I am doing my PhD in computer science, I started in October 2007. Funding has recently run out so I do a (awful) job for 3 days a week. I have a wife and two young children to support, and my wife only works part-time. Along the way I have developed major mental health problems, as has my wife, and we have learned that my son is autistic.

My subject is artificial intelligence/computer-aided design. It is necessary for me to construct a specialist CAD tool in order to do my experiments, and I reckon I am about 90% of the way to constructing the tool. Its been a LOT of programming.

Along the way I have also presented my work at 2 conferences, and I have one journal publication. I am also well into writing one of the early chapters in the thesis.

All this is encouraging but then sometimes I remember that.. I've not even started the real experiments yet that will give me the results I need. All I have is some theory and a nearly completed (And very sophisticated) tool.

Uni has given me an extension until October 2011. However, I definitely won't have it done by then, I reckon it will be some time in 2012 (and not necessarily early in the year either!).

We have two people in our department who are still doing a PhD (as far as I know) and have been there for 6 years. The uni is clamping down on this now, though.

Is there anyone else who is taking over the 3 years to submit??

Hi Paulknit, I took over 3 years years to submit: 3.5 years (not had the viva yet though). Generally, so they say, it takes people 4 years to submit. It seems to me that you have a very complicated project and you've taken quite a few hard knocks along the way. You've probably already thought of this but could you not continue to write up the earlier chapters (up to the methodology) as you go along, so Intro, lit review, and methods? Good luck with everything.