Hahaha Walminski, no 2604 isn't my birthday, it's the postcode of where I live - oops, and the anonymity slips a little further!

Really? Hell, sounds liks some people have waaaaaaaaay too much time on their hands then! And if they're on PGF, they should be studying at least a little bit, instead of engaging in that kind of faffery!

Happy birthday AL!! Glad to hear it was nice, hope you and your boy spent some quality time together.

And don't worry about the comments you'll get back - you'll cope. AQ is right, have a drink when you look at them, a cry if necessary, put them aside then do them later.

Glad to hear you've been writing well. It's always starting which is the hardest. It sounds like you're making excellent progress!!

I've been told informally I have a job (it's an OK job in the civil service), and so think I'll be starting that in about 6 weeks. So that gives me a deadline of when I want to have the first draft done - or all the chapters rewritten. I have to rewrite the entire thesis again, and am just starting to rewrite my lit review. Have 6 inches of articles to read and incorporate into the lit review, in the next week!!

Have been working hard, yesterday did 23 tomatoes.

Onwards all, we're gonna get there!!

Gee, that dr's earned his fee AQ! Stressed - nooohhh! What did they suggest you do, not work? Good luck getting into your old notes today.

And Matilda, I reckon rewrite what you've got, don't start again. I agree, after a few days off, when I look at work it's like it's been written by someone else (and not very well!), and I have no idea what it's about. It comes back tho...

Have a good day!

Copngratulations AQ!!! Well done!! Oh that's fabulous!! That'll spur you on to finish. And that's good you've had a few days off, you obviously needed it.

I'm going OK. Read the comments my sups had on my 60 000 words, and it was pretty awful. But have picked myself up, done a revised work time-table, looks like I won't finish until end July, and that's only if I work like a madwoman. Ah well, it takes as long as it takes. Am working solidly, things are the usual - me and the dog in my study.

Hope everyone else is going ok too. 

======= Date Modified 07 Apr 2010 00:04:37 =======
This one's not so much a blooper as a mistake...I had to go and interview a participant in their office. I had the address, got off the train at the stop they said and started walking - and walking - and walking. Finally got to the number of the place where they should've been - and the company wasn't there. So called them, and found out that the street where I'd gotten off the train had weird numbering - it started at no. 1 at the train station for both directions - so to the left of the train station were buildings no. 3, 5 etc, and to the right were buildings numbered 3, 5, 7 etc. And I had gone the wrong way. So, cab back there, was almost an hour late, sweaty after rushing to find this place...not a good look. Still, what a stupid numbering system!!  :$

======= Date Modified 07 Apr 2010 00:07:04 =======
Hey Lostinoz

4 days isn't long to wait for a reply, and it has been Easter. You won't get kicked out, and don't even let yourself think about that as a way out of this!! That's not an easy option, and you'd regret it!! Wait a little longer, then phone and organise a meeting. Good luck!

I said I wasn't going to participate in this thread anymore, but am now really annoyed. Garryck, you've shown us your defensiveness, and now your condescension. Not everyone on this forum is a 'young person' - in fact, there's lots of us who are older here. You can't simply dismiss us because you think we're young. What sort of a politician are you anyway, who is unable to engage in proper debate and just insults us??? As I said in my last post, if you could address the very valid concerns I raised in my first post about why I don't think your scheme would work, then I might listen to you.

Hey there

We're probably in different fields (I'm in social sciences), and I'm a few months away from finishing, and in my experience, it is absolutely not possible to finish a PhD without supervision. You need someone who can provide a broad overview of your work, of how it hangs together, identify any weaknesses, as well as provide comments on the minutiae. Not to mention a supervisor can provide emotional and practical support too. The last year increases in intensity, work, stress and pressure, and every bit of help is welcome.

I think you should start to own your actions, be mature, meet your sup for a coffee, explain your frustrations, apologise for your unprofessional behaviour, and ask for their help this year. If you were in the workplace, sarcastic comments to your manager wouldn't be tolerated, and they shouldn't be in academia either. You can get back on track, but it sounds like you need to do some relationship building first. I don't mean to give you a hard time, but I think you'll be better off if you face up to things, rather than just try and work alone and not do anything to improve the situation.

Wow!! That means it'd cost me £2,400 to get my work proofed!! Hardly affordable!!!

Hey Teek, sorry to hear you're feeling so bad. It comes in waves - you'll be productive and as happy as a postgrad student can be, you just need to ride through this one. But it does sound like you need some extra help. You need to be ok mentally to be able to work, so it might be a good idea if you do go and see counsellor, talk through some issues. Once you start taking action, you might find that this in itself motivates you, and as Bilbo mentions, then start with some easy work.

Be kind to yourself, and do go and see someone. Hugs.

======= Date Modified 04 Apr 2010 23:08:43 =======

Garryck, rather than beiong defensive, maybe you could address the very valid points I made in my first post? That'd be good training for an aspiring politician!

And shouldn't you be out campaigning, or on a more mainstream forum, where people might be more inclined to listen to you? Why on earth are you targeting a forum for postgrad students, who are at best uninterested and at worst antipathetic to your ideas?

Right, I've got work to do and am disengaging from this conversation.

Hi MissG

What a great opportunity!! You won't be alone with your sup for 4 days - once the conference gets underway, you'll both be networking madly and probably won't see that much of each other. Make the most of it and make some good contacts. I've spent a couple of days alone with my sup, and it was wonderful. We really got to know each other, I got to know her history, and picked up lots of tips about academic life as well as got to know her better as a person. We also had fun! Treasure this - these opportunities are the things you'll remember about your research, and the biggest steps you'll take. Enjoy!

Hi CG

I'm full-time on the thesis but did go for a job interview, so will wait and see what happens with that. I had a full-on meeting with my 2 sups, and need to rewrite everything again - I had slightly misinterpreted what all my case studies meant. So - was shell shocked for a few days, but am back into it again. Just have to keep going!! Have no idea when I'll submit, but am determined to make the thesis as good as possible, and tight, and make sure my results are backed up by the theories etc. So, a way to go yet, but closer.

Good luck to you. And excellent that it is becoming real!! Don't worry about the viva yet, you'll be brilliant, but think about that later.

xxx

Hey Bilbo and CG, I'm here too, altho is a lovely cool, sunny morning here. Sounds like you're both making excellent progress!! Wow, you're so close CG, and Bilbo, you've almost finished completely!! How exciting!! And CG, I'd still like to hear about how you feel weird towards the end - suspect I'll be going through something similar.

Keep going, not long now!!