PinkNeuron, you've got 8 months to go, and for a bunch of us, we're down to 6 MONTHS!!!! AARGGHHH!!!

OK, that's better! How're we all travelling? My 6 months is really now only 5 1/2 months, as I'm hoping to go to a conference in mid March. Awful timing, but a trip to NY would be a lovely finishing present to myself! Would rather a nice UK conference, but oh well...

I'm writing my 6th chapter, got 5 more after this. 2 of these just need updating, one is a little methodology chapter, the conclusion will also be small, and the findings chapter will be meaty. So, I reckon that's doable. Insane, but doable.

Look after yourselves everyone. Eat well, exercise, and spend time with loved ones and pets!

Good luck with the remaining chapters Sue2604. I had my huge panic in August, when I lost a whole month due to the swine flu. Mega mega panic! Then I had a meeting with my supervisor in early September, we discussed what needs to be done to finish things off, and I felt much better. I have to have another meeting with him next week to discuss the final thesis changes, but expect to still feel chipper after then.

Meanwhile I'm pushing ahead with implementing his suggestions, starting with the easy then working to the bigger ones, but extremely slowly due to the long-term illness. Managed an hour tonight, which is all I could manage today. I'm lucky to manage 5 hours total a week. So 6 months is scarily close in that respect. But hoping to have things pretty much sorted by Christmas, though I expect to take until nearer March (my official deadline) to finally submit.

So panic averted I'm glad to say. Although seeing it's (in 10 minutes for me here in the UK) almost the start of another month does fill me with a moment of slight trepidation!

And here we are into another month, rolling towards my absolute submission deadline of end of March 2010. I had a slight flutter as the month turned over earlier this week, but this is the first new month for a while that I haven't had a big panic. So that's progress! I'm still plodding away slowly, on about 5 hours total for the PhD a week. Working on finishing off - almost - the thesis redrafting. Hoping to have a big PDF to email my supervisor in a week or so. Expect him still to have some issues with it, but it's getting to the point where we're going to have to agree to compromise on certain things.

How's anyone else getting on who's aiming to submit around then. Do you think you will make it? Is your deadline flexible if not (mine isn't: I'm coming to the end of the 6 years registration period allowed for part-timers at my uni), or would you need to negotiate an extension? I could easily arrange an extension on medical grounds (lost so much time over the years due to long-term illness), but want to get it out of the way now. Confident of getting there.

Hi Bilbo, I have less than 10 months to go with only around 7 months. And guess what? I'm only about half way through my data collection. What keeps me going is the knowledge that I'm too far gone now and that I can't turn around and quit. I do get stressed daily and I've been upset in the past with feelings like I've really taken on too much and, at the age of 28, chucked my life away. I know that seems melodramatic but, in retrospect, I wouldn't have taken on such an ambitious PhD. It's huge and I need to know about so much that if I concentrate on one area of it for any length of time I forget about another area. I think what keeps me going on in addition to this is that I'm not a quitter and I have to see my PhD through. Besides if I did decide to drop out, I wouldn't be any better off. I'd end up stuck in a job I wouldn't enjoy and I'd always wonder what could have been. The only thing that would stop me from doing my PhD, and I know this sounds obvious, is if I won the lottery - not much chance of that!

Good luck Wal. Poor you re still doing the data collection. I was lucky to be able to start writing up early on, which is just as well given how few hours a week I have for the part-time PhD. If I won the lottery I'd still want to finish my PhD though: it means too much to me, and is something money can't buy (well not a proper PhD anyway!).

Good luck for the last 7 months. I have less than 4 months left to my registration deadline now. I lost a whole month in August due to recovering from swine flu which sent me into a major panic. But picked things up, got on with it, and inching towards the end now.

Hey Bilbo, glad to hear you feeling so confident, well done! I can only imagine the determination you must have to keep going in the face of illness, you're really an inspiration (up)

I have about 6 months left and virtually nothing written, but I hope very much to finish off my practical work soon (if my sup ever stops finding new things to do) and then i pray the muse of theses will pay a visit....hmmm.

Glad to hear you're going well Bilbo! That's excellent progress. I was also supposed to be submitting in March, but have an extension till end June. I occasionally have a minor panic about the amount of work to do - I wanted to have a first draft done by the end of the year, but have only gotten 7 of the 11 chapters written, with another two in very draft form. So, am way behind. And am working full-time next mth, to get some funds to keep me going, so that will hold me up too. Am currently writing an article with my supervisor, so that's more time away from the thesis. Just seems neverending...

Hi Everyone. I thought about posting just yesterday to see how everyone was doing!
My news is that I was sent away to do more data collection, in spite of my upgrade examiners who said I had enough, my study is huge, will cover post doc too. So, my finish date has been moved from May to August. I was so upset at first but now I am just going to make most of the time. Busy putting together the study for presenting in USA in April but it will form one of my chapters, so it is not wasted. I haven't started writing yet, that starts in January in earnest. It is funny that at this late stage, I am having wobblies about ever getting this PhD, but it sounds like I am not alone. I just need to keep my head down and stop thinking.....I am self funded so can not afford to go into a 4th write-up year, I have to finish and start earning. Ok, onwards and upwards, very best wishes to you all. PN.

Ooh lots more posts. In particular nice to hear from PinkNeuron. Good luck with the last stages. I've found the last few months to be some of the "wobbliest" throughout my PhD, so can relate to you about that one.

Thanks Teek for the kind words. I'd be saying no to the supervisor now about extra work myself. But then that's me! Good luck with the last months of your PhD.

And nice to hear from Sue2604. It does sound as though you're quite a way through the writing-up already, with so many chapters done, to varying degrees. So that's encouraging.

Oooh, I have 9 months and however many days left - yikes! Still have loads to do - although the write-up is well under way, I'm a chapter short and that work could take months. Feeling a lot more motivated this week, so trying to make the most of it while it lasts and cram in as many hours of work as possible. What's keeping me going is, as others have said, the knowledge that I can't (and don't want to) give up now, and also how satisfied I'll feel when I can finally submit a thesis that I can call my own.

Good luck to everyone else nearing the end!!

I like this thread - a good cohort of what used to be 10monthers...now not quite so many months! Lots of familiar feelings in the other posts here. I'm still trying for March but have lots to do. I have a bit of teaching and some non-thesis writing to do which is a bit of distraction but will hopefully still be a useful venture. As for thesis, I have a reasonable amount in draft, but not the whole thesis draft which I was aiming for by january. It's the typical rollercoaster of emotion - I'm sick of it and loving it at the same time - and a little confused! The bad bits are the fear of how it will all get done and the post phd life, money, jobs etc. The good bits are seeing my skills improving as I write and making bits of progress - but this is very variable speed, and at the whim of powers beyond my control or awareness.
I'm totally knackered....not sleeping very well and try very hard not to fall asleep in the office!

Time for bed, sleep, then kick some chapter a$$ tomorrow (snowman)

Night night fellow writer-uppers

Hi Cakegirl and fellow travellers on the final road!

Yes, I agree CG, it is definitely a roller coaster. Am also sick of all of this, of writing, of life on hold, but at the same time know that I'll look back and think how lucky I was to be able to work full-time on my thesis. I too have concerns about life post-PhD, and was getting quite anxious about it, but then realised that I just need to concentrate on getting this done, then worry about the next bit of life afterwards.

Am not going to finish in March, and will be lucky if I'm done by June. My sup has also asked me to teach a class next semester from April to May, and while the money would be lovely, I think I'll have to take Bilbo's advice and say no. Can't imagine trying to teach a month or two out from submitting!!

Am plodding along. Writing another article with my sup, which also distracts from the thesis, but is good to do. Haven't completed anywhere near as much as I had planned to, but oh well, am going as fast as I am and not skiving off, so can't do much more than that.

Hope everyone else is going well. We'll all get there and then have a lovely virtual party!
(gift)

Yes, that is what keeps me going at the moment too. "Plodding along" is the perfect wording. Or I like the idea of "chipping away at it". I am trying to stay focussed, not worry about the xmas break, the presents I have not bought yet and all that, and I am unwilling to let me end of March deadline go, but deep down I know that it is sooo unlikely I will be able to make it. Maybe May then?

The idea that at one point I will have submitted this thesis is so amazing, I am reminding myself of it every day. This day will come! Hopefully soon, but (tree) and (mince) and (gift) first!

We can get through this together - mm, and a virtual party afterwards sounds excellent, Sue!

Yes, for all of us '10 monthers', maybe we should lobby to bring back the Chrissie icons for our party! Or lobby for some new party icons for when people finish!

I like the idea of 'chipping away' Poppy - it's a bit more positive than plodding, but most days I do feel like I plod. I can't seem to remind myself that I will actually finish this - the work to get thru just seems mountainous, like Everest, as others have mentioned. Not even having a first draft of all chapters makes it seems so far off....surely the pace must pick up when this is done?? Am aiming for June, May would be nice so I could have a holiday...

I was devastated to let go of my May deadline. I had my heart set on the whole summer off with my children and the big party I would have in June etc. etc. I was quite depressed when my Prof. said, no way would I finish by then as my analysis is going to be huge, I was very demotivated. But, I soon came around and realized the time would fly if I just set myself this timetable, which I did. I am now working flat out to even achieve an August finish. I have an abstract due by tomorrow but can not go forward until I hear from my Prof. and he has gone 'quiet', not a good time to go quiet on me. I have only just woken up to the fact that I have not thought about Christmas. Did some furious online shopping yesterday for my children!
Yes, a virtual party, will be good....:-)(robin):-)