I think we all need something a bit 'trashy' to escape into when doing a PhD!

Mine is Agatha Christie - Miss Marple. Plus old Mills and Boons from the 60s (not new ones) - really hilarious!

It's more effective I think to escape into reading than into TV, in spite of being sick of reading PhD stuff.

But - even when reading the 'trash', I start thinking how interesting it would be to do another PhD on them ...

Universities have assessment boards where they tweak things anyway and make decisions about grade boundaries. I'm sure I didn't quite get 70% but I got a distinction for my MA. You should stop worying about it!

Try the sofa method -

I have found that a good way of getting a large chunk of writing done is to get a few pages of key notes together (quotes from papers or whatever) and print these off. Then I get a pad of A4 paper, a pencil and a clipboard to rest the paper on. Then I lie down on the sofa with all of this stuff on top of me and just write in longhand - write anything that comes to mind, now and again referring to the notes. I find this method helps with flow, helps me to stay and to keep going.

Sometimes it's useful to have low-level ambient music playing on repeat. The pencil means you can write upside down, the stuff on top of you means it's an effort to get up and the sofa is comfy. There are no distractions - no internet, no reading of long papers and you can focus. Once I have done a few hours of that, a large proportion has been written.

The next stage is to get on the computer and type it up, put proper references in and accurate quotations etc - I find that the pages of prose, ideas etc work out to be a lot more than I thought.

This works for me! It could be possible for you to do 10k words in about 10 days with this method!

MIght not be what you're looking for at this point, but this book is quite useful when thinking about what is going to happen in the viva and selection of examiners:

Tinkler, P. & Jackson, C. (2004) The Doctoral Examination Process: A handbook for students, examiners and supervisors. Berkshire: SRHE & OU Press.

Thanks for your replies - chronological then.

I am only including a list of degrees because the regulations for my uni say to do so - normally I wouldn't. BilboBaggins and Claudia maybe check the regulations for your uni?

Sorry if this has been covered before - I am doing the titles pages for my thesis and wonder what order and which letters after my name should be included.

I have a B.Sc, a PGCE and an MA - should it be:
My name B.Sc, PGCE, MA (order in which I completed them)
My name B.Sc, MA, PGCE (most important first..?)
My name B.Sc, MA (leave out PGCE as it is not a degree, strictly speaking - though is a relevant qualification in terms of my thesis).

THanks.

I too suddenly developed a longing for marmite and have been spreading it like jam. I thought it might be something to do with needing the B vitamins with the dull weather etc. But I could be dreaming.

Hi,

Yes I feel the same way. But to be honest, I have given up trying to do anything about it now. Maybe everyone else is the same!

This is a problem when it affects work, since networking is so important for career research success. I have resigned myself to just not being able to do it.

BilboBaggins, yes you're right. I don't think the ESRC would support a switch at this stage - I would have to lose any funding. I hadn't thought about the lack of incentive for the new (less prestigious) uni in terms of funding. So they might not take me on now anyway. I would not be starting afresh! The very thought of this makes me break out in a cold sweat!

I probably should have a frank conversation with Sup C - but I doubt it would get my anywhere. Sup C is a minimalist, spending the least amount of time possible on supervision, caring only about money and their own time. I feel misled though - they persuaded me to stay and now I wish I hadn't. But given the situation, I feel I am powerless to do anything about it.

As the Americans say, maybe I just need to 'suck it up'...

Thanks for your reply BilboBaggins.

When you say that not all funding councils would support a switch what would that mean? At the end of three years all ESRC money comes to an end doesn't it? - I am not sure about this.

I have some reasons for thinking that there may be more job opportunities at the other uni - but that's not a major consideration.

I have nearly finished. I have done drafts of 8 chapters of 9. Some re-writes needed for first two chaps, but the middle ones are nearly OK. I probably could finish the whole PhD in 6 months, certainly in a year.

Hi,

I would like to ask the advice of this forum on the following. I know that there are many people here with a lot of experience – please could you read the tale below and let me know what you think? I have tried to make it short!

- I am an ESRC funded FT PhD student in my third year.

- I had Supervisor A in year 1 who was trying to push me in a direction I didn’t want to go in.

- I changed to Supervisor B in year 2. I suffered writer’s block during this time, but managed to do a lot of thinking and working things out. Sup B saw me regularly, although Sup B tended to talk about their personal problems too. I had the best relationship with Sup B.

- Sup B then left to join a slightly less prestigious university after about a year of supervision.

- After some deliberation about whether I should move with Sup B to the other uni, I changed to Sup C so I could stay at the same (more prestigious) uni.

- I have been with Sup C for 6 months. In that time I have not seen Sup C at all, although feedback has been provided by email. Feedback has been sketchy and hasn’t really engaged with the argument. Sup C says that the argument is OK though. I have done a lot of work for Sup C, although that’s not down to their efforts! I basically decided that I wanted to get the damn thing done, and had already worked out the chapter content in my mind. My thesis is nearly written and I think it will be OK.

- I feel that Sup C only took me on so that I would stay at the uni for their funding.

I am now thinking that I should have gone to the other uni with Sup B. I only have 1.5 months of my ESRC studentship funding left (i.e. 1.5 months shy of three years).

I am completely isolated in my current uni. I also feel that Sup B doesn’t give a damn. I don’t fit into the department (and neither did Sup B which is why they left). I worry that Sup C isn’t supporting me and won’t see me through to completion very well. I’m completely hacked off with my current uni. There is no way I will get a job there. I am not sure what kind of job I am going to get afterwards – probably not a research job, although there may be more opportunities at the other (less prestigious) uni.

Please can you advise me – on the basis of this tale, do you think I should ask Sup B if I can go back to them?

Are there any implications about funding – I know that I might have to pay back a month or so of ESRC grant, but would it be as straightforward as that?

Thanks.

I am in the same situation. I have also found the transition difficult. I will be successful I think in terms of completing.

I think you need to bear in mind that you might find the culture a lot different, you will not be valued in the same way, and you will be treated as a 'student'. It can be hard to just accept certain ways of doing things which are counter to your own views of good practice.

I also started a PhD out of personal interest, but felt pressured to conform to established methods, theories etc. I stuck to my guns, but it didn't make me popular. Universities want you to complete and want you to conform and this can be annoying if it doesn't match with what you want.

Research it well before you start!

Hi,

I used to train new teachers who used to get very nervous - and I also get nervous myself at times!

Being nervous is OK - it means that you care. Everyone is at least slightly nervous.

I think one way of dealing with it is to remember that being nervous is probably part of who you are. You should see it as similar to your gender, ethnicity etc. Just as nobody should criticise you for being black/ white, fat/ thin, short/ tall etc., nobody should criticise you for being nervous.

Just be nervous - it's OK, as long as you are prepared and as long as you show positive regard for your students. Teaching isn't just about 'performance' - you can be a really good teacher and still be /look nervous. It's about what your students actually learn. Focus on that and not on yourself.

IMHO - Radio 4's afternoon play is a good element to include in your day's schedule if you're writing at home all day. Radio makes you feel less guilty than TV (and it is much better). It helps you escape for 45 mins while having a late lunch.

Yesterday's play included brief advice on the best way to oversome writer's block... Listen again here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00b1ny6