I'm actually feeling surprisingly okay about things this morning. I've done most of my discussion chapter now and it's reassured me that my work isn't as lame as I tend to think. So, just still plodding along today. I am getting there, slowly but surely. It seems doable in the time that's left, which is a relief.

I'm still worried about the length though, it's stupidly long. I don't think there's anything I can do - most of it is results that need to be included in the level of detail they are presented. So, not much I can do I don't think. Sigh.

And chickpea - ah stats, I wish you luck! Sorting out the quant stuff has been the bane of my existence on this phd. But, I've sure as heck learned a LOT about statistics I never thought I would know.

My thesis was really really long before I started editing it all chronologically. It was about 120k, now it is 99k. I am struggling to come to terms with the fact I managed to actually cut that much out as I spent months declaring that everything was essential as it was a longitudinal qualitative project! When you say 'stupidly long' is it still within your university's word limit?

I am lucky as there is no quant stuff in my thesis, I haven't touched an spss database since my MA haha

My focus is starting to flag a bit today. My goal today is just to edit another 9 pages of this chapter then return to it either tomorrow or Monday (depending on how quickly I can get a job application done tomorrow morning) but even so I am finding it so draining.

It's at 106k at the moment (including Appendices and refs etc.) but my word limit is 100k for everything. I have a LOT of tables in there though, and word counts each table cell as a separate word even if there is just a "-" in it. Like, my appendices are 5k words, 95% of which is table data. So, I'm just going to ignore it tbh. If they want to shout at me, they can tell me what to remove. I'm more worried that my externals will want to cry when this 420 page beast of a thesis lands on their door. Ah well, it's a lot of tables and graphs so hopefully they won't cry too much.

I've reached a point where I actually really enjoyed stats, but it took me a while - there's something quite satisfying about backing up an argument with statistical data/analysis.

What sort of jobs are you applying for? I am so relieved I have my job for another year so am not having to deal with the stress of applications as well as submitting, though, the job itself can be a bit demanding!

That is really odd for them to include appendices in the word count! My 120k was not including appendices for which I have about 200 pages :o

Would there be a problem with selecting the option in word to exclude text included in tables from the word count? I have some tables and this is what I have done (albeit, I don't have many tables). If it reassures you, at present, my thesis is about 500 pages with appendices!

Types of jobs- anything and everything. My scholarship has ended and I need to find a way of paying my rent and bills fairly quickly. Over the past couple of months, I have applied for teaching jobs, teaching and research roles combined, research posts etc. I have not been shortlisted yet, but I did receive feedback from a university where I had applied for a teaching and research post (at a Russell Group) and they said I made it to the final 10 out of 100 applicants before I was rejected (which was due to other people having a stronger publication record). It gave me a confidence boost though :)

I've nominated to submit on the 28th November. So close and yet so far! My main goal is to get a draft of my final paper done, plus another chapter, the general discussion or methodology - still trying to decide which is the priority.

Firstly to all posters discussing and nominating a submission date in the next few days and weeks-good luck and congratulations on all you have done to get to this point-awesome work.

My goals are: to be officially given the nod to formally notify for submission on Oct 17th-which would make the final date-or formal submission date-January 17/17.
To this end, I have a complete draft in print form that I am fine-tuning in the editing process and a meeting with both supervisors in 10 days time, where I hope they have read it and agree I can formally notify.
I gave a paper around three weeks ago at a conference in another country-which was scary but exciting-and hoping very much indeed that my supervisors comments reflect my hopes that while editing and including appendices, contents pages, abstract and some rewriting is needed, nothing major is required. Best of luck to all and especially to those counting down days rather than months.

Thank you Pjlu :)

I have just had to email my institutions postgrad office as to whether I need to formally notify for submission. It is not something I have ever been told about and just hear students from other institutions discuss it. I am struggling to get any responses from my sup lately about submission procedures, my phd, viva, anything which knocks my motivation somewhat.

I have just completed editing a chapter and now have the conclusion to sort which I am hoping to have completed this week. Then it is a case of getting through the appendices editing as quickly as I can (dreading that!)

Same here - I have no idea about notifying for submission. I keep hearing PhD students talking about their submission date and my supervisors haven't said anything other than it's up to me! Must look into this. Sorry you're having to deal with unresponsive supervisors at this stage, Zutterfly.

We had to complete an "intention to submit" form within 10 weeks of our expected submission. It's so that the exams office/department can start the paperwork and organising the external examiners for the viva etc.

There are 180 people due to submit on the same day here, across the university - because the uni is quite strict on how long you are allowed to be registered for, without approved extensions. Most people have to submit within 4 years, so have an absolutely strict deadline. It just so happens, that there are going to be 180 of us submitting this Friday (though, I think a few will submit a few days early - I won't be one of them though!) I'm expecting the printing and binding shop to be crazy busy on Friday!

I have spent the last few days working on referencing and appendices and trying to get to the point where I could submit the thing. Pretty close now, so going to spend the next two days improving it.

I checked Chickpea and I have had confirmation from the postgraduate office that my uni does not do intention to submit, just told me to hand it in when im ready and advised me to make sure that I had examiners in place....which is exactly what I have been trying to do for weeks *sigh*

Intothespiral- ooooh so close! Must be exciting :)

Yes, I think it is fairly common for universities to vary in this ruling. One person I knew of (at a different university) had to give several weeks, whereas at mine, it is a straight 3 months. We also have to give a paper to the department at around the same time as giving our notice to submit, but I will just revamp my recent paper I think rather than creating a new one. I think this replaces the viva voce (which is not common in Australian universities). So this provides the academics and other Post grads an opportunity to really question you on the whole thing.

Good luck to everyone. Zutterfly, I agree with the sinking feeling regarding appendices, I feel the same way but not sure why. It will probably be fine...and Intothespiral- good luck and well done.

My worry is that I'm pretty sure my supervisors have only read selected chapters and some from a while ago so I don't quite know what it will be like when they read the full thing. It reads coherently to me but that's because I know (or think I know) what I am on about. So my real hope is that they agree that I am where I think I am...

Worse case scenario they want some major rewrites and a bit of an extension. I so desperately want to have it over with by mid January and to do some other things with my weekends and holidays.

Thinking of you all on this thread and wishing the best :)

Hello fellow Aussie! Yep, similar thing at my uni, we need to notify ~two months out and give a presentation within the last three months.

You can never win... my anxiety is that I have overloaded my supervisor with so many drafts in such a short space of time that they are overwhelmed or over it or won't be able to keep straight what has gone in and out of drafts! I guess the bottom line is that it is an anxious time no matter where you are at!

Pjlu I worry about the same thing! My sup has seen one version of each chapter and some of those were ones I had wrote in my first year that have now completely changed. I think they are much stronger and coherent but there is always that doubt.

I'm also awaiting feedback on my first full draft and I'm kind of dreading it, especially because my second supervisor hasn't seen most of my writing before, and she is very strict. But I'm reassured that if it passes her high standards, then the viva will be much easier to pass.

The viva is something else I worry about- my sup does provide very thorough feedback and has a reputation for being strict but there is always that worry of 'what if we both missed an obvious mistake?' I have not handed the full draft in yet but I am battling with editing the conclusions at the moment so I am very close!

Well done on submitting the draft Hugh :) Did you ever hear anything about that job btw?