Neither of my supervisors have knowledge in my area but I am with them for their methodological expertise (critical ethnography / critical social theory) as I figured that was more important at PhD level in Health Science/Social Science where the theoretical stuff has to be very tight. For expertise in my specific area I have a couple of 'critical friends' who read the lit review and other more 'area specific' writing to make sure it is up to date / relevant. This has worked really well for me and I often wonder if its a better arrangement given that many of my collegues, who have sups with expertise in their field, find themselves unable to move outside of their sups comfort zones as they are unwilling to give the student and space of freedom to move. Just a thought.
Cheers and good luck on the journey,
Anna.

Hmm, I would settle for being a writer of any sort right now, given that I am putting off writing anything by cruising around this site Hypothetically, I'm probably the one who needs to write lots to know what I'm on about - I've heard it described as 'iterative versus planner' but I guess it's much the same thing. Good luck with whatever writing you're all engaged in and I'm off to find a virtual egg timer...

Try recording yourself and listening to that, sushidave. It will tell you lots about speed and tone and comprehensibility (sp). Cheers,
Anna

Wow, has there ever been a time when one could eat cheaply in the UK?? During several years there in the mid 1980's I lived on tinned sardines, potatoes, spinich and mung beans I sprouted myself with the occasional bit of chicken. The irony is, in Australia I can no longer donate blood for fear of CJD (mad cow disease) possibly obtained while eating beef in the UK at that time. Ha!! As if!! Not sure I ever ate any beef (although the Gods only know what was in the occasional late night curry)and it sounds like it's no different now.
Cheers,
Anna

Eons ago when I was taught to type, (also on very old typewriters - Ah, the sounds of 30 'carraige returns')we had fabric squares draped over our hands and tied behind the machine. I know, I know, but it certainly trained the mind to picture the keys. Anna

I'm sure you'll receive all sorts of helpful advice. Ignore it. Doing a PhD is like being pregnant - get bigger clothes and only eat what you REALLY enjoy.

I always seem to be hurtling over cliffs in cars I can't control cause the breaks have failed... Either that or trying to get up a hill and the cars slipping backwards and gaining momentum as I slide further and further down... I don't hold much store by the dream symbolism stuff - seems pretty derivative to me. Feel free to interpret you dreams as you wish.
On the bright side, I figure if I'm dreaming I'm sleeping and I can't get enough of that either. Sleep - the drug of choice for doctoral candidates.
Cheers,
Anna

Try Chickpeas - they're brimming with high quality amino acids (all good protein) and you can chuck them into soup, stews and salads - lovely, nutty & low GI. Zap them in the blender with garlic & Tahini for yummy hommous dip. A miricle food and cheaply bought dried or in cans. Bon appetit

Yes, I too am sitting at the screen with the first coffee of the day and wondering why I bothered to catch the train in this morning. Half-heartedly read a report that I should have read when it came out 8 months ago and now I'm checking this board rather than putting the finishing touches to the draft section of lit review due on Friday. Problem is there IS no draft section to which I can put 'finishing touches' because I've been doing this for the last week...eek!!! I understand about the all or nothing thing and this is definately a nothing time. Still, it is weirdly comforting to know how many others are in the same(rapidly sinking)PhD boat.

I would gladly get soaked to the bone every mealtime if it meant some rain for this parched and cracking part of the world...oh for a good British downpour!

I'm loving this thread, especially the baby vs thesis bit. However, being somewhat passed the having-a-baby stage myself, I've never heard of a thesis, all grown up now, grabbing the keys and crashing the car. In my experience a thesis rarely answers back, trashes the room or leaves the milk out all day...although come to think of it, I have stayed awake all night worried sick about it...Oh for the baby stage again.

Hm, Walrus, I'm guessing it wasn't an astronomy class, given the relative distance of moon and stars from this little ol planet

I have a couple of favourites to lighten the load:
"The only way to find out how to do a PhD is to do one. Therefore all advice is useless". I found that one googling 'how to survuve a PhD'
Lewis Carroll had some great advice for Alice in Wonderland "Begin at the beginning and go on until you come to the end; then stop."
Another favourite is atribbuted to Ronald T. Azuma:
"Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy." Cheers, Anna

For part timers its obviously different, but as a full time PhD I took on a semester of undergraduate teaching (which I really loved) but it slowed down the PhD enormously. Not worth the money with all the marking and student demands, so if you can go without, get the PhD out of the way first or get a job with few hours and lots of $$ (and let me know when you find it)

Relax. Its unlikely anything you write now will remotely resemble a final thesis chapter but it is always a good idea to write your ideas down early and keep writing. Not only will you go off on tangents, you NEED to go off on tangents because one of those 'tangents' may very well become a central theme or issue down the track.
My supervisors are cool with tangents but every now and then make me look up and see the bigger picture. Its a kind of silo mentailty but it works for me and eventually, when all the silos are full, I can feed the world...