Im a P/timer and its hard going ! Im around 18 months in with - at this rate - another 3-4 yrs to go as I also work in my related field. Any tips to keep my spirits up would be welcome, and would love to hear from anyone who is ending who has managed to complete their PhD 1-2 days a week. Thanks ! ,-)

I'm part-time, and nearing the end of my 6 year period. My university deadline is end of March next year. My funding council puts a 7 year limit on things but I'm working with the university's shorter 6 year period. So, barring university extensions, I'll be submitting by then. My thesis is nearly finished, but I'm finishing off a last piece of research to plug in to fill a gap. That's taking longer than expected, plus I lost the last month due to oink flu, but getting there, slowly.

In terms of workload I've managed on just 5 hours a week if I'm lucky. I'm seriously ill, long-term, knocked out for much of the time, and wouldn't be able to put in extra hours. It's made doing the PhD somewhat difficult, but I've become good at making the most of limited time. In some ways I've had to cut corners, not being able to do as much research as I would have liked. But I've done enough, and hopefully to a high enough standard, which is what counts.

My best advice is to keep working regularly. Don't wait for a better period when you can put in many more hours. If you're fitting a PhD around other things that's unlikely to happen. It's better just to keep plodding away regularly, each week. That way you get through the workload, though it will take much longer than a full-time equivalent student. Have you found a PhD working schedule by now that works for you, fitting around the rest of your life?

If you have very little time in the week it's really important to make the most of it. I find it easier to work in short bursts, maybe an hour and a half at most (largely due to my illness: I can't work much longer). But I try to make the time really count. Then I build that up over a few days to reach the 5 hours or so maximum I can manage. If you're working for a whole day do you have a clear idea at the start of the day what your goals are and what you want to achieve? Could you grab extra time if need be, particularly in the later stages when writing up can become very intense?

Do you have any teaching commitments as a part-timer? Or any other commitments from the university in terms of obligatory training courses? I found those difficult to fit in practically. I got a little teaching experience, but not as much as a full-timer. Still I'm not aiming to work in academia in future (far too ill for that). But if you do want to work in academia you may need to fit this in to get the extra experience. Just make sure you focus above all on your thesis.

Completing a part-time PhD is probably even more a matter of resilience than for full-timers. Hopefully your subject will still excite you as much at the end as at the beginning. But keep going, that's the key.

Thanks for that, its really encouraging to hear your experience. Some weeks I can do quite a few hours (10-15) but that would be in short bursts (2 hours) around the kids and work, so whilst I can read articles and plan things, writing is really very hard unless I basically just go at it every night pretty much straight after tea so i dont loose the thread. The reality is that most of the time, its around 8 hours, as on top of that I have to fit in any other related activity as well (like sv). I think whats hard now is the sense that im standing still - theres quite a few outputs in terms of conferences and stuff, but the core business doent seem to move much ! Im going to try and get that book about "15 mins a day" as I think as you say, its keeping the momentum going. And- like most part timers, Ive had the usual "life" stuff thats a distraction (serious family illness, kids school stuff, etc). But - I do love my subject and its more that I find it frustrating (and isolating) not to be able to work on it without disruption.

Its so helpful to be reassured that it can be done, it really sounds like you have persevered and been determined, and I will hold onto that so thank you. (up)

I work in a school, so although I don't have much time during term time, I make up for it during the holidays from school - even though of course there are loads of other things planned for that time too! I do some work during the term, but tend to concentrate on reading and note taking, and cataloguing all the odd bits of info I find in newspapers etc. and then do the mammoth writing tasks during the holidays. This hols I've just about finished one chapter and am about 3/4 of the way through another one, although the latter is ongoing from the last break. I'm in my second year - but hope to get through the next hurdle sometime earlyish next year, thats 2 chapters done and dusted and some other stuff under way etc.. I have until next November but I am aiming to get it done early. Next big step is going to be analysis of data, which I think I will be able to do a bit at a time, at least to start with. I have a rough plan, which has helped, and I also find updating my chapter headings and their contents helps me keep on track. I do have contact with my supervisor, but it may not be a frequent as suggested by the powers that be, however he is always quick to answer e-mails etc, and that is enough for me at the moment. The best bit about my uni is that we have regular Saturday meetings which allow all PhDers to meet and discuss things, perhaps you could try and arrange a get together sometime?