======= Date Modified 29 Aug 2012 15:21:29 =======
Hey Frazzled, wow, glad I'm not the only one here in the same boat. How are you passing the time? I'm trying to keep myself distracted with various walks and with my low paid part time job, but it isn't easy trying to push this thesis result out of my head.

I'm not worrying at the moment, I just feel numb, sad and it feels like I'm stuck in limbo. I'm also still sleepy despite loads of rest! Had a little cry in my room last night as I feel so alone with everything :-(

Everyone keeps telling me I'll be fine (especially those who haven't completed a PhD), although I appreciate the support, it doesn't make it any easier.

Just wish I had a crystal ball to see what the future holds and not have this sinking sickly feeling of a 'we regret to inform you' type email and letter in the next 1-2 months.

Anyway, must try and stay positive. I've tried to meet every single one of their requests and covered all of their explicit recommendations and even I can see that it's much better than my first submitted draft. Also have to keep in my mind that my examiners were positive about my work. Their comments from my first submitted draft of 'groundbreaking' and strong potential for new knowledge within (my academic field) surely means their not going to fail me now?!? Just hope I've done enough. Will have to wait and see I guess.

======= Date Modified 23 Aug 2012 17:14:37 =======
Hey,

Well it's been over a week since I submitted my corrected and reduced PhD.

I've spent most of this week sleeping, recharging my batteries and basically relaxing.

Now I'm feeling a bit more human and less tired, I'm starting to worry about whether examiners will accept my changes.

I know my thesis was much better than the submitted draft and I fixed all of their big recommendations and integrated most of their suggestions for improvement. I've even added some new structural changes and thesis models to gel the whole thing together and these models help place a thread throughout my thesis plus a few more additions to my result chapters which complied with some suggestions for improvement. So I'm hoping I've done enough. When I submitted, I thought for the first time ever that this is a strong improvement over the last draft, much more focused and was effectively complete, whereas my submitted draft had missing sections. Although having said that, I've spotted a few references that I've missed from my reference section-ahhhhhhhh!

I have to wait for an email from my department in October to see whether my examiners think my work is good enough for a pass, ie I have no viva. Thesis wasn't perfect, so I'm hoping for minor corrections.

Supervisors aren't contacting me at all now, so I'm hoping this isn't a bad sign of things to come and just a sign that their super busy at the moment.

Anyway, just wondering how long other resubmitters had to wait. Waiting for October is really going to test my patience as it means I'm stuck in limbo once again. It also means I probably won't graduate in November :( which is depressing! I don't want to graduate six years since I started my PhD!

I think I'm going to throw myself into my retraining and generally keep myself busy.

:-(

Thanks everyone for thinking of me (and for lovely PMs!). Much appreciated.

I'm submitting in a matter of hours and I'm desperately trying to hold back the tears. I've worked so hard on this thesis and I know this is a much better draft than my original submitted thesis. I really hope my examiners recognise these improvements. They seemed to really like my findings from my error-ridden thesis first time round, so I'm hoping I've done enough this time round.

Unlike last time (when I was seriously panicking!), I just feel really tearful and very numb about this whole process.

Just hope it's good news, but if it's not, then at least I know I've given it my best shot.

======= Date Modified 06 Aug 2012 13:12:09 =======

Thanks for this. Good idea about booking for thesis binding....

Still doesn't feel real!!

Well I'm finishing the last few bits today then we shall see what will be. I have just over a week before submitting formally, but I want to ensure I've done everything I can do to ensure a pass.

This time, it feels like I'm submitting for PhD, whereas the first time, I was so convinced it would fail I stopped caring and was in a right state! But judging from my examiners positive feedback, I'm feeling super motivated to finish and pass.

This thesis is completely different from my first submisssion. Sups strongly recommended I dropped one large half of my thesis to narrow down my thesis topic (which my examiners requested), so I basically had to rewrite the entire thesis in a few short months and delete half of my literature review chapters and one large result chapter and beef up the part of the thesis that remains.

I'm not feeling tired anymore though (despite getting up really early to crack on with thesis stuff)- I'm feeling super motivated and ready to move on from this, especially as I'm starting to see that there is something good about my thesis after all . Seem to be functioning on pure adrenaline at the moment.....

I haven't got to the stage where I'm worrying about what my examiners think, but I'm sure I'll be facing that hurdle soon enough.

I'm desperately trying to focus on the positives and just keep going. As the lovely fish Dory so rightly stated- 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming'

I've also deleted my facebook account over the last few months and I'm discovering that I'm so more focused on my thesis now without facebook distractions.

Anyway, must get back to it. Thanks for the support everyone! (gift)

Just hope they award me with a PhD after all this. To fall at this last hurdle will be unbelievably devastating. So need to ensure I've covered all of their recommendations.

======= Date Modified 06 Aug 2012 06:43:22 =======
Hey,

I now have a completed PhD draft which I think meets all of my examiners requests and is a massive improvement on the first submission. (Yay!) Just waiting on supervisor feedback with these final changes.

I would be grateful for any final tips during this last few days prior to submission :) I think I'm going to spend most of my time proofreading, making doubly sure that I've integrated all examiners corrections and integrating final supervisor comments. Assuming I will need to comply with uni regulations on formatting etc. Maybe booking a date early next week for binding? Oh and writing that 1-2 page summary of changes I've made since first submission.

I'm feeling calm and relaxed at the moment, but this time next week, I'll probably in a right state! Feeling generally quite numb and wondering what my examiners will make of these changes...... Doesn't feel real.

Hey, as you can see from my posts, I'm resubmitting in a few weeks time and I would be interested to see how things progress.

Congratulations with resubmitting :)

======= Date Modified 31 Jul 2012 07:29:44 =======
Hey,

Last day of July today. Well aware that I'll be submitting in just over 2 weeks time in August. eeeeeeeeeek. Adrenaline is really starting to pump through now. I don't want to be working on serious issues with my thesis in August!

Anyone else in the same boat??!

Should have a completed 100,000 word draft by this evening (or just over 100,000 words) which leaves me just over 2 weeks for minor tweaks, integrating supervisor feedback, proofreading and making doubly sure that I've met every one of my examiners corrections. I hope 2 weeks will be enough time to sort through minor changes etc.

Thesis is in a much better shape this time round (well I can read through it without bursting into tears given extent of errors with my first submitted draft!)

Right, strong cup of coffee, ear plugs in, lets do this. Lets show them what I can do. No room for self doubt. This is my last chance. I CAN do this! :)

(sprout)

======= Date Modified 29 Jul 2012 19:31:55 =======
Thanks Marasp. :)

Trying to plough on through, but never seems to end. Maybe I should just draw a line under the sand now and just call it quits! Although, not quite ready to quit just yet. Just going to work through a section at a time and I fear I'm going to have to pull an all nighter to finish these last corrections. As my sups are getting really irritated with me at the moment.

Excluding my result chapters which were relatively ok and required no further amendments, I've basically rewritten my entire PhD in just over 5 months and I'm exhausted. I'm still over the 100,000 word limit but now need to reduce the more important stuff.

Just wish there was some kind of magic wand that could finish this thesis for me.

*Fighting back the tears!* :$

Thanks Linda. Finding it really tough today . This pressure is unbelievable- perhaps worse than first submission as I know this is my absolute final chance......

All I can do is my best, I can't ask more than that. If I meet all of my examiners requests and their still not satisfied then there's nothing more I can do. I just need to ensure that I've done all that I can and see what happens in the next few weeks.

Judging from ex- colleagues reactions to me around the office today, my reputation at my university is probably destroyed beyond belief, but I don't want to concern myself with that right now. Just need to stay positive and focus on what I need to do.

End is in sight.

======= Date Modified 25 Jul 2012 10:17:50 =======

Hey Skig,

Thanks for your message- really appreciate it. Glad I'm not the only one on this resubmission nightmare!

Yep, examiners were positive :) They seemed to be really confused regarding my worries about failing and leaving with an MPhil given work included in thesis.....

My thesis massively exceeded the PhD word limit and was riddled with errors to warrant minor corrections. I more or less convinced myself of an MPhil prior to viva which wasn't helped by sups comments immediately prior to viva that an MPhil was a possibility (I've had the 'possibility of an MPhil' looming over my head from the very beginning!). But, when I got into the viva, examiners were lovely! I was a complete mess before my viva and I think my examiners could see that I was in a rather bad way (well more or less spent most of the morning crying, shaking and very unsteady on my feet!), so may have affected their interactions with me, but I know that they could have failed me outright and was thrilled that they were so positive and were allowing me to continue on with a PhD. Examiners said I could squeeze numerous journal papers out of thesis and maybe some book chapters with omitted material, so there's more work to do yet, but I just want to finish this darn thing so I can move on with my life!! But they want me to finish these thesis corrections first then focus on publishing stuff.

Yes, I need to write a 1 page covering letter showing the changes I've made. I've kept detailed tracking of my examiners (long!) report of corrections, so I know exactly what needs attention etc etc and what I've accomplished so far.

Although I'm still editing and adding stuff (few more weeks until post viva submission), I know this draft is a big improvement over the submitted draft- (well I can actually read and follow this draft!- submitted draft was riddled with errors!), so I can see progress, but yes, may write a list in the next few days in light of covering letter requirement.

I asked them about having to go through another viva and they said no, but they did say something about a meeting following submission, but not another viva.

Best of luck with your thesis corrections :)

======= Date Modified 24 Jul 2012 16:43:26 =======
Thanks folks.

Trying everything I can to try and stay positive and focus on finishing, and posts on here are helping me stay motivated. Although I really don't need negativity and criticism right now which is making me feel like the worst PhD candidate ever, especially when I'm trying to keep it together as it is!

Anyway, hopefully this will all be over soon........

JStanley- well, my examiner report stated that some of my findings are 'groundbreaking' and 'open up new avenues for research', so I'm assuming they mean I've tapped into something new! :p I just WISH I could take that positive feedback in. Throughout this PhD process, I've been conditioned to focus on the bad/negative things about my work which need changing to the point where I'm really struggling to see the positives about my work. May need some serious CBT type work or something after I've submitted to boost my self confidence and self esteem which has seriously taken a knock during this whole process. I know there's benefits to working under strict supervisors, but I know it's personally taken a toll on me which I may need to sort out later on.

(sprout)= for me!

======= Date Modified 20 Jul 2012 11:45:27 =======
Thanks Dan. I seem to have some sort of mental block where I just can't see the end point (despite having my viva last year and state of my current draft!).

I'm finishing a few new sections to my literature review chapters (which sort of matches my examiners requests and fits in line with my findings), so it feels like I still have a long way to go, but in reality, I'm probably over the worst of this PhD now.

Fighting back the tears today though. I feel like a rubbish PhD candidate today, but I know this is probably another one of my irrational thoughts considering very positive feedback from viva voce examiners, tapping into a unique research area and detailed thesis coverage.

Anyway MUST finish these final chapter 2 sections today.

Edit- submission is in just under 3 weeks.......

Thanks folks :)

I'm feeling a bit better. Was close to tears earlier on today though :(

Examiners were really very lovely, positive and excited about my thesis findings so the viva was actually a nice experience! My thesis was just way over 100,000 words and required some major cuts etc which is why major/minor corrections was just not a possibility with my thesis hence resubmission verdict.

Following my examiners requests to reduce all of my chapters, I've basically rewritten most of the literature review chapters, my intro chapter and my two discussion chapters, with only minor edits to my methods and result chapters and added a few structural changes and overall thesis models. I can actually read this thesis draft, I was too ashamed to look at my earlier submitted draft due to the shear amount of errors etc. All in all, I hope I've made some progress at the very least. I think bringing my thesis down to 99,999 words is the last thing on the list now.

I've just spent today checking the format for each of my references with Rocky movies in the background to give me some inspiration (ie underdog status!) and to give my brain a bit of a rest from heavy thesis writing and editing.

Time will tell if my examiners will accept these corrections I guess.

I'm just trying to stay positive and staying well clear of people who doubt me

Just want this over and done with really.

======= Date Modified 19 Jul 2012 09:29:36 =======
I'm days away from my post viva voce submission and have been working non stop for weeks now. Woke up this morning feeling really very tired and struggling to keep my eyes open. Submitting first time round, I was frantically working and seriously panicking. Now I'm just tired!

I still have loads to do to my thesis (well proofreading, adding a few small sections to literature review chapters and ensuring my thesis is under the word limit and formatting entire thesis) so I can't really afford not to finish something. My thesis is definitely a great improvement over my first submitted draft.

I think I'm going to work on my reference section today, ie check formatting, referencing style. Doesn't take much brain effort at all and I can complete this task anywhere really (ie snuggled up in my duvet with laptop on my lap!)

Most people seem to think that I should be feeling happy about getting to the end of a PhD and relieved this will be coming to an end, but I don't! I just feel tired, sad and a bit numb.

Still don't know if my examiners will accept my thesis corrections and award a PhD, so this may well come to nothing. Anyway, trying to stay positive.

Any thoughts?

======= Date Modified 10 Jul 2012 17:45:33 =======
Wow, I could have written the above thread as I can really relate to your thread!

I'm also approaching the end of my fifth year of my PhD, but I have weeks left before I resubmit my thesis following my viva last year.

I'm getting by setting myself little goals, taking little breaks (usually several power naps during the extensively long days of thesis writing!), playing motivational tunes during my breaks to ignite some motivation and concentrating on the benefits of my thesis and remembering the positive encouragement and support I received from my examiners last year. I have to keep people who make me feel bad about myself at arms length at the moment as I can't afford to let negativity affect my write up. I'm also mixing my write up stages, so some days I'm working on editing literature review chapters, whereas other days I'm editing my discussion chapters.

I think I'm over the worst of these thesis corrections, but I just wanted to say that you're definitely not alone.  My family similarly say things like 'just get on with it' and 'have you been working on your thesis today' (in my head- 'OF COURSE I HAVE'!!) and remember you need to reduce your thesis (in my head- what on earth do you think I've been doing all day!) or 'remember your deadline is approaching (in my head- 'you don't say. Really? thanks for pointing that out to me'). I know family and friends are just being supportive but I do want to scream sometimes!

All we can do is our best I guess and I think being realistic and recognising that we've come a long way (even though we might not realize it) may help with this process.

Time will tell if my examiners will accept my thesis corrections. All I can do is just ensure that I've covered each of their points and hope for the best.

Hang in there. You're not alone. Sending big hugs xx