You can also use kwiksurveys (they're free and no limit on reply numbers) BUT they have ads around your survey, not excessively but this may bother some people. You could just open an account and start a random survey to try it out? Good luck ;-)

Oh, Sneaks, lucky you!

Ok, I'll add - 9) Proofread the work - to my list. I knew there would be more things to add to it!

I know I suggested getting someone else to proofread your work but only if you trust them to do a good job!! I'm not sure I'd trust someone else to do mine, either I do it or I'd get a professional (I had a few too many bad experiences in the past).

@Ady, do you mean you proofread it yourself or got someone to do it for you?

I agree with Sneaks, pass the grammar job on to someone else! Proofreaders will charge according to deadlines so if you give them 3 weeks, they'll charge you less if that helps ;-) I could recommend someone to you but I'm not sure that's allowed?? Well you can pm me if you'd like their details? Alternatively, could you ask a friend or colleague??

As we're all sharing what's left to do, here's my list:
1) Final look on my lit review
2) Finish editing one chapter - major rejig required - hopefully will be done by Sunday
3) Finish analysis, write results and discussion - no idea how long this will take
4) Finish editing another chapter - hopefully done in about 3 days
5) Write another chapter from scratch
6) Do appendices eek
7) Organise it all, format it, etc
8) Referencing. I don't use Endnote or any other software but do have the wonderful habit of adding refs as I go along so many will be there already, but I always miss a few so there will be a mad hunt for these

I probably have more but I haven't found out about them yet lol

I'm glad things are moving forward with your work and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you next week. And thanks for explaining about the stars, I didn't know about them so I had to go back to my posts to thank a few people, well, only one post really ;-)

I too don't think it's normal but I've known plenty of people who have used amphetamines to give them energy for one reason or another.

Like Sneaks mentioned there's weight loss but also some manual labours use amphetamines or other stimulants like cocaine to keep them going. Maybe she is faster (or at least she thinks she is) and full of energy now but the reality is that, when not under the influence, it's likely she'll 'come down' and feel rotten so she'll use again to cope with that. Also, regular use increases tolerance to the drug and she'll be needing more and more of it to get the same result as time passed by (I'm tempted to say it's pretty impossible to use regularly - i.e. daily/most days - for a substantial period of time and not fall into that trap) so I definitely do not recommend to anyone on a PhD.

Unfortunately amphetamines can also lead to people feeling super confident when under the influence which doesn't help you. Many people who use drugs do so because deep down inside they feel insecure or as coping strategies for other things as well. Obviously, I'm speculating here but I wonder if you could just let her be in the knowing that she can be having some difficulties at the moment and dealing with them as she sees best fit? Or maybe you could have a quiet word alone and thank her for her interest on your work but you'd prefer she minded her own business (maybe not using these exact words ;-) though)?? Good luck

Batfink, glad you're feeling better and I hope doctor's appt went ok. Get well soon! I'm impressed you keep pushing yourself even when you're poorly as I'm completely rubbish at working when I'm sick but thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

Hi, Squaredot! I'm sorry things are not going well your end. To be honest, I found this forum through googling something like 'struggling with thesis' and I too found comfort in knowing that I wasn't alone. I guess no one ever prepared me for the amount of work I'd need to put into, the stresses, etc so it was nice to find out that others feel that way too. Not sure what others around here think (other opinions are welcome! I haven't been around for that long...) but it seems to me that most of the difficulties that we believe only happen(ed) to us, happened to others too so it all becomes part of the process of the PhD.

I think feeling overwhelmed is completely normal at times as it is hard work and there is a lot of it. I have those times too - even had a little cry last night - but then I remembered what one of my sups said. I mentioned to him that I was feeling quite stressed, overwhelmed etc and his response was 'I'd be concerned if you weren't'. He is really lovely and he didn't say that in a nasty way at all, he was just letting me know that it's completely normal and, indirectly, that I'd be ok too.

You don't say much about what other things you need to do on top of revisions and although it sounds like it's a lot, I wouldn't say it's impossible to do it by the end of the month. If you think about it, you've done 3 out of 8 so that's almost half! Is the 30th of Sept your absolute last day you can submit? Or is there any leeway?

Delta, what's the deal with the stars? Just noticed I have one too...

On a separate note, goalswise, I'm not doing too bad today. I've learned that I really underestimated how much work one of my chapters needs but I've drawn a little plan of action. Trying to be more positive. Done goals 1 and 2, off to 4 I think, will leave the dreaded 3 for last...

Hope you all have a productive afternoon/eve!

Hi Batfink, I hope you're feeling better. Shame you couldn't take the day off yesterday :-( I Hope you're managing ok.

I have several goals today but they are all small as I'm doing little bits of everything everyday:
1) Continue amending one of my chapters
2) Add a few more things to another
3) Continue editing my results
4) Review introduction on one of the chapters

Sorry, no luck here...

Morning!

Goals for the day:
1) Review a couple of chapters
2) Edit methods
3) Edit results

and that will be plenty for today me thinks!

I'm sorry if it sounded like I meant you had 'grand' plans. I just meant you had things planned that you were really looking forward to but they didn't materialise and they were 'great' plans. I'm afraid the reality is, in my experience, that most people see 'everyone enrolled on a course' as 'students', regardless of their level of training/qualification. I know it can be frustrating when we feel we've been unfairly treated but I think that sometimes we just have to accept that we win, we lose as other alternatives are not helpful if that makes sense.

(you could try the Toyota dealer as suggested! That sounds a good idea if you can afford the monthly payments!)

It sounds to me you had all these great plans of how wonderful things would be, they're not happening so you're not happy. As others have said and opposite to what you may believe, things don't come on a silver plate (at least not to most of us anyway!) and not all of our plans come true either but this is life. We live and learn and live a bit more and learn a lot more, stuff happens and we just deal with it. It's all about flexibility and resillience and I think most of us would agree that a PhD needs heaps of both! No one said life was fair and sometimes it isn't, especially if we make unfair comparisons.

As for the ferrari, it'll depend on 1) what you do after your PhD and 2) how good you are with money 8-)

Yeah, I see your point. I want to get my viva before Xmas too! I take your lunch didn't materialise (?) so you can spend the day working? I hope so anyway.

Oh Sneaks, I feel for you! I totally understand where you're coming from. My family is the same, I have to go to family do's or I'll get disowned by ALL of them! I'm going to try missing my parents' anniversary's celebration next week though, I don't think it'll go down very well but I'm willing to risk it, I just can't afford to dedicate so much time to these things right now. I know they're important but so is my work! I've put too much time, money and effort and I just can't afford not to submit by the deadline. So I'm going to find the courage somewhere and say 'no' (or I might just text instead so I don't have to face the wrath! Although texting could potentially result on an even longer sentence.)

By the way, I know you said you were supposed to submit by this past week and now you're saying it's the end of the month. Do you have an absolute last deadline? I'm just wondering if you could give yourself a bit of a break and aim for that instead as it seems there are lots going on at the moment.

Anyone around or is it just me??? Well, at least weather isn't great this end so I don't feel I'm missing on much ;-) I only have two (but massive) goals for the day: to finish editing my lit review as it's been dragging for the past couple of days and start reviewing another chapter of my thesis. I've not got long to go so I'm super glueing my bottom to my chair.

Not the most productive day ever but at least I did some work. I hope tomorrow will be a better day. It HAS to be a better day!!