Hi everyone, this thread is just to help me stay sane and motivated...

I am currently thinking that I should get some award just for patience at present. I am waiting for this final examiner's report and final results-having only taken well over 3 months (!!!), and without which I can do nothing regarding formal applications. I really do just have to wait as people have taken holidays and they phoned me (but got my daughter instead) just before Christmas and told her that one report was in and was good and I should have a nice Christmas (what does that mean??? Pass good, merit good, distinction good? anything else???) and that the other report was still to arrive! But relax and have a nice Christmas-well I've done that!

If the other report differs markedly from the 'good' one then they have to fight it out between them with my supervisor as referee. (On the plus side, it must mean a pass if nothing else-even if the other report is dodgy-they would have to agree on a pass-that much I know).

I am telling myself this is not going to drive me crazy-after all I have no intention of actually formally starting until July-so why worry. I'm pretty sure I am going the Professional Doctorate pathway as well-but this will still require a very large dissertation on top of minor projects. And I have to have a H1 or H2A grade in order to be accepted for either PhD or EdD. Or argue the toss citing previous marks, etc. Or hope all high coursework marks balance out an H2B thesis...So that doesn't change much...In the meantime I can:

Complete as much as possible of the formal application package- minus final marks
Go over my preliminary proposal and see where I think it needs tweaking
Get all my work stuff ready-and my thinking about work goals and plans ready as well
Get a new study space sorted-I'll be part-time so mostly will work from home. This year two of my three children will be at home with me, they've moved in while saving for bigger and better things for their own lives in 2012 and both will want study space as well.
Make sure I keep a good eye on my work,life, study balance-don't want to go completely insane:-)
Keep up running...keep up running...loove running...definitely helps with sanity and stress
Re-read articles, update articles/lit review stuff- bit hard as no longer member of uni library until I've enrolled in new course so have to use library as browser for a couple of months-can't order online stuff either but will cope...
Do boring household stuff like clean off bathroom ceiling mould
Save money for interesting household stuff that other people labour over like completely polished floorboards in lounge/dining


There will be more...but enough to go on...and just be philosophical about it all...this is a journey and a process...

Nice to read. Save money for interesting household stuff that other people labour over like completely polished floorboards in lounge/dining.

yeah, I bought this house three or more years ago-my first house-I'm a late starter with houses and cars and things...and it has the most awful green carpet in the lounge and dining that hails, I'm sure from the late sixties. Underneath are the most beautiful floorboards but if I try the do it yourself thing, I will do a really ordinary job and most likely have nails sticking up, etc. So I'm going to save and get professionals in this year some time. It will make a huge difference in my house...Ive been dreaming about it for three years and this year it is going to happen...but got to save the dollars first.

Today I decided to take some action. I had rung my uni postgrad advisor (admin) and left messages with supervisor, to be told they will follow up as they can and it should be soon (that was a week ago).

So I went into my state university and asked whether I could speak to anyone about the Educational Doctorate or further research. (I've already put in an expression of interest which went down okay but I was told that I had to wait for my results before really going further-which is what I have been doing...very patiently I might add).

The academic I spoke to was really supportive and friendly and basically started me off on the process today. It turns out I can begin the applications for my professional doctorate-will still need Masters and results-but do not have to have an H1 or H2A for this course as the Masters and all my previous academic and work experience will count. But I do have to enrol in some course work as they have changed all Phd and other research quals, so that everyone has to complete at least two units of a Grad Cert Research before they go into full research degree. But everyone has to do this not just me and it should not have fees provided I am accepted to do the doctorate afterwards.

So I will soon be contacted by three people who represent respectively the full process:
research academic advisor-will ensure I am clear about everything and help me with overall package
research admin- will tell me about the actual processes and give me all the paperwork for them
and faculty professor...
The professor will interview me and ultimately decide on my acceptance within the faculty and university and will really 'grill' me. I was warned to be prepared and absolutely clear about why I wanted to do this, and to discuss all of my background experience, my goals and aspirations and my previous credentials.

The academic I spoke to was great though. Really pleasant and affirming and informative. The process will take a while, he warned, but I should be ready for a July start. I spoke to him about the delays in my thesis examination and he said nothing but was fairly understanding and not really either surprised or bothered.

I can't believe the difference in actually being able to go in in person and talk to people. The campus is pretty empty now as it is our summer and things don't kick off for most students until late Feb but I feel so much better. So that's it...I've started the process and even if my thesis results are not as great as I would hope, provided I survive this professor and his scary interview tactics, I'm in. Did manage to complete some of those other tasks as well...but I feel really relieved...have sort of overcome the limbo to some extent.