Congratulations, 5DMk2! So good to hear you came through the other side... a Dr!
Thanks for taking the time to post your story, I know people really appreciate them, particularly when someone really struggled. Go celebrate :)

Ian, I really enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks for sharing the link. :-)

Thanks for your replies; that's good to know.

I agree, the quieter the better.

As the title asks, does your supervision continue all through the summer, or does your supervisor give you certain dates when they won't be reading work and/or meeting you?

In my university, teaching ends in April, exams are corrected by the end of June. I know that supervision for taught M. Phil students ends at the end of June, so the same probably applies to PhDs. Or not?

For those of you in later years, do you find research easier/more difficult/much the same when most students are gone from campus?

Well done, Jennie! You really persevered and it finally paid off! Congratulations. (up)

Honestly, I think that if you feel like you aren't doing enough then it's a real sign that you could push yourself harder! It isn't your supervisor's job to ask you how many hours a day you do, or how many pages you read a week. They assume that at this point you will source your own channels to research.

If they seem very impressed with you, despite you feeling like you haven't done a huge amount, then maybe they are just giving you very positive reinforcement for what is actually just the norm: people are more likely to use their own initiative more when they have been assured they are on the right track. Of course, I am not doing a science PhD, so I realise that lab work can be a lot more integrated and may be dependent on another, but I would advise you to read as much as possible while you still have plenty of time. :-)

Hi Chantelle,

This is a very difficult question to answer - especially for someone who isn't familiar with you or your work. I know you say you want to develop a career in academia, but critical thinking of formulation of arguments - which you mention are your weaker ones - are only going to increase in importance as your research becomes more and more independent. Some people do seem to find the jump from undergrad to postgrad to be a big one, because the learning is much less prescriptive. I can only speak from my own experience - I did a taught M Phil before I began my PhD, but I actually preferred the independence of grad school. There were people on my programme who were certainly intelligent and passionate, but they found it more difficult to sustain the grades they achieved as undergrads.

My advice to you would be to maybe speak to a career guidance counsellor, or perhaps a lecturer/research student in your area. Maybe what you're experiencing is actually very common in the early stages of Psychology grad research.

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I agree that it is very demanding and stressful relative to the monetary rewards. I mean, high-level positions in financial/legal/other types of organization are equally stressful, but their earnings tend to reflect this.

For me, I am attracted to the level of independence. Obviously you have to meet external requirements and work with others, but on a day-to-day basis, you are managing your own projects. Also, I find academic work to be extremely rewarding - seeing a new idea through from start to finish is worth all the complications in between. I also like being very busy and having new targets to constantly meet. I should add that I'm naturally a stressed person - I can rarely relax fully, even if I grant myself a day or two off. So I think regardless of occupation, I'm programmed to feel that way. I channel it into productivity, however, so it isn't all bad. When I've worked in more collaborative professional environments, I found I had the added stress of depending on other people, who often weren't similarly motivated. Being my own boss - to a degree - suits me better.

Mog, Patrick Dunleavy's well-regarded book ''Authoring a PhD'' also suggestd 8 X 10k, or at least very similar lengths.
Obviously this may not suit any given thesis, but I think I'm going to aim for that also. I'm only a first year though, so we shall see!

Congratulations, Dr. Bond! (eh, best name ever!)
Well done on passing and enjoy all the celebrations. :)

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Hi Button,

I don't have the pdf, but I have read the book and it didn't tell me anything I didn't know already!

I personally find the blog 'the thesis whisperer' to be great for quick motivation. Here is her article on how to write 1000 words a day:
http://thethesiswhisperer.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/how-to-write-1000-words-a-day-and-not-go-bat-shit-crazy/

good luck!

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Hi Milo, great to see such a positive post - especially when you felt differently not so long ago. I agree with you completely; it really is a case of mind over matter sometimes, with a positive outlook key to moving forward and not dwelling on past difficulties.

Good luck with your new targets. :)