Hi Fm
When I was doing my intro I broke it all down into sections at the start and wrote little mini essays on everything, and then put it all together changing things so it all fit ok. My thesis is a combination of 3 pretty large topics, so I had to review them all which meant my intro is quite big for a scientific thesis. To keep it small I was really strict with myself and only gave quite a general introduction, keeping any of the more detailed info for chapters later on. Just imagine you are prepping someone who knows nothing about your topic, so that they have any necessary info for reading the rest of your thesis. You don't have to include *everything* just the most important and relevant stuff. Try reading it out, or describing it out loud to yourself then it's easier to check how things flow.

Well well well!!

This month truly is a special one, things that I though would never happen are occurring all around me! As well as finishing a first draft of my thesis, submission in 2 weeks (eek)...

Today I graduated to four, yes, four star status!! So I'm allowed to post here and Wally has to sign autographs for me!

Speech time....(I've chosen to channel the teary Kate Winslet Oscar acceptance speech here, so imagine me weeping as I type..) I'd just like to say thanks to everyone to supported me every step of the way to help me get to where I am today, especially everyone who had some sort of PhD or personal based problem that I posted on, so I could be voted that most special of PGF things - "Helpful User". I'd like to thank my family and friends, and thank God or Buddah or whatever magical universal driving force has helped me and given me such wisdom. But mostly, thank you all PGF :p

I never get picked for these things :-(

perhaps I have B.O...?

======= Date Modified 08 Sep 2010 23:48:05 =======
I think Bilbo has a good point there - it's gotten to the point where my supervisors won't give me advice on how to structure my thesis, they keep telling me that it's mine and I should do it how I see fit. I think maybe this is because I had issues with one sup in particular who has a very different style of writing to me, and we tended to disagree on some pretty basic things; although a lot of his criticism was bang on point, he has a tendency to over correct and change things back and forth several times. I think we use the PhD to learn how to write, getting feedback from sups etc, and once we are out on our own it's perfectly fine to ask others to read over work, but you will always get feedback and guidance when you submit pieces from reviewers - granted it can be a pretty brutal way of doing it depending on what your reviewer is like, but you will get loads of different types of feedback as people write in different ways. It's how you incorporate that into your own writing that helps your own style grow. So it's not just your supervisor who will guide your writing and help improve it, it's all the experiences you will have after that keeps you honing and maturing your writing for years after.

Ohhh Happy Birthday Bilbo!! (gift)(gift) we need a cake icon jobbie.... :-)

I've just sent off my last experimental chapter, thank god! Think I may do some references now before heading to bed, ridiculously tired these days... ah hoo.

And Wally, keep on trucking, you will get there. It's total misery, but some day you won't have to it anymore and just think how amazing that will be?! Than you won't have to inflict ABBA on yourself or anything, magic! ;-)

Hey Jojo, just wanted to say hang on in there. You've been doing good work so far, so keep it up, try and get a bit of the easier stuff done today, get some healthy soup and plenty of vitamins, and keep on going. You are so very close to finishing now, you'll be grand and you can have a big rest once you submit! (up)

ugh...I have been soooo bad at doing work today, I think I've gotten brain freeze due to the prospect of the impending submission. Finding it so difficult to work. Finally got a few things changed in my chapter, what could have taken 2 hours took all day so far :( Going to move on to doing some corrections for a chapter now, then will go back to proofing my current chapter tonight.

So next Goal - decide on a chapter to correct :/

:) sorry AndyP, I think the late night working got to us last night! :p

morning folks! I remembered some stuff I have to include in the chapter last night, so going to do that this morning, and I think I might make a start on my general discussion chapter this afternoon, I'm veering between that and starting the last corrections for my lit review...will see how I feel I think!

Hope everyone has a good day!

well that's the first full draft of the last experimental chapter done, thank god!! I'm starting to see the light...more of an aura at this stage but it's getting clearer! :) I think I may toddle off to bed now, got a whole pile of corrections to crack on with tomorrow and I think I shall treat myself with an 'early' night i.e. bed before 1.30am!!

Good luck Teek, I hope you aren't up too late, I'm with you in spirit!

wooo well I'd consider that a lucky escape then...unless you would have worked your way to the top as a result of your Benedix training and were able to capitalise on the holy show of a mess the banks landed us in, in that case, poor you...

======= Date Modified 07 Sep 2010 23:45:32 =======
Oh my jeepery jeepers jimminy cricket!!

I have just finished the first draft of my last experimental chapter! I just have to print it tomorrow (will be tomorrow evening as boyf has to print it at work so I won't get it til he arrives home..), proof read, make whatever chages I need and send it off to be properly corrected and annihilated by my sups!

Whoop whoop!! That means I have a rather rudimentary version of my full thesis completed!! Apart from final discussion chapter which I've got loads of ideas for and notes written down, so hoping it won' be too bad!

Yay!

Oh and Sneaks, sounds like the interview went well, I think there is always at least one mean panel member, apparently something to so with seeing how you cope under pressure and with difficult people... but stay positive, you will find a job at the end!!

lol I didn't think people actually paid and went to these things!! :-)

Oh Emmaki!! You poor thing :-(

How can he say he's the only one working when you are working full time AND doing a part time PhD?! That's just silly. I obviously don't know all the details of how your relationship was, but if he didn't respect you or your work then I'd say you have done the right thing, and you are brave enough to take that decision with everything that is going on. Is there any chance you can take a few days off for yourself to go out and have fun before your meetings? If not, then perhaps you can take a break after, I think it is important to let yourself adjust to the situation. Try not to panic too much about not having time to do things, you can get it all done, just try to stay calm and focus on your work when you are doing it. Write down a list of everything you have to do, even if it includes going to the supermarket to get groceries, if you write everything down you will be able to decide what the most important things are, what to do first, and what tasks can wait until after your meetings when you have a bit more time. Then get started on the most important or difficult things, and you will know that you at least have them sorted for next week. And eat all the chocolate/cheese/sweeties/takeaway food you want to get through this next while, you deserve it! Feel free to PM me if you ever need a chat..

I'd say unless it's what you truly want to do, then don't stick with computing. There is absolutely no point starting a career in something you know you don't want to do. I started my PhD knowing it was similar to what I wanted but not quite, and now I know it's not what I want to do, and once I finish (hopefully submitting in 2 weeks) then I will to go back to the drawing board and start building up experience for what I actually DO want to do.

Plus, you have time now to go and start a masters or find some sort of interdisciplinary way into psychology or philosophy. It's never too late to change direction, when my dad was 50 he decided he wanted to be a counsellor and off he went and did his degree and his training and has been working as a counsellor for years now and absolutely loves it, wishes he'd started it years ago. My uncle has worked in a clothes shop for all his life really until 3 years ago when he decided it was about time he went and did the social work course he always wanted to do and now he's graduated and absolutely loves what he's doing now, he's like a new person. A friend of mine also doing a PhD started a masters in marine biology after training as a nurse, had absolutely no experience of biology or field work beforehand, and is now doing an ecology PhD.

Yes psychology is insanely competitive, you almost have to have a masters and PhD to be even allowed into the building it's that bad. And philosophy isn't exactly the best choice career wise unless you want to be an academic I'd imagine. But before you decide to stay with computing simply 'to finish what you've started' I think you should go talk to careers advisors, find out exactly how it works trying for a masters or straight into phd, exactly what training or qualifications you need to do the job you want, and then decide.