Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has experience of writing up their thesis part time? How long did it take and do you have any advice? I'll get one full day in the week on it, some evenings and hopefully some weekend time (provided I can keep my husband entertained with the Playstation!!)

I was a part-time student, managing on typically no more than 5 hours total a week, especially towards the end of my nearly 6 years of part-time study. I spent 3 of those years writing up. I had a false start and had to restart the writing after a year, to get the right voice, approach etc. If you have a full day and some extra time I think you should be fine. But make sure you are clear about keeping that time. You need to put in the hours regularly, week after week. And it is a long slog. More of a marathon than a sprint. But it's doable.

It's also possible to do it in really short bursts. I did most of my writing up in 1 hour chunks. I had a clear idea of what each chapter would be about. Then I would pick the 2 most appealing chapters, and work on those simultaneously (I get bored doing just 1 at a time). And I would draw up to-do lists of what I needed to be getting on with in each chapter - really easy low-level breakdowns - and then I would pick the most appealing, or least unappealing. And that way I made progress, even in short bursts.

It would help if you have an idea of when you will be submitting, and can then work out a timetable for when the different chapters will be finished. Let your supervisors have a copy of this, and then stick to it. That's what I did, and it kept me motivated and moving onwards.

Good luck!