Dear 'R&R thesis' people, long time no hear. So, how are you getting on?

Nine months until I resubmit mine and I am taking things easy at the moment - but I know that the stress will hit soon.

Keep trying
We will get there in the end.

xxx

Hi Marasp, I'm a 'minor revision' person, but at the moment, it feels like a mountainous R&R. I let a lot of things slide at work in order to finish the manuscript and prepare for the viva, so now I'm preoccupied with trying to catch up with job-related commitments. I want to commit to working on revisions at least 4 hours every evening for now, but I need to finish before October. I really need to pick up the pace!

How are you organizing your work? I created a chart, and ranked tasks in order of importance.

I hope you'll be able to keep working at a steady, productive pace, and keep the stress at bay. Yes, we will get there in the end!

======= Date Modified 22 Jun 2012 14:11:57 =======
Hey Marasp, I was thinking about you the other day!

Nice to hear from you!

I have just under 2 months left until I need to resubmit my thesis and just over 2 weeks until I need to submit a final polished draft to my sups for approval.

It feels like I'm fighting a losing battle here, but I'm trying to stay positive and push through the invisible pain barrier and climb this ever steep mountain to the top.

I think I've made significant progress in that my thesis is much reduced in content and much clearer than my submitted draft and in doing so, meets a lot of my examiners recommendations and requests. Also added a few new structural changes, some other additions which improves the overall look to this thesis and added most of the things my examiners wanted to see for the new draft.

I've taken leave from both of my jobs to allow me to focus on this PhD 100%. I would much rather be working in my jobs than working on this thesis though

I don't know if I'll be able to clear this next hurdle or whether it will all end in tears. I can only hope that my examiners see that this draft is a much better draft than my submitted thesis and hopefully award me with minor corrections, although I don't know what happens after a resubmission?!? I'm assuming it's the same sort of outcome faced with submission the first time round? Although they said I won't have to go through another viva next time round (I asked them outright!).

I'll be distraught if they fail me after resubmitting, although I'm hoping this isn't an option given their positive feedback following from my viva last year......

Must keep swimming I guess.............

Stress levels are sky high at the moment though. However, it feels like sadness is starting to creep in where I'm starting to believe that maybe there's far to much work for me to do in time which is making me feel overwhelmed and unhappy. But, I'm trying to work round this by setting little goals for myself rather than thinking I'll finish chapter X today.

======= Date Modified 25 Jun 2012 11:03:41 =======
======= Date Modified 25 Jun 2012 11:03:06 =======
Hi guys,

Good luck Pineaaple and Dalmation. Good luck to both of you!!!
I sympathise with you. Your stress levels must be ridiculously hight. Chin up!! Think positive, stay focused and remind yourselves that hard work and the magic word (PERSEVERANCE) bring success!

I was abroad for over 1 month, for research purposes. I did not do any work while being abroad - there was no time for anything.

However, I came back 'stress-free' and I am about to attack the thesis now. When I say 'stress-free' I mean that I feel much better now, less depressed and more positive. I know that this will not last long though.

At the same time I had a confidence boost when one of my papers got accepted for publication and two of my academic book reviews are about to be published during the summer.

I do work but not as much as I should. I have a schedule. I do too many things at the same time, and working (although part time) doesn't help, but I am pretty sure I will catch up with my work soon.

Some times I feel like I should abandon the PhD but a friend, who is an academic, advised me not too. He said I am too close to the target to say good bye now. He is right. I might as well give it a (second) chance.

I had to tell my advisor about my depression (via email) and about how the R&R made me feel. He did not comment on it at all. I was hoping he would be more supporting.
I will see him soon and I hope he encourages me a little bit.

As I said, I have 9 months to go and I am given the chance to take an extra 6 months if I need them.

Instead of panicking I am trying to breath in, breath out and survive it...
;-)