Hi GM,

They don't need to know. Colleagues usually are not our friends. We can be friendly but it's rare they turn out to be proper true trust-with-your-life pals. If I were you I think I would be creative with the truth. As has already been said tell people what you are doing - but not what you're not doing. So you might say 'I'm going to be with family' end of.

I have an awkward situation every Christmas and this what I do, and it's fine. Even if someone thinks it sounds odd I've never asked outright 'isn't so and so happening?'. I've had quizical looks but that's it. And they wash off!

Hi PhDdiva, I didn't feel like going to my PhD graduation due to fatigue really. I didn't attend my masters one for similar reasons to the ones you've given. Plus I've never been into the fuss of it all.

In the end I went to the PhD ceremony for my mum and dad. It turned out to be an amazing day, and I am so very glad I went. It's YOUR day, not the rag-tags' in your department. Do what you want. Try to ignore them. It really is a biggie, like a wedding or something. And it seals the process psychologically.

I've checked the the facts, made my decision...

I'm going for the online option. The two year embargo can be extended, and your abstract is still visible to all and sundry, so I'm happy with that.

Hi Butterfly, I'm investigating that just now. Someone at the research student office has said if I put an embargo on the thesis it means I don't get credit for it, as if it wasn't written until I lift the embargo. And the hard copy will not be available either. So I've asked the manager to call me back for confirmation/more detail.

Is this how it works at your place, do you still get credit?

Hello folks, I'm hoping for some advice/experiences about publishing the finished thesis online

Yes it is that time for me... All is approved and all I have to do is submit the final copy, so, yes, the world is a very different place right now.

Anyhow, I have the option to publish or not publish online. On the one hand my instincts are to protect the work until after it's published - luckily much of it is pretty near publishable already, so would publishers think what's the point it's already out there? On the other hand it would be nice if lots of people could read it. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Thanks Dr. Jekyll, You made me feel a bit more normal... I've had a restful week. Dipping my toe back in today sending CVs and some more rest next week. I'm feeling a lot better, in fact, I haven't fallen back asleep yet today.

Hello again! I had confirmation that my minor corrections passed this week. For some reason I've been feeling completely whacked out ever since, physically and mentally. Of course I'm relieved and much more relaxed, so much so that all I can do is loll about all day and night. At the same time I'm hyper-aware of all the stuff around the house that needs dealing because my life has been a PhD vortex for so long. I worked full-time taking the part-time PhD route. It's really doing my head in but all I can do is sit in my crumbling home staring out of the window... Anyone else felt like that?

Hello Mara, Congratulations on the job. Having just handed in my minor mods, you've given me some hope :).

I can relate about finding a partner with the patience for this life we have. I've not managed it. But I know others do, and they're not always PhDs. I've always thought a fellow PhD would be too similar, we'd have conflicting demands, competition and so on. But perhaps you're right. Thanks anyway and good luck.

Hello Charlie Brown. Hmm. Yes I was hoping that being around other self-directed research types in you subject area might help. I suppose it's all about adjustment and change. What you say resonated with me a lot though. Something we all face really. I mean I started doing this whole thing because I love the research but if the means of doing its makes me unhappy (i.e., the academic job), what then? I've been working in university admin and it is a much nicer if very boring - so far - life. It is, in fact 9 to 5, on the dot. With an hour for lunch! I may try and stick with that and get my stuff published in my comparably copious amounts of free time. See how it goes after that. Thank you again for all your responses.

Thank you! Do you think getting an academic post helps at all?

Anyone else who finished their PhD feel like their old life doesn't fit any more, friends and so on?

It's as if since finishing - passing viva in April - I've done this massive update of systems (like a computer) and people don't fit the same way they did. Like I need a whole new life.

It's not even about career stuff, which is what I expected.

Choirs can be a lot of fun and very sociable.

This is very common... I started to crave team sports towards the end of my PhD. Totally out of character but my sense of isolation had become immense.

You could try temping. Recent experience is always valuable.

I rang my local university's HR department and asked which agency supplies them and then signed up. ThevPhD background helped because it meant I understood the working environment and proecesses. I've worked in four different areas of the same University over a number of years. Just one of the ways I supported myself through part-time PhD'ing. It's fine, you get a good idea of what places are like to work for this way, and how they recruit. Mostly people are taken on from the inside. Temps, people on short term contracts, secondments and people making sideways or upward moves within the university. I think it would be really hard to get a job cold as an outsider.

This suits me now, keeps the pennies rolling in and I'm learning about a side of universities I hadn't seen before. But I'm determined to get a lecturing post - no family ties. Am going to send CV out for associate lecturing soon too eeeeeek need to get back into teaching again.

I found colleagues really nice about the PhD. Some of them really understand the trials of it. Most people take you on face value, if they're half decent.

Thank you everyone! 😀

My preparation was to take a complete break from the thesis until a week before the viva and to relax as much as possible. So about 2 months, and this, I think was the most useful thing I did. It meant I was feeling reasonably normal by the viva date.

In the week before I began preparing by answering the following questions from memory, as if I were in an exam:

1. What is the best thing about the thesis?

2. If writing again what would you do differently?

3. What are your research questions?

4. How did you answer them and what are your results?


I then read the thesis as if I were marking it.

Afterwards I sat down, as if I were in an exam again, and answered the same questions. Then I compared the two versions.

I also re-ead anything written by my examiners that related in any way to my thesis. This was a very good move. It meant I was prepared to deal with any faux pas I made in my thesis, which I did, and was forgiven for.

I was very proud of my thesis, although I knew it wasn't perfect. I also had faith that God would take us all the right way, whatever that may have been. I knew my examiners were decent people and that my work was good enough. But I'd have rolled up my sleeves for major corrections if necessary.

I looked forward to it as my big chance to have a really good conversation about my work, which I love.

I gave a brief account of the viva earlier and don't feel I can add much to that other than to say it was not as difficult as I'd expected.