Hi everyone,

I'm new in this forum and have just completed six months of a standard US PhD proram in communications - meaning there're comps and oral defence.

Anyone has advice (hard or soft) on ways to complete within 3 years? Anyone who has done it before/on the way there - care to share your experience?

And what if it includes getting at least two publications and three conferences within the period?

Is it possible at all?

It is possible to submit your thesis by three years but you have to be very organised and your supervisor has to be commited to you aswell. You need to be positive from the outset with a forecasted plan of your work. It is very easy in the first year to not know what you are doing as the study is not organised for you. You need to set out what you will do and how this will be acheived very early. There may be uni delays in paperwork etc or study changes that may evolve that can delay the progress of your PhD. Some of these things are unavoidable though. As for publications I have had three publications ( two from a major journal) and five poster presentations of prelim work at international conferences. You can submit two posters at one conference with ability to talk about both if placed side-by-side! So I have done well so far with my submission date due May 2011 and I am editing the thesis currently. I have examiners agreed in readiness too. That said I have not passed as yet! I would suggest being prepared for it to be extended by 6 months as this short but extra time might be needed due to unforeseen circumstances (I have an extension in place but I hope not to need it) :$

Hey! I think it is possible, yes, if you work hard. Lots of people take a fourth year in my subject but it looks as though I will be reasonably on time to submit by October give or take a month or so...it's a bit early to know for sure. I have 5 papers published/submitted at the moment, and hope to have another 3-4 submitted before I finish, and I have also presented at 3 major conferences, and hope to present at another couple before submission. I suppose the only way I have done it is through hard work. I am taking it a little easier now because I don't want to crash and burn whilst writing up, but earlier in the PhD I worked many evenings and weekends. You can't account for everything though so I would try to think a little bit flexibly about your finishing time- I suffered injuries in a car crash last year that put me out of action for 3 months, that I never could have predicted, but I got through it! Good luck with it! KB

Hey KB and Dunni, thanks for the replies. Both of you are inspirational indeed. You must have worked very hard. Congrats on the achivements thus far : )

In a gis, are you able to list (maybe the top three) things/thoughts which kept you motivated?

Never bother to waste your time on making long-term plans.

When I started my PhD 4 years ago, I planned to get it done within 2.5 years, but too bad, things turn out to be I have been way too lazy to accomplish that goal...

But of cause, at least in my area (something to do with numerical analysis/computing), it is definitely possible to get your PhD within 3 years, as long as you are not very lazy (never underestimate the difficulities of being not very lazy).

Hah Costate, I truly understand the almost impossible task of not being too lazy! Hahah..

But I'm sure people like KB and Dunni have their own ways of circumventing this 'disease'??

Hi elmizze

There was a lovely thread on here very recently which talked about why we loved doing our PhDs.  It was a great anti-thread to those which typically talk about the trials (understandable given that we often turn to this forum for help and support)

Have a read through that and see if that gives you any hints to what you need to do to enjoy it.   If you're enjoying the process it will feel like a voyage of discovery driven by passion and enthusiasm - ok maybe a tad over the top - but as the Beatles said "All you need is love" or was that lots of recreational drugs - i suppose either will help :-)

All the best, and stick with the forum.. some fab people on here who will get you through.

Chuff. 

Hey! Well most of the time I have not found it difficult to be motivated as I'm really keen on my project anyway, and it is of personal significance to me, what with relatives having Alzheimer's (that's what I'm working on!)...so I just keep going. I'm best when I'm working on a paper or something- then I'm more likely to put the extra hours in because i'm dying to get the first draft finished or whatever, but then I do have the odd day when I just don't feel like working, so I don't! I just go with the flow really, and my work rate always fluctuates a bit. Best to set yourself some vague guidelines I think (e.g. I will work office hours mon-fri) and then if you need to up your work rate a bit you can, but at the same time, it allows you enough spare time to have a life....and don't underestimate having a life! Best, KB