Lilliput,

Well done on getting advice from your Dr. I know that sometimes a diagnosis can feel like a relief as you understand a bit more about why you have these symptoms.

I have a friend with a temporary suspension not on medical grounds so I would imagine with medical ground they should be fine with giving you a suspension. Any problems, go talk to your SU. That's exactly what they're there for.

Take care of yourself

A

Hi all!

I'm still snowed in today so carrying on with my literature review.  Read my abstracts yesterday, today I'm going to download the papers and get some of them read.

What's everyone else's plan or are you all playing in the snow?

A

Just a side note - I really hate it when people talk about academic/intellectual endeavours etc etc etc...It really embarrasses me and I think it alienates non-researchers. Plus, it's just not true for me!!

You seem really cautiously positive about the next year and I think that's the ideal state of mind for writing up. It's how I imagine I will be if I ever get my research sorted.

Good luck to you Lim. I've off to order Joan Bolker. I think that lady should pay you and Lara for selling it so well!!!

A

Linton - congrats on 1000 words again. I've got to tell you, that's amazing! If a chapter is 10,000 words that means you'd have a least a draft in 2 weeks and I wish that I had that kind of output. I think you're right to keep the aim high at the moment as you have the deadline but once you've got this in you could set the next deadline allowing for 1000 words a day?

I didn't finish my stats because stupid SPSS keeps telling me I have missing data...AND I DON'T!

Today I'm snowed in at home so can't go to a big important meeting but everyone is fine about it. The only work I have here is my pile of abstracts for my updated lit reviews so I'm going to get through, hopefully, all of them.

Let me know how it goes with the writing Linton!

A

Plan for today

E-mail second sup to explain the general trauma.
Finish my statistics by 2.30 at the latest.
Writing seminar at 3.

Everyone else?

Good morning all,

Linton, I know how you feel.  Sometimes I feel like if I look at my lit review once more I will scream! Have you got a full on plan of what the chapter will look like?  I HATE doing them and always think that they're a massive waste of time but once you've outlined what each paragraph will address, then what each sentence will address it's just a case of "plugging" the words in (ha! like it's that easy).  Unfortunately (and I only say this because I hate doing it) this method seems to work for me. Perhaps you could try something like that?

Alli - My sites were a little unusual.  Site A was made up of two smaller sites, 1 & 2. Last week both of them dropped out.  Site B on the other hand still haven't dropped out, however, I don't have ethics for them. If they say yes then this might work out OK.  It's the fear that they drop out. My supervisor is beyond supportive and

Thank you both so much for the encouraging words.  It really has helped. I guess the main problem is that if Site B drops out there is literally nowhere else for it to go.  I've always seen the PhD as a job but I never considered the idea that I wouldn't have SOMETHING to argue at the end of it.

I also found out that I've been recommended for a job, one which I've always wanted and will probably apply for after the PhD and don't know whether to go down this road...

Rubbish!

Sorry for the multiple posting...

Today I will try and get through at least half of my abstracts and write the lit review up a little more.

A

I guess I should check in with what has happened with my PhD.

Things are not good. Not even slightly. I had two sites set up to recruit participants from and to run an intervention through (with ethical approval). One dropped out last Monday, the other, I got the message late Friday night. Everyone I have spoken to about it is very angry but there's really nothing left to do at these sites.

So...we had been in talks with another site but we don't have ethics for them. We are currently trying to talk to the 3rd possibility but there is now a significant risk that I will not get a PhD.

I am scarily calm and worried about what is going to happen when the panic kicks in...

I am also finding it very hard to do anything productive. Does anyone have any advice on how I can start moving forward with this? Maybe I should start a new thread about this...My head is saying, what's the point? It's all going to go to waste anyway.

Thanks

A

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't checked in for a while.  Weekend off and Monday I do something very separate to the PhD. Lets call it a job...

Linton - your PhD sounds really interesting!  I hope you're feeling less anxious now. What kind of chapter are you writing at the moment?  I'm in the process of writing my first few chapters at the moment and it's terrifying really. I hate handing over the work but actually, respond well to criticism (not so well to positive feedback - it makes me lazy).  I also pushed back handing in a chapter which I eventually got in two weeks ago. In the end my sups and me sat down and I said I really needed non-negotiable deadlines.  That may help you?

I have to say, 1000 words is quite something for a day! Did you get your 5000 words sorted?

Sneaks - Congrats on keeping going with your second study and starting your third study.  You seem really motivated! I haven't done any teaching but it sounds like you've really planned yours.  Ooo...Literature review deadline. I'm sorry you got a mouthful from your sups.  Boo to them! How are you feeling about your 3 week deadline?

And dog shoes sounds amazing!!!!!!!!

A

Hi Aussiechick

I've had to do this when I worked in "the real world" (not that dodgy 90s reality show, my old job).  I suggest that you use it to your advantage. There will be a tick list of words that they want to see.  Match your reference up to the person specification (if it's available). Step back and write it about that girl Aussiechick you know.  Don't be embarrassed about it. Although it's annoying it allows you to really sell yourself.

Good luck

A

Hi Linton, welcome!

To be honest, I don't think there are any ropes to be taught. Why don't you tell us your general area? Then, I try and post every work day (although, next week that will be going down to Tuesday-Friday only) to say what I hope to do that day. Maggie suggests outlining goals weekly, monthly and for the end of the year before starting with daily goals. Then you check back in with whether or not you've met them, why and what's next!

I'm now going to be rubbish. Things are so up in the air at the moment that I'm finding it very hard to do anything. I'm absolutely exhausted from doing a really minimal amount of work. I have a presentation to give this afternoon and anything I get done this morning on the chapter I owe my sups by 18th February is a bonus to be honest.

So, Linton, Maggie, Sneaks - How is your Thursday?

A

I've always called my sups by their first names with the exception of my interview, and when I'm introducing them to others when I call them both by titles and sir names (the majority of the time).

My advice - tell them you feel awkward about it! Say, "As we'll be working together quite closely, would you mind if I call you Bruce/Sandra/etc..."

Good luck.

A

Hi Maggie,

I'm sorry. My research site is an organisation through which I would be running an intervention and recruit participants and now they don't want to play with me anymore. Boo!

I think sometimes you just have to go with it. If you can't concentrate etc then just accept it, pack up, and start again tomorrow.

My day is a bit odd...really I'm just sitting around waiting for decisions from lots of people. I don't want to go into it too much atm because so much is up in the air but when it's resolved/I go into blind panic I will update you all. My try and do a bit of stats...

A

Hi,

Maggie - I'm glad you're over your cold and you enjoyed your conference. Were you presenting? Congratulations on the teaching! That's great news. Let us know how it goes. Let us know how the prep and the article go today.

I managed to get about half way through my analysis yesterday when I got the worst news of my PhD. My research site has dropped out. It's very bizarre, I'd always been prepared for something like this to happen because who has gets a PhD without some kind of disaster, and I expected that I would panic big time but I still feel very calm. Have a meeting with my sup in 10 mins to discuss it. Can't really plan my day/week/the remaining 19/20 months until we work out how to deal with the lack of research site...

I'll keep you updated...

A

Hi All!

I am checking in a little late today. Spent the morning trying to get a really basic stats test running on my comp and couldn't have anything else open. Didn't work anyway. Whoops!

Today, I want to run all of my analysis and have a table form of the results to take along to my supervision tomorrow.

How about everyone else?

Sneaks - How was your weekend at your parents? Relaxing I hope.

Maggie - How are you feeling now? Has your cold died down? I'm sending you electronic soup vibes!!!

Lizbethdfz - Are you still here? What's your plan for the week?

A