Is anyone in the situation where they have so much to do, but literally cant do it - because your supervisor has all your work and you cant do anything until you have it back?? How frustrating!!!!!!!

I am onto the final draft, im submitting in 2 weeks, and I just want to get the god damn thing finished, but my supervisor has my general discussion, and so I cant make any sort of changes until I have it back...Ive frabbed about with contents, looking at printing and binding prices, margins, page numbering...and still im waiting! Now I feel like I could have this whole thing done early, and Ive so much to do, and instead im sat here writing this!

Argh - frustration!!!

xx

Hi there...welcome to the forum! I'm assuming you've got all your formatting, references and proof reading done for everything you have got at the moment, has you supervisor let you know when they'll be finished your corrections? I'm sure it's maddening having to hang around at this stage, but maybe if you have everything else sorted, then just take a break and chill until you get the final set of corrections. At least that way you may be in a better state to finish the thing and be fresh for the final proof read, plus you'll still have a bit of energy left to celebrate the submission! I'm submitting soon too, hopefully mid September, so good luck! :-)

Hi..thank you :-)

Yep, other corrections - done, formatting - done, contents etc - done. I think its the knowledge that there is still work to be done which is making it frustrating, because I feel like I should be madly working at this point, not lazing about..I know taking a break makes sense, but I have this forever guilty feeling...Im guessing based on how I feel now that after its submitted, and before my viva, it will be even worse...lets hope its not!!

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Hi there :) I’m just finishing my MA and will begin PhD in October, but I am in the SAME situation with my dissertation. I’ve “finished” my final draft which is about 16k words and sent it to my supervisor 8 days ago. I was fine up until yesterday thinking a week is fair given I know he is so busy … but if I am to have 2 weeks to rewrite/edit/format and do title pages with the right page rages, possibly re-consider the title, and do a print-read-through-out-loud the night before (!!) there is only so much time!

The truth is , we would be silly to pass up on the opportunity for their annotations and suggestions, but this waiting and doing nothing whilst the deadline looms ever closer defies all my instincts! I’ve done just about everything I can think of, including making a huge list of “things I need to change when it comes back” (otherwise I will end up with three copies: the original, the edited original, and the draft my sup will send) which may very well be the end of me.

I refresh my email every five-ten minutes, and I’m afraid I can offer you no good advice except mutual support. I find it very hard to relax because I feel anxious about the time ticking, but I know there is little else I can do at this point. I’ve been thinking, say in two days or so, if it would be acceptable to email him and ask for an ETA. Can’t decide if this would be construed as badgering, which I don’t want to do at all ?

Here’s hoping it ends soon!


UPDATE: I cracked and emailed my tutor this morning at 7am. No reply (it's 9:45am). :( Day nine ...