Agrh my draft is due September. But I don't know how much more i can take. I feel like packing it all in and just giving up. I'll regret it if I do. But its just so depressing and driving me crazy. I need to see my supervisor but she is super busy and her P.A. keeps 'protecting' her. Its not like I need to see her for anything specific, but more to touch base. Sounds wimpy i know.I don't know why I am writing this, but its just I don;t know, just feel low about it all :-(

Take it easy eatingelephants, know exactly how you feel. My draft is due today and I have a couple of hours to go before my brain turns to mush and any ability to edit disappears.

I've been depressed, frustrated and angry all through this week as the deadline hovered. But, the good thing is I am coming through it and things are finally working.

You have probably tried this, but just in case it skipped your mind, have you tried sending an email to your supervisor? Or talking with a fellow postgraduate? I find that just talking to someone else going through the same problem often helps.

Iknow the topic of counselling has been broached by others on the forum. Maybe that is what you need to do.

Hang in there

Maybe get away from it for a couple of hours? maybe it will help get some perspective... It isn't as bad as you think I am sure. Just know we all feel the same most of the time: stressssssssssed!

come back here to let off steam if needs be.

Her PA should not be protecting her from someone like you.

As her PhD student, you should be her no. 1 priority - pastorally she should be available at times of crises, like the one you are going through now. Try and find a way of telling her this.

I have the home no.s of all 3 of my supervisors and they mean it when they say I can phone anytime. And on occasion, I have.

I am also writing up and feeling somewhat the same. I think it's very hard to hold on to the initial enthusiasm and energy at this stage. I just want to get it done. I am also waiting for a reply requesting to meet with my supervisor to go over a draft chapter. Not sure when we last met - maybe Feb, Mar? Hopefully our mutual eagerness for me to submit will increase our meetings and feedback. I think approaching submission it is reasonable to expect a bit more input from supervisors.

aloha, where are you doing your PhD?, it sounds fabulous

Hey,
thanks for all your replies. I get on well with my supervisors P.A. so i met up with ehr for a coffee at the weekend and she mentioned that someone had the nerve to email for a meeting when they knew how busy the supervisor was. Luckily this isnt me. Another academic is helping me out but is it weird to just want to touch base with your supervisor for no particular reason but to touch base and to say how agrh your finding things. Or is it wrong to want that?

speaking as someone in the early stages of their PhD I don't thnk it's wrong to want to do that. I'm really begining to think that because each supervisor is different and there don't seem to be any rules about all this then perhaps it's best to establish what to expect with the suprvisor. But I guess you have to have some contact with them in order to do that eh! Maybe you could ask the P.A., or if there are any university regulations about supervision at your stage, I can sympathise though. It's good to know someone else can't sleep

feeeeel the same,
never give upppp

have a care-free break and get back it could work,

with me I try to break, my break then does not seem to stopppp
I feelo I am in a constant break, which is frustrating