It's great to come on here and know that there are loads of others going through the same thing. I too have major corrections, they gave me a year as they want more data. I know exactly how you feel. But the fact that they didn't question your arguments or methodology means that they couldn't find any faults with it! I came out of my viva just wanting to go to bed and cry for a week. It took a friend to say, well they didn't question your methodology or results, they just want to see more data - you passed! This is the final hurdle, and it is hard to motivate yourself every day, but we're nearly there. As others have already said, having a plan and making sure that you keep a list of exactly what corrections they want and how you are doing them is very useful. Best of luck!

Thanks for the support everyone, it really does help to know that there are others in the same boat. Sorry I didn't post sooner, but I've been in the field doing the data collection requested by my internal. Feeling a lot better now as the various institutions that held the data issued permits quickly and I was able to get it done a lot faster than anticipated. So now I just have to get my head down and restructure the thesis.

Also, until last year my institution (in the UK) did let students have a say in appointing the internal, but this year they changed it to a rota, so you just get whoever is next on the list. Terrible idea!

Agree, it's very confusing. I recently had a horrible viva and got major corrections of one year but no need to resubmit or do another viva (another colleague recently got the same, with the same supervisor and same examiner). They said they gave me a year to collect more data, but I'm finding it very hard to get motivated when I think that I've got another year of this.

Best of luck with your corrections.

Also, meant to say - one bright spot - I did manage to get an interview recently with a fairly prestigious university. They didn't ask about my viva or correction time and were only interested in my research and teaching philosophy. I didn't get the job, but having managed to get an interview did make me feel that I must be doing something right, despite my internal's derisive comments. (I should say, my internal comes from as far away as possible from my own area of study, whilst still being in the same discipline - my supervisor even said that he would have preferred 'anyone else'...). I think I will also be taking Incognito's advice and NOT using my examiners as referees...

Best of luck with completing your corrections!

Hi Literarytheorist and everyone else. I'm in quite a similar position to you, and am really struggling with negative thoughts and anxiety.

I also did my PhD part time due to financial reasons and had my viva in January. I had always had good feedback from my supervisor (a very experienced 'big name') and had presented and published my methodology and some findings to good review, so was very nervous but feeling ok. What a mistake! My viva was one of the worst experiences of my life. My internal examiner in particular hated everything about my thesis and they told me the minute I walked in that it was not up to PhD standards. Apparently my performance was good though and I came out with a year's corrections - mainly they want me to add more data and completely restructure the layout. I was so confused, and it took ages for them to send me the feedback. I was left feeling completely worthless and that I'd wasted 8 years of my life. Once I got the official corrections back, I can see that there were no real problems with my data or methodology, and I don't actually have to resubmit, only do the corrections and send them to my internal. But the amount of data they want me to add is daunting (and quite unreasonable), and will also mean that I have to spend money I don't have doing more fieldwork.

It's been 2 months now, but every time I try and get my head down to work on corrections I get really anxious and am filled with negativity towards my examiners and my internal in particular (I may have been a victim of professorial rivalries). I'm so worried that after working my ass of for another year, my internal could still fail me.Incognito, I will take your advice and use your tips above, but it is hard to imagine another year of this, and also hard to see my colleagues finishing and securing jobs.