Hi Liminalplace, I'm in a similar situation with my viva at the beginning of June. I've decided to go through the thesis and write lots of notes on it - I'm in sciences, so have lots of calculations etc. I feel exactly the same way as you in that I feel I don't know enough, especially about the background to my area and who has done what. But I'm feeling better the more work I do on it, so hopefully will feel better by the viva. I'm just telling myself that I can't be expected to know everything, and if I work hard between now and the viva, there's not much more I can do!

It's going to be really hard to cope with the stress for the next few weeks - I know a lot of people are so relieved after handing in the thesis, but I feel so much worse now that it's handed in!

All the best with your preparation :)

Congratulations! I'm hoping to submit soon, maybe tomorrow once I've re-read the thesis! Hope you're having a well-earned rest 8-)

Oh I totally agree - I can't stand the sound of people eating when I'm not. Apples and crisps are the worst. I'm sure they're not overly noisy at all, but it's just that I can hear it when the office is quiet and it really makes me cringe! :-) And folk slurping coffee or tea really gets me too - do they really need to?!!

I definitely agree with yellowtreble in getting someone other than your supervisor to read it. Even though I've read mine over and over, it's amazing what a fresh pair of eyes can pick up. Even someone who doesn't have much knowledge of what you're doing can spot things that are really obvious, but much harder to spot when you're reading the wretched thing for the umpteenth time!

It can be done, even on your own - I got a guarantor mortgage with my dad as 'backup'. They wouldn't have accepted me on my own as PhD funding is obviously finite!

Why not combine all the options - do the DIY while eating chocolate and thinking about the PhD piece. Not quite sure how you'd fit in the marking though :p

Many many congratulations Bilbo. Your posts are an inspiration and I'm sure help us all to realise that it can be done, no matter what! Relax and enjoy the celebrations!! 8-)

I've applied for probably over 20 non-academic jobs, only had 4 interviews and haven't got any of them. I think a lot of companies tend to advertise jobs but can't actually afford to take anyone on. My other suspicion is that a PhD may be a slight disadvantage - they probably think that us postgrads are incredibly geeky and have no life!!

Hi Sue, it's good to hear the last few months aren't always easy! That's a good idea to sit down and have a talk with my supervisor and draw up some sort of a timeline. Maybe if she has something concrete written down on paper, it will spur her on!

Good luck with your writing too :)

Thanks everyone, I know I'm almost there, but having a disorganised, disinterested sup is so difficult sometimes! In one sense, it's actually good to be allowed to do what I like in a way, and structure the thesis exactly as I want to, without having someone giving me advice and changing things. My problem is that I hear about so many other sups who do so much for their students and practically write the thesis for them! (not quite, but the input they get seems to be rather OTT). At least those of us who have sups who couldn't care less know that what we've written is all our own work and we worked really really hard to achieve it!

:-)

Hi guys
Just on here for a bit of a moan really. I've got to submit in less than 6 months, have run out of funding, and just feel really depressed by the whole thing. My supervisor's never been great - very approachable but scatterbrained to say the least and at most of our meetings, has only a vague idea of what I'm talking about because she hasn't bothered to read what I've written. We go from one meeting to the next without any thought from her whatsoever and it feels like we're always covering old ground and never getting anywhere. I've written the majority of my thesis, just one part at the end is troubling me at the moment. My sup has 'read' some of it, but I'm sure she only skims it as she never has much to say about it. And she only reads it after being reminded again and again.
I almost lost it a few weeks ago as she was giving me no sensible advice at all, so I spent most of our meeting sitting in silence and then walked out, close to tears. I don't want to fall out with her as I know that's not a good way to go, but at the same time, I'd really like to stand up to her and say what I think, that I'm so near the end and wish she'd take more of an interest and actually be involved in what I'm doing. I did go and speak to my second sup after that meeting, but all he could really do was reassure me and have a quiet word with my sup to see how things were going.
I apologise for the long rant - I've posted my thoughts on my supervisor here before, and I've never really been happy with her. I've tried to ask for another sup as well as my current one, but this didn't go down too well - I'm sure her colleagues know fine well what she's like but don't want to admit it.
I know part of it's down to me - I have a severe lack of confidence in myself and have always felt like this. I think doing the PhD has just made that worse - I keep wishing I'd chosen a different area or a different subject altogether. I'm also worried about not finding a job - academia's not an option, but I've been for a few interviews for non-academic jobs, and my shyness and lack of confidence really lets me down. So I think all my worries are just getting on top of me - I've just been crying quietly to myself in the library :-(

Anyway, sorry for the long drawn out posting...just wanted to share my frustrations!!

Good luck - I'm sure you can do it! I'm also funding-less :(

Maths. And kind of regretting it now :(