Hi Sue and Bilbo
BB- it sounds like you're getting through the list and ticking the jobs off...nearly there indeed.

Sue, well, on the bright side at least your sups gave you lots of feedback and engaged with your work...not so good that you have lots to do as a result. You may be surprised how much is reusable - speaking from experience after finding rather nice groups of sentences among chapter draft I'd long since ditched. And even if you don't directly use it the process of going through, familiarising with the theories will have been a useful (albeit slow, tedious and possibly painful) exercise. check me out with my 1:30 am optimism...what's that all about?!

Anyway...back to it...

Hi Sue and BB - I forgot to say Happy Easter! - It think it is Easter with Sue and nearly Easter with the others. BB - sounds like a productive hour, and also that you don't have too many PhD hours left to go...must be a good feeling.

Generally wierd because I'm not sure it's real. Although printing out vast quantities of paper with words I've written helps it seem a bit more real! Where did that all come from?! Wierd because I think it can't really be happening to me to have got to this stage at last, also because there's still lots of highs and lows. Also the obligatory freaking out about viva - but I'm not sure that's anything unusual - maybe the only unwierd bit?!

Sue, how's yours going? Think I read your update post about your feedback - a bit mixed, lots to do but a reasonable timescale? How are you going with everything? Are you full time thesis or also job hunting/working?

CG x

Hi Bilbo,
I'm working tonight - chipping away at the last jobs before I submint, in hopefully the very near future.

Huge congratulations at passing your viva - great news to hear it went well and all your hard work and determination paid off. It sounds like you haven't got too much to do. For your not-tracked changes can you just do a list with the page number and maybe paragraph or line number and state what you did - perhaps in a table? Keeping it as simple as possible so you can send it back with the least amount of extra work!

Well done! (tree)

CG x

Hi Koturu, I have sent you a PM
CG

Hi Sue,

That sounds like a you're doing fantastically well, congratulations on getting so much done! You really deserve your weekend away (and it was hopefully good to spend some time with your partner and not your thesis!). 2 days off a month during write up is too little! Time off is so important.

Good luck with your meeting next week. I hope the 3 yearer is constructive and engaging with your work.

I'm doing okish, the end line is in sight and the whole experience just keeps getting wierder...I will report back sometime soon

CG x

Happy birthday! I hope your transcribing is suitably celebratory? If not, I hope you are taking the above list out for a bit of growing up retail therapy.

I am a bit concerned about the similarity of your comments with my current state (apart from the cufflinks section); I am evidently older than my years (as I think I am only 28, but tend to forget).


Anyway, it is time for bed. I can't do all nighters anymore, not like when I was a young whippersnapperette.

Enjoy the celebrations!


CG x

Not sure about how to bolster confidence but if you find out can you let me know please?! We're on a similar viva count down - but having handed in, you are one huge moon step ahead of me! Right...I need to get back to it...some large hurdles to clamber over, hopefully without grazing my shins too much...

Best of luck LP, if you got to this stage with a minimalist sup then I'm sure you'll do great at the next bit

CG x

(snowman)

Hi LP,

I can understand why you are concerned, that sounds like a really difficult situation. You say that you've actioned all the comments he did make so I am sure you have been applying his guidance across more than just the 6 page he read each time, so overall things are probably much better than you think. Many other posts on here talk about self doubt - and I'm stuck in that too, even on the chapters that have had plenty of feedback. Just part of this lovely PhD process!

I think you have to get him to read it and give you feedback now it's done - get as much from him as you can! However, maybe there is someone more senior, the head of graduate programme perhaps who may be able to give you some advice. I know at my uni there have been instances where students have spoke to someone at this level of seniority to get guidance in similar situations and it was in confidence, but with positive outcomes. You could then get a different (but experienced and reliable) opinion on your situation to help you prepare for your viva.

Do you have a viva date yet?

CG x

Hi Poppy - congratulations! That's great news...it's so good to know that the end arrives eventually. Hope you're feeling ok and you are getting some rest time and a chance to catch up on all the non-thesis parts of life

CG x

Hi Poppy - congratulations! That's great news...it's so good to know that the end arrives eventually. Hope you're feeling ok and you are getting some rest time and a chance to catch up on all the non-thesis parts of life

CG x

Hi Eska,

It sounds like he was being honest and fair. And on the plus side, if he told you to go for it when he thought you were unlikely to get it you'd be wasting lots of time (these applications suck time like a Dyson!), so he's helped you in that sense. If his track record is honest and reliable, then it sounds like he's just being matter of fact.

The comparing and confidence thing is so dangerous (she says from experience)! You'll do fine at the symposium - hopefully it will give you a confidence boost

Good luck

CG x

My post is in the comment box?? I broke it...never mind, bigger concerns at the mo!

======= Date Modified 18 Mar 2010 01:11:51 =======
Thanks Sue,
Glad you're getting some non phd time...I don't remember what that's like...friends keep asking me to make plans post thesis and I just can't connect to it! You're right, it's exciting and scary and sad (had a little cry tonight), and wierd, and fabulous all at once. And terrifying. Confused, moi?!


[quote]Quote From Sue2604:

Silly me, I chose an area which is really topical and fast moving, so need to update for developments over the last couple of years.
[\quote]

I think there's a thread in this... "my PhD is silly because..."
Mine seems to encompass the entire planet, and then some. Which is a tad overenthusiastic to fit within the limits of reality as defined by the criteria for a PhD...

Better get back to it.

Keep plugging away everyone, every little helps...

CGx

Hi,
Good to hear from everyone. Hope it's a good week so far for the fellow 6 monthers.

Sue - did you get to have a bit of a holiday or break at all? Hope so! Don't berate yourself for doing the thesis "chores" of appendices etc....they have to be done and it will reduce your list at the end! Be wary of assigning yourself lots of rewrites and adding detail to sections you've already done a considerable amount of work on - check with your sups first (I was all in line to add masses to my thesis and sups have clearly focused my attention on what is needed for a phd, not what I want ;o) ).

I'm on the last stretch and it feels like eternity. Very up and down, very wierd. Fighting the urge to run away! Far far away!

CG x

Hi Jinkim, Poppy and the others on the last leg. . . I'm on about the same deadline, but not quite at the typo stage. Still have a lot to do and far too many external disctractions. Can't work out if I'm excited to be so close to the end or completely scared of what I still have to do...the PhD rollercoaster goes on, and on and on...

Good luck everyone - it's good to not be the only one doing this to themselves!

CG x