anything, I transcribed the interview and did the annotated bibliography.

So, I have to set my goals for this week, by starting with my weekend goals...
1) Translate the interview
2) Do 4 more interviews, transcribe and translate them (it is not that easy, because I can't find participants. They get scared when they hear about the taperecorder....)
3) Write "case studies" from all interviews
4) Read 15 papers that I just found and are relevant to my subject (unfortuately for me (????) there are other researchers who do reserach in my field and publish new things constantly, AND I have to read these publications. Never ending procedure)
5) Complete a paper for a conference

OK! Ready for work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have  afood week everybody, and good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, the weekend was not productive. The plan for the week goes as: edits on my previous submissions, write up methodology chapter for transfer report, edits on preliminary findings, develop draft transfer report, entry of books/articles into endnote, read 2 books.