How long would you say you should plan to write your thesis at the end? I know it's a good idea to write as you go along and have a lit review and method and results section of one study written and should have some more by the time I get round to properly writing but just wondered how long you should plan to leave for it.

Always leave extra time.
A lecturer I know spent 6 weeks on it, I know someone who took 6 years.
I'm in my 4th year and still writing and started early in my 4th year. I could go on indefinately, I can always improve on it.
I would guess 6 months, but it depends how motivated you are, if you're working at the time, if you've analysed already for papers, how much of a perfectionist you are, how good you are at writing, and how quick your supervisor reads drafts.
I've heard it's not a good idea to work at the same time as write-up as some people don't finish.

It took me 4 months full-time including weekends, but I had most of the results pre-processed and had been writing bit 'n pieces since the beginning. At least a month of this was re-re-re-reading drafts and improving.

It sometimes helps to have a submission deadline, eg. running out of funding, to ensure you put the hours in.

This 4 months I found was very painful as it's almost entirely 'active' thinking. No watching TV allowed until it's done

Hi Missworry,

I think the reading and research proposal take a lot of (well spent)time, once you have done this and are into the actual research and have results things actually can go very quickly, it then mainly a matter of keeping going and discipline.

Thanks for that. 4 months of no TV sounds awful! I have trouble thinking if I don't have breaks! I suppose when you get near the end and the funding is running out the adrenaline kicks in and you get motivated to do it.

Maybe that's the problem, my partner is now supporting me and I have a nice house with a TV and Internet to distract me