Hello,

I am sorry to be a downer on here but I have my viva in two days. I am having panic attacks everyday and I am unable to get any sleep.

I feel like I am going to mess up under the pressure and look stupid in front of my examiners. I've been sat in my bed under the sheets crying for the past hour and I am unsure how to get myself together before the exam.

If you happen to have more than one supervisor (norm in the UK is usually two), your second one might be able to intercede on your behalf? If not, I would say perhaps focus on just making it through the viva and then you will have more intellectual freedom to work on your idea/topic.

That's a really good point! I'll keep that in mind when I'm going through them Rewt :D.

Thank you, Saskia. I am in the UK so they are not very common here. That link is very helpful I'll check it out to see if I can find any on there. I wanted to try and find some on my own before asking my supervisor but will eventually email them if I am still stuck!

Thank you for your reply, rewt. Yes, they are an acceptable structure but are very rarely used in my department (had a discussion with my supervisors about this during my first year and they gave me the go ahead so I am in the clear!). My university library has some uploaded as online versions (none of which are the three-paper structure) and others stored in the library, however, because of covid I am unable to access the university library.

So I was hoping there was an online repository somewhere else on the web. I will continue to scower the net!

That's interesting actually because I have been told to avoid citing theses and focus on peer-reviewed journal articles, but I guess it depends on your discipline/supervisor etc.

Thank you, Fridamore. I'm hoping that break is right around the corner!

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction. I am following the three-paper thesis format, however, I have not been able to find examples at my university library. I will need to write an introduction, literature review and conclusion chapter to bring it all together.

I would like to skim through a few example beforehand but I am not sure where to look. Any help is greatly appreciated!

I don’t mean to sound negative, but I feel physically and mentally exhausted. I am in my fourth year of my PhD (three paper structure thesis) and I have managed to get my second paper accepted for publication in a well-respected journal. I am in the process of completing my third paper and will then need to revisit my first paper (written during my first year and needs major corrections/editing).

The deadline to submit my thesis is October of this year and I am in a full-blown panic. I am tired all the time and I am no longer motivated to write anything. I still have at the very least four, long chapters to write for my six-chapter thesis. I know others have faced worse odds and have come out just fine, but I don’t believe I am one of those people. I already struggle with anxiety and depression and I have been seeing my university counsellor since starting my studies. My condition has been deteriorating, and I (no exaggeration) am anxious all the time.

To top this all off, my supervisor is extremely demanding, and his background is awfully intimidating (Cambridge graduate, publishing in top journals, rewards left and right etc.). I am always too afraid to let him down/have him regret his decision to supervise me.. so I work 24/7. To my surprise, I received a call from him the other day letting me know that he is considering hiring me after I am done.

Anyone in my position should be elated… supervisor offering a job in academia, a published article and aside from his robotic work ethic he is generally a very lovely person. Except I feel nothing but dread, and I sit and cry all the time for no apparent reason, like stuck in a bad nightmare and I don’t know how to get out. I am just depleted from constantly feeling like this and I don’t know what to do or how to fix myself. I want to be proud of my accomplishments, not scared of everything and anything for no logical reason.

I don’t mean to sound negative, but I feel physically and mentally exhausted. I am in my fourth year of my PhD (three paper structure thesis) and I have managed to get my second paper accepted for publication in a well-respected journal. I am in the process of completing my third paper and will then need to revisit my first paper (written during my first year and needs major corrections/editing).

The deadline to submit my thesis is October of this year and I am in a full-blown panic. I am tired all the time and I am no longer motivated to write anything. I still have at the very least four, long chapters to write for my six-chapter thesis. I know others have faced worse odds and have come out just fine, but I don’t believe I am one of those people. I already struggle with anxiety and depression and I have been seeing my university counsellor since starting my studies. My condition has been deteriorating, and I have entertained my fair share of suicidal thoughts, although I have always been too scared to act on them given how it will impact my family.

To top this all off, my supervisor is extremely demanding, and his background is awfully intimidating (Cambridge graduate, publishing in top journals, rewards left and right etc.). I am always too afraid to let him down/have him regret his decision to supervise me.. so I work 24/7. To my surprise, I received a call from him the other day letting me know that he is considering hiring me after I am done.
Anyone in my position should be elated… supervisor offering a job in academia, a published article and aside from his robotic work ethic he is generally a very lovely person. Except I feel nothing but dread, and I sit and cry all the time for no apparent reason, like stuck in a bad nightmare and I don’t know how to get out. I am not looking for praise or pity I am just depleted from constantly feeling like this and I don’t know what to do or how to fix myself. I want to be proud of my accomplishments, not scared of my own shadow all the time

Hi Dr_Crabby, thank you for sharing your experience and I'm going to try and remain positive. Fingers crossed I do xx

Thank you so much kenziebob for the advice ( home middle east too:) ) and also for your kind support and encouragement. I was having one of my bad days when I posted but these are the thoughts that go through my mind when I am at my lowest point.

I've finally forced myself to book an appointment with the student counselling service offered at the University and I'm hoping I'll be able to see some positive change in the way I think and in the self-confidence that I currently severely lack.

Unfortunately I have tried to re-establish these links but it's so difficult to continue to push for friendships when you feel rejected or that people would rather put in the effort with people that are immediately available. I have met some lovely people in my department and in the office but sometimes the age gap and responsibilities (like having children) mean we don't actually converse that much off campus.

Hello everyone, I'm sorry for posting this here but I am not sure where else to go. I am beginning my third year of my PhD and I feel like I have completely lost who I am. I have always been this cheerful optimistic glass half full kind of person but ever since I began this journey I’m not the same person. I am constantly down, I sit and cry for no reason and I find nothing and no one interesting anymore. Having been away from home for the past 7/8 years to complete my studies has meant that I’ve practically lost contact with most of my close friends as they’ve moved on with their lives and integrated into the community back home.

I am so lucky to have a supervisor who always checks in to make sure I’m on track, he’s encouraging and makes himself available when I need him. I feel like I’m being ungrateful to feel the way I do when many others get stuck with unsupportive supervisors. I feel like a waste of space, a human without any value or friends and I’m struggling to find the will to live like this.


I’m not sure what to do with myself and I’d really appreciate any advice.