It's official: I hate Microsoft Word and it's weak table drawing powers. My thesis would probably look so much better in Latex.

Oh yes, the monetary challenge. I'm running out as well, which is why I'm moving back in with my parents next month, to finish writing up. I'm hoping that moving back will also push me to get this thing done asap.

Well done, Wally, two great chapters at once! It must be a thing going around, my sup has been nice to me and my work as well over the past few weeks (and he's never nice about my work). Let's hope it will keep up.

On my side, things have been going ok. I'm almost done restructuring the mess aka chapter 1. Hope to finish that tonight so that I can print it tomorrow and start revisions from a hard copy. Slowely but surely I'll get there. *It's almost Xmas and I'll be done, it's almost Xmas and I'll be done*

Good luck with Word! Why can't you do your work in Latex (sorry, I'm technologically-challenged).

Third and final results chapter drafted. I'll e-mail it off and be done with it. I don't know what I have to do next now? There's just so much.

No progress today so far. I just don't know where to take things at the moment. Should I do corrections on the other chapters or a first draft of the hideously complicated discussion. Urrghhh...

So, the discussion chapter - wtf? How the hell does one go about it? It's huggggeeeeee. I'm just thinking about what I'm supposed to write and preparing for a supervision meeting on Wednesday. I'm actually quite numb about it. It needs to be written in an integrative fashion. It's about the PROM I've made. I need to bring in lots of literature. It needs to be aligned with current health care policy. I don't know where to start, truth be known.

Sometimes it helps if you just start writing as if you were explaining things to your mum or a friends or something like that. That way you are writing something at least, without trying to make it sound too professional/scientific, and you can figure out what the most important points are to get the message across. It works for me, and often I find that I just end up writing properly anyway, and all the stuff Ive read starts coming back to me. Just write whatever you're thinking about at the time, and hoe it relates to your results, even if it's all over the place and you are jumping from one thing to the next. You can always go back and chop and change things as you edit to improve the language.

Thank you for the advice, Algaequeen. As it stands, I'll probably have to do a bit of free form writing (zero draft), like you say.

Had my meeting; they were pleased with the progress I've made. I'm not, I'm stressed with getting the bloody thing done. They reckon I'm well on track for an Xmas finish. I've asked them to work with me by setting me goals to achieve.

No progress for four days. I really need to get things back on track.:-(

Why don't you set the goals, or at least propose them? I set my own goals all the way through my writing up, emailed them to my supervisors so they knew what was planned, and worked to my own timetable. I figured this was better because I had more of an idea of how long it would take me to work on each phase than my supervisors. I was also more mindful of the final deadline.

Hiya, Bilbo. I have set my own goals with them. Sorry, if my previous post had indicated that I hadn't. I've got four chapters to write and I really, really hope I can get everything done for Christmas. My next goal is to get a chapter written for in approximately 2 weeks time. After that I'm just going to have to go at it guns a-blazin' and hope I can get the others done in good time. Say 3 weeks for each of the chapters, or something?

That sounds attemptable :) It also leaves time at the end when you've handed in your full draft for final revising/rewriting after supervisor feedback.

Keep the goals flexible. For example if they're realistic some chapters will be finished more quickly, but others will take longer. So a bit of give and take needed.

Good luck!

Well, it's been 7 days since I last posted. Progress report: bzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzz bzzzzzzz - none detected. Well, that's not entirely true. It's been a ridiculously hard 7 days. I've had to learn grounded theory, narrative, phenomenography, hermeneutics, content analysis (both conventional and directed) - all just for one chapter. I can't wait until this is over! My aim is to get this chapter written for not this Wednesday but next Wednesday. That'll leave me with 3 chapters to do. Maybe when this is all over, I might be able to find my sense of humour again.

Hey Wal, sounds like you've had a pretty mental week!! Well done on learning about all those different theories, that's really good!

Sometimes you've just gotta put in alot of groundwork, but once you've done that and it's in your head, it all comes together.

Keep going and you'll be there before you know it, and then we can just all just come on here for fun, and cheer up the next lot of students! :p

Take care, AL

Good luck now Wally! You're so so close! (up)