Guidelines for thesis length, including maximum and minimum lengths, vary by university and department/discipline. You should ask your prospective supervisor(s) about this, because the same subject at different universities can have different rules, and different subjects within the same university can be radically different. In my department the minimum length is 80K and maximum 100K. I'm actually going to come in under this minimum length, but have been advised that it will be ok, though I'm taking steps to make it look better, adding appropriate appendices, though they don't count for total length.

Congratulations Ruby! Great news, and particularly for me as another long part-timer to hear someone get successfully through the long slog. Enjoy the celebrations!

See http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Shingles/Pages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/what-is-it.aspx for lots of advice. You should be careful not to spread the infection though: people who haven't had chickenpox before can catch it from someone with shingles. This is particularly dangerous for anyone who's immunosuppressed (transplant patient or with auto-immune disease). I caught chickenpox soon after starting immunosuppressants (either from someone with chickenpox or shingles - no idea who though) and ended up in hospital on a drip for a week. But shingles should be manageable at home, with GP's help. Could be painful though. Good luck!

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I left a full-time PhD over a decade ago due to long-term illness developing. Leaving the PhD was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but also the best one: I couldn't possibly carry on as I was, and the funding council wouldn't support a shift to part-time, and self-funded part-time wasn't an option. Once I'd made the decision I felt a huge weight lift of my mind. I still went through a period of mourning for the PhD, and had the added complication of having to watch my husband go on to complete his PhD in the same department. But it was right for me to leave.

Basically if you're still confused I'd suggest hanging on in there for a bit, possibly also taking a short break if you can. Re quitting in future of course you can, if that's the right decision. But you shouldn't feel rushed into the decision.

As for a PhD being a job that's how I've always viewed it. When I was full-time I worked 9-5 and wouldn't work in evenings or at weekends. Now over a decade on I'm a part-time PhD student in another discipline (and have nearly completed the PhD) I have a similar attitude. It is possible, but it may mean you have to be a bit ruthless about what you do - or rather don't - do.

Anyway good luck with your decision, but don't rush it. And don't feel that you have to make the decision right now.

Hi Rubystar,

Got your PM and replied. Strange.

The two students were given a year to resubmit, and both managed it. I think both were working part-time during this period (previously one was self-funded - full-time - and the other one research council funded).

Good luck!

Bilbo

I know that 2 students in my department recently had to go through this, and both were successful in the end. So hang on in there. Take it a small step at a time, and work systematically through the list of things to fix. Good luck!

Could you get hold of a copy of Rowena Murray's book "How to survive your viva" and read that? That's what I plan on doing before my viva.

I've often been unable to work for weeks/months on end due to long-term illness. So each time I have to drag myself back into the swing of things. I do this by drawing up lists of what needs to be done, everything I can think of. The lists can be depressingly long, but I look at them and identify the least unappealing items on there (that's how I view it rather than most appealing!), and start working through those. Whenever I manage something on my list I cross it off. That gives me a boost, and I move onto the next item on the list. May only start slowly, but it picks up, and gets me going again.

Yes there's EndNote for the Mac. I've used it for years, though beware that different versions don't work so well with different versions of Word. You can find out more information on the official EndNote site.

It sounds as though you could do with a break, not a few days but a few months. Could that be arranged, perhaps on medical grounds? From what you write it sounds as though you would have medical grounds for this. Would your doctor support you? I reached near breaking point 2 years ago with my PhD and it was either take a break or chuck it in. Arranging the break was a bit complicated for me because I'm research council funded and they had to go through the process of approving it (and needed some pushing to finally do so, even with the required GP's letter and supervisor's support). But I got my 5 months off. It gave me a chance to recoup, take stock, and come back afresh.

Having said that you do sound as though you have some bigger problems with database provision and supervisor support etc. I'm not sure what to advise to solve those. Perhaps others can offer words of wisdom. But it does sound as though you could benefit from a proper break, and that might give you a chance at least to recharge your batteries.

Good luck!

I had the same problem halfway through my part-time PhD. What me got out of it in the end was a shift in motivation: suddenly I was motivated to move on enough, and got on with things. Maybe terror kicked in, maybe deadlines. I'm not sure, but suddenly I started working again. I found that drawing up lists really helped kick me into productive mode: lists of what to do, where I'd pick the least unappealing options. Basically don't worry, it will resolve itself, but keep in mind your deadlines and draw up some to-do lists to help the process along.

I left a PhD over a decade ago after falling seriously ill. It had funding consequences for my department (reduced how many awards they could receive), and it also had funding implications for me. When I reapplied for another PhD I had to declare that I'd received so much prior funding from another research council and this might reduce my new PhD funding. Luckily I was awarded a full grant in the new area (for part-time study), and it was so radically different that the old funding wasn't counted against me. But if I'd been applying for a new PhD with similar funding in the same subject area a funding council might reduce the number of years they would fund because of the prior funding arrangement.

I've bad experience I'm afraid. I was full-time PhD student funded over a decade ago, and fell seriously ill long-term. I wanted to change to part-time (continuing full-time was impossible), but the funding council (EPSRC) wouldn't support this option at all. I couldn't afford to self-fund (no savings and too ill to work), so ended up having to drop out.

Basically check with your funding authorities very carefully before doing this.

I'm now a part-time PhD student in a totally opposed discipline. And funded, thanks to AHRC.