I'm planning to read a couple of chapters everyday for the next 14 days, with 2 days off in between, and then the plan is to write 700 words a day for the following 10 days after that. At that point, if it all goes smoothly (fingers crossed :p ) I'll be able to have a whole week off before I start on my next chapter.

Is this plan realistic?
I would really appreciate other people's advice on this because I'm still at the trial and error stage and I'm too scared of wasting any more time. If it's completely unrealistic I'm worried that it's all going to collapse and I'll end up procrastinating again.

How do you normally work? Is there a particular study pattern that works for you?

Thanks in advance :-)

p.s They're BIG chapters by the way...

If I remember correctly are you doing a Masters? I'm doing a MSc so I guess I would have a similar workload at this time of year to you, sorry if I've got it wrong and you're doing a PhD already!

I think it sounds realistic, if you're used to working to a fairly strict plan. I personally don't work in that way as I would end up using that extra week and taking longer with the writing, basically faffing around as if I have all the time in the world when I really don't! I do plan my work ahead - I have a diary where I write what I'm going to do and when but thats just so that I'm a little bit more organised with everything - I also procrastinate less when something is written down.

I would love to be able to plan what I'm going to do for the next two weeks like that, but I'd also be quite concerned if something went wrong in another area of my life and I had to abandon that plan, maybe I'm just being overly pessimistic though. But as you said, avoiding wasting time is your main priority - I think planning is a good way of doing that and ensuring everything gets done. Natassia x

Hi Cobweb!

I think a plan is always a useful guide as to what you need to do each day to get whatever it is finished on time, but I also think it's important to allow a little flexibility. Personally, I find with writing that some days (like today!) I can sit and write all day and get a few 1000 words done, which actually sound reasonable and make sense, yet other days I'm just not in writing mode and it suits me to work on an analysis or something instead. Same with reading really heavy stuff- some days I can whizz through it, and other days I need to be doing something more active to keep my mind from wandering, so I concentrate on other stuff that is a bit more engaging. And then other times I get going on something and don't want to stop until I'm finished!

I think it's good to build in a little variety, and to plan breaks and extra time to allow for anything unexpected (temporary brain failure etc!). It is always nice though to know that you have stuck to your plan and that you are on target to finish on time, there is something reassuring about that. So I would go with the plan...as you said, it's a bit trial and error, but you'll soon find out if your plan is realistic, and you have time to re-do your plan if it isn't working out!

Good luck with it all! KB

Thanks guys, you've given me tonnes of confidence to do this now. Looking at this plan from a more positive perspective really really helps. Rather than having the ums and ars about whether or not it can be done, I'm now thinking it's very possible and can't wait to get stuck in (and that can't be a bad thing can it (?), so I've given you both a big, fat, and hairy star for your awesome awesomeness).

I would make sure that you do not make your plan too rigid, but also make sure you take notes as you go along, of general ideas, paragraphs that are of particular interest, references to other things that you might want to look up etc. If it is a big book, it might also be worthwhile writing a short summary of what is in each one. If you think you can stick rigidly to your writing scheme then fine, but if you get a brilliant idea along the way, write it down, or you will forget it. you may, of course also find that you need to look up the stuff referenced in the book, which will add to your reading/writing times