Yes I had the same experience! I think the rattling in my case was the central heating pipes.

I guessed it was an earthquake because I was woken by the one in 2002, so the first thing I did was check the time. Lo-and-behold, when I switched on the TV this morning, news reports galore.

I really hate questions, even though I know my topic, once someone asks a question my mind goes blank. I don't think you need to quit though, I'm sure plenty of people feel the way you do.

Here is two bits of advice that should help.

Firstly, try and write down all the questions you have been asked (at any point) and in your own time try and answer them on paper. If you don't know the answer try and find out.

Secondly, try and get yourself into situations (such as supervisory meetings) where you can be asked lots of questions. You'll find that the same ones come up again and again.

Thirdly (yes I know...) try and ask your self really difficult questions based on your own work, ones you would really hate to be asked, and try and get a feel for a good solution. There is rarely a perfect answer, rather a satisfactory explanation.

I know someone who is dyslexic and has a PhD, and his own very successful business. Says it all really.

Just a tip. The otherday I found these:

http://intranet.cs.man.ac.uk/mentors/resources/broada/cs/cs710/viva.html

Viva questions. Useful though for any stage of your Phd. If I feel as though I am losing track, I go through these and try and answer them as quickly as possible. Helps to get you out of that 'woods and trees' syndrome.

Of course some of them I can't answer, but those are perhaps worth spending more time thinking over (if they are relevant), or perhaps you could discuss them with your supervisor - though if he's anything like mine he'll just tell you not to worry about them!

I find its helpful to get 4 or 5 thesis's in pdf just for format for this sort of question.

Going to a conference next week, and I have to choose what workshops / tutorials I am going to. (as well as poster sessions and talks).

What's the difference between a tutorial and a workshop, anyone know?

Summer? What Summer? No sun, and even if there was I'd be inside

Really though, its ok and I'm going to Portugal in September so that should be fun

I am currently doing an experiment and have taken a number of results. It has occured to me that while my results are good, and prove my point, I can come up with even better results by modifying the experiment slightly.

My question is, in my write up for the thesis, do I illustrate the whole process, saying that I did 'A', it was good, but then 'B' is even better (and here are the results from B). Strictly speaking, in a perfect world I would have done 'B' first, so in my thesis do I ignore A and just show B? Or does the reader want to know the whole process?

Hope you can help!

I'M SORRY I DID'NT QUITE CATCH THAT, COULD YOU SPEAK UP?!

That'd be a great way to do the Viva - heavily pregnant. If anyone asks any difficult questions just look as though you are about to burst into tears and watch them backtrack.

I would also say go. You are currently at the stage where it is really useful to talk to people about your ideas, before they get concrete.. But you should state your position clearly, otherwise it may just look muddled.

PhD can be very lonely, meet people while you can!

I would suspect that it is unlikely that anything else in the PC died, rather the heatsink compound on the graphics card chip overheated. It could mean the end of your graphics card, unless you can fit the new (or the old) fan correctly. Try a different card, see what happens.

One worry I have is that once I have submitted my thesis, is how long it is going to take to organise the Viva. I have already received some indication that they might like to keep me on after the PhD, but I haven't decided yet what I want to do. If I decide to get a job somewhere else then I'm concerned they might have little motivation to get a Viva organised - any thoughts or experience on this? UK uni with an EPSRC sponsorship.

As for arranging the Viva, for me this was a case of harassing the supervisor, the internal reviewer and the post grad admin!

As far as I know the supervisor is a part of the Viva. At my university they have to sign a form saying they were present.