Well I do at times like today when I had my weekly meeting with my boss. "Dan, you're getting on really well", he says. "But one point that others have noticed... you do tend to nod off during meetings".

Yes, that's because the 9-5 (or 8-4 in my case) model of work is not what I like. I used to love working as and when I liked, as long as things got done. I feel so much more constrained now :(

So make the most of it while you can! That and being able to pop to the shops during the week (although, finishing at 4 I do tend to just sneak in before the hoi polloi).

Yes, seconded. My PhD experience was a bit unusual, but I'm still missing it hugely. It also defined who I am for such a long time. Now I'm not a student any more it's very strange!

So however low the lows can be (and they can be very low - mine were!), make the most of this experience folks, cos it's to be cherished.

Danboy! I hope you are not missing the PhD pay. That gives a life style of living by hand to mouth. Now at least, you will have an intermediate location to save it.

Hey Dan and Bilbo

As much as I'm so totally, totally, over this thesis and can't wait for this torture to end, I suspect I'll also miss the PhD life and studying. How are you both coping with a new identity? Got any tips on how to live life once we lose our PhD identities?

I definitely DON'T miss PhD life..... I think thats mostly because not much has changed apart from I have money........

Sue, I'm still struggling a bit to find a new identity. The PhD was quite important to me, because it was one of the few things I could do despite the neurological illness and resulting severe disabilities, and it provided an important focus and a bit of a goal to work towards. Often people define themselves through work, and the PhD was the closest I got to that. Or through family. Well I have a lovely hubby, but can't have children due to all the chemo drugs I have to take.

So it's a tricky one. I'm planning to try to get used to being an independent researcher. I even made a post in the post-doc section of the forum earlier! But it's tricky without institutional affiliation, in particular loss of online journal access, at least until early next year when I've signed up for an OU course, so will at least have online journal access again then. I am a life member of a nearby uni library, but that dosn't get online access, just the paper stuff. I have at least 3 more papers I should be able to churn out quite quickly and then we'll see after that.

Identity is a hard one though, in my unusual position. I suspect Dan might be faring better!

I hope I'm not hijacking this thread - and perhaps it deserves a thread of it's own - but the whole identity thing is really interesting. One of the reasons I won't miss my PhD is because I'll no longer have the label, student. I've had it for a collective total of 10 years and I think it kind of gets in the way of life. You have no professional identity. Yet, as alluded to on this thread, it's a very similar lifestyle afterwards except you have more money and a more 'professional' identity. So, I think, unless you go into industry, you won't miss being a PhD student at all.
I certainly won't miss it though. To be sat on your backside all day, reading and pontificating...no thanks. A lot of the academics I know, though by no means a sweeping generalisation, are very strange. There's this on chap that has hair growing out of his ears horizontally, almost like it's been plaited and another one who flicks his tongue out randomly like some lizard. I've also noted that my eye brows are starting to knot - obviously caused by my PhD. So, yeah, I won't miss it.

Very interesting - I'm approaching the end of the second year at a terrifying rate, right now, with a board looming, the paper in another window (procrastinating... me???) and stress of it all I'd say no, I won't miss it for a flipping second - weekends, evenings.... those glorious things that I have a vague memory of!!! SUNBATHING! But, the other part of me thinks that yes, I probably will.... depending on what I get to do later I suppose. I also find the identity of 'student' bothering sometimes - I'm sick to death of people thinking that as I'm a student I therefore sit on my bum all day, get up midday sometimes, do half an hour's work and then get pi**ed, and that I'm doing this for an easy ride rather than getting a 'proper' job - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - I've done lots of 'proper' jobs thankyou very much, they paid money, they had time off, they also were a damn site easier than this is!
So... whilst embroiled in the pain of the PhD I'd say no, there is not a snowball in hell's chance of me missing this, but the sensible part can see that yes, its gonna be a wrench after years of studying to leave it behind :-)