Overview of uhoh on PostgraduateForum.com

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Signup date: 23 Aug 2010 at 3:28am

Last login: 24 Aug 2010 at 5:17pm

Post count: 6

uhoh 6 posts
14 years ago

Quote From nearly...finished...:

Firstly, Uhoh, your sup. seems to have faith in your work, so your thesis can't be that bad! Would they say so, if the didn't think it wasn't OK?

Secondly, it's amazing what can be done in a short amount of time, when push comes to shove. But don't forget your breaks and to schedule sleep time (I understand the insomnia, but maybe you can organise your work time to allow periods when you may be able to catch some sleep - even if this is during the morning or afternoon?) - you need to charge your batteries, otherwise you won't be performing at your best.

Break your work down, and tick it off as you go - this will keep your spirits up a bit. Considering that some people send their work to proof-readers, I don't suppose that it would be against the rules for you to rope someone else (partner, parents, pals etc.) in to help out with things like formatting or bibliography work? Check with your sup. 1st, but this may help no end.

Prioritise - some things can pass under the examiner radar. So the re-writting is the most urgent, I guess? (and only do the absolute minimum necessary - don't get bogged down in ideas of perfection - they're not looking for this)

6 pages - if most of this is minor stuff, it may be possible, but be really critical about what is absolutely necessary, and what might feasibly be dealt with post-viva as typos, and come under the 'oops, sorry, examiners, didn't notice that incomplete reference / misaligned picture'

I had pages of stuff to change (as advised by my sup.), which I did in the last few days - but stupidly, I then handed in an earlier copy of the thesis! (cringe). But I got away with it, as when it came down to it, these didn't really affect the necessary criteria for a pass. At the viva, I presented a list of corrections that I recognised and had changed after submission - maybe if the worst comes to the worst, you could include those things that you had no time to change on such a list?

Good luck - keep at it, but look after yourself - you don't want to burn-out before the viva. All the best (up)

Nearly, thank you. This is so helpful. I am a perfectionist and I feel like everything has to be perfect before I hand it in and am trying to comprehend that the examiners are not going to be poring over every single sentence but rather dealing with my thesis as a whole, and dealing with specific arguments/areas of discussion. I also know that my supervisor wouldn't allow me to submit it if was bad (he is extremely cautious) and I'm also taking some comfort in the fact that he's chosen (with me) examiners who are really experts in the field, when he didn't have to as we had other options, so I assume that he thinks my work is at least good enough to be examined by them. I've gone through now and prioritised revisions and that has really helped - I know my main job is really to clarify many of my arguments, and to make sure the thesis as a whole is 'unified' and coherent. Most of the rewriting really just involves adding/editing a few sentences and it's actually far less daunting than I imagined. And your story is very reassuring. Thank you!

U

uhoh 6 posts
14 years ago

Hi guys. Thank you so much for your helpful and kind words. Looking over it, I think that last night I had a bit of a panic attack. The work I have to do is either cosmetic changes for the most part or a few rewriting 200-word sections or inserting sentences here and there. I think I can do it and I just have to tell myself to spend a week doing that and then another week revising it all. Whatever happens, happens. Thank you so much all of you. I'm just going to work my hardest in these 16 days and then hope for the best. It is tight, but I just have to do it.

And Pineapple, I felt that way too 6 months ago, I wanted to get ready to submit but was told to wait. I had to change a lot of things in my life (including a job) because of that... all I can say is that at least you know you have good supervisors who wouldn't set you up to fail. We can do this. And, at some point, it WILL be over!

U

uhoh 6 posts
14 years ago

I have 16 days to edit my entire PhD and prepare it for final submission. Extensions are not possible. I have a 6 page list of revisions - some minor, some involving rewriting of sections of chapters, plus formatting and footnotes. I am so, so afraid I cannot even explain. I can't sleep. I feel panicky and terrified. I don't feel like my PhD is that good to begin with - all this time I was thinking to myself I'd have lots of time to edit it and here I am. My supervisor is very good and given me the go ahead for submission after editing but to be honest we don't have much of a choice due to timing issues. Does anyone think I can really do this - do all these edits in 2 weeks?! I am so afraid.

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I am so afraid.

I am so afraid.

I am so afraid.