Thanks people. Pineapple I feel you as I am the same. I started the PhD very late in life. I got married in between but I have no children as mama PhD was not an option for me. 30 and PhD sounds... a bit over the top and I did not know how hard it would be to maintain a part-time job, to look after a house and a husband and to conduct research.

I have been trying to contact my supervisor (I have emailed him since last week) but he has not got back yet. Tomorrow I am going to campus to try and find him in person, without an appointment. The good news is that I am self-funded so that might be a bonus when I request an extension. I will keep you informed.

======= Date Modified 11 Jan 2011 23:05:40 =======
Hi there

Where have these 4 years gone?

I have been spending one year working hard to earn some money for my wedding, then after I got married, I focused on the PhD, in January 2010 I progressed to writing up, but the deadline for me to hand in is in the end of this month (January 2011) are there is no way that my conclusions will be ready in time (they are kind of written, but in a very basic draft).

I have not been 'naughty'. In fact, I have been working very hard. So hard that I have put on 4 stone and I am a nervous wreck in saint john's ward. I have not procrastinated. It is simple: my thesis is a big thesis in an interdisciplinary topic: 350 pages in the main and another 250 in the appendices, plus English is not my first language and it takes a bit extra for me to do the work. Then it is how I lead my life: I have to cook, clean, etc, etc. and most important, be a 30 year old wife for my husband. I do not see myself as a student after I got married: I consumed 4-5 hours a day on things that housewives do. Then came the thesis, but I made sure I did my best to work as much as possible. So no regrets, but now what?

20 days before the official deadline to hand in and the drama has started. No matter how hard I try (I currently work over 12 hours a day on thesis) the conclusions will not be ready in time.

So, what are my options now? PLEASE HELP.

:-(

Additional info: I am studying at the University of Birmingham. My topic is humanities related.