that's ok, I just told Rick that i still speak Dutch but use english words here and there...and i asked him where he studied, so hello claudia...hoe gaat het? How are you? You seem a great celtic mix...dutch from germany and living in the UK...truly cosmopolitan.

hallo Rick,

Ja hoor nog lekker Nederlands dat gaat er nooit af. Wel gebruik ik af en toe engelse woorden in mijn Nederlands vooral als ik het over mijn studie heb. Waar studeer je? I studeer momenteel in Swinburne University in Melbourne, maar ben net verhuisd naar Perth. ik ben nu in mijn laatste jaar dus external. Wat studeer je?

thanks jojo for the encouragement...will be working on it this weekend. Its around 30 pages so far, but need to cull and also put in more on development of questionnaire, thesmes and interviews...am also working on my soft ware for analysis

As long as we get there.... seem well on the way Jojo

I am in my fourth year PhD in the write up phase. This is normal in business, becasue I lost a year with full time teaching MBA students last year. I am originally from Holland but have lived in australia 25 years. I am a very later phD one can say

I am in for the next 6 months...!!! I am writitng on my methodology chapter at the moment, what a misery! I am away from sat afternoon until sunday afternoon...mind you its 6 hours later here than in the UK, so by the time I am back you are getting up.

wow, that's tough and do you also send it off to be examined? You might not sleep over the Viva we cannot sleep because of the examiners.... it takes sometimes 3-6 months before you know if you are there...and there sometimes are disputes. You do not have a say to whom it goes the university board decides...

we do not do those in Oz, my thesis is going to three places overseas after it has been checked by the university (plus supervisor) so I hav ethree overseas examiners only. Thanks for the expanation 404

Hi there,

Sorry I am studying in Australia and am not familiar with the term Viva...

a PhD here entails in general around 100.000 words, plus and you also try to get into journals /conferences as you go. I have done one journal article and about 6 conferences in the last 3.5 years. Is the same as viva?

totally agree with seabird. Its great! I am doing a PhD in Business and follow the same sort of 'rules' intro, purpose of my study, method, findings, conclusion. I alos state in international conferences I visit how long I have been going and usually get great response. Most academics understadn that you are a student and that you are learing and I have make terrific freinds on conferences. Ask for POSITIVE feedback and keep your presentation to the point and simple..no music or too many visuals

yes I also read all cross references..and can identify with that. I am doing entrepreneurship and two other related business streams, but we cannot know everything...

Hello from Australia. Thanks everyone from the bottom of my heart! I am finding this soooo bad! I have to force my self some days to even look at it....it can take me hours to actually start, to stop roaming around online, I get lost in an article, fight with myself to write and then some days it just goes....I am working from home now and there are hours I am actually enjoying it. But it is the starting....sometimes it takes me a day to get going and then at 6.00pm or so i suddenly go well for 2 hours...i take a break and it will take hours agian to start...The word Excruciating (capital E) is so apt.

Hi Vince,
It totally depends on what your work environment is like. Are they supportive to others? It also depends how you deal with your condition andif you think it affects your work. If it is a general condition that you have had for a long time, you might feel better keeping this for your self. If it is work related and getting worse however, you might need to speak to someone in your department. Stress leave works for some, but others go further down and do better staying in their work environment.

Hey its ok!

some get more/deeper depressed than others some get more often depressed than others. I don't know anyone doing a PhD just for fun and hobby singing all the way to the stage.....your first step was good...talking about it and describing what you feel...
step 2: Tell yourself you are AWESOME for even trying to start a PhD
step 3: Look at yourself in mirror and say: If I don't make it....that is fine too, I am still AWESOME because many do not try
Step 4: start eating some of your favourite foods and love yourself
step 5: go see mr or mrs counsellor and say hey...this is tough... you will feel better afterwards..
This PhD IS YOURS not your supervisor's or your university's but something you can do with as you please...and don't worry what people might think of your PhD...whether you do it or not. This is your journey for the next few years and you do not have to have the answers yet.

yes please stay, becasue that's why I came on it...I feel very isolated at times, not wanitng to go on and look at this blooming thing so if you tell us strugglers it can be done it feels goooood,