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Thinking of quitting two days before submission deadline

D

My submission deadline is in two days and I still have an unimaginable amount of work to do.
I have other commitments (including work and children) and have been stretched to the max to do this phd.
I also am not allowed to have any more extensions. As it stand right now, I still have to work on my final chapter, introduction, and review the whole thesis (my supervisor decided to give me hundreds of comments at the eleventh hour).
I don't really want to quit so close to the deadline but I just don't see how it will be possible for me to have a completed draft (not even a good one) before the deadline. Any advice or hearing from anyone that has been in a similar situation would be very appreciated.

thank you

E

Do as much as you can. Getting revise and resubmit is not bad for this particular case. Just work as hard as possible to provide a thesis (whatever its shape).

M

The previous posters advice seems really good - submit something. My submission deadline is still three months away but I have also run out of possible extensions - have job/children and a rising feeling of panic at how much there is still to do so I have a lot of empathy for your position. Good luck

P

Hello did you get it done? I am in this position I have ten days and my conclusion to finish whilst parenting I’m knackered and emotionally checked out from my kids and I feel like I have no original contribution I can’t sleep or eat I feel ill. I’ve worked 12 hours today and that was just sorting fiddly bits out. I have two thousand words for the conclusion but need a lot more. I think I’m dyslexic to so very scared to add words, as it takes so long to proof. I was so organised and now it feels a big rush, I’m spiralling and stuck.

D

Thanks, that's what I did in the end/

D

I did get it done. I submitted something just in time. I know I will very likely get major corrections but at least I didn't quite. I managed to write the concluding chapter (around 8000 words) in two days, so I guess anything is possible. Given my circumstances, I chose to submit a full draft that's not great which meant that I could not incorporate all of my supervisor's comments and suggestions (which he sent the week before submission!).
I feel for you. I think the best way to do it is to try and not think about the kids and get your partner to completely take over. They will be fine. My kids are just happy to have me back. Just hold on to the feeling that once you submit, you can finally breathe and the worst is behind you! Wishing you the best of luck!

Quote From Phdlife92:
Hello did you get it done? I am in this position I have ten days and my conclusion to finish whilst parenting I’m knackered and emotionally checked out from my kids and I feel like I have no original contribution I can’t sleep or eat I feel ill. I’ve worked 12 hours today and that was just sorting fiddly bits out. I have two thousand words for the conclusion but need a lot more. I think I’m dyslexic to so very scared to add words, as it takes so long to proof. I was so organised and now it feels a big rush, I’m spiralling and stuck.

H

Thanks for posting this, its just what I needed to hear right now, that someone in a similar position to me did manage to submit!
I'm a single mum to 3 kids, and one nuisance dog that seems to need a walk/play or to be generally naughty every time I start writing. Working as a post-doc which I guess I can't keep if I don't submit. I have 4 weeks left, haven't even finished my analysis. so 4 weeks to finish the analysis, write up the findings discussion and conclusion and proof. I've taken 3 weeks off work, its not enough, but I'm hoping I can patch something readable together in that time. My supervisor has kept a day free 2 days before the submission date to read it through, first time she will have seen the full draft, she has said that I better be confident it will be good enough to sign off!! I'm not at all confident, and feeling the pressure. I've never had any feedback on what I've done so far, so god knows if its up to scratch. Last week I was about to quit, then I thought, hell no! lets just panic write and submit. My thinking is the (almost)worst that can happen is I end up with an Mphil instead of a PhD, and that's surely better than nothing? I started out thinking I was going to do brilliant research, write the best thesis ever written and change the world. Now I just cant wait to hand in something that I know will be substandard so that I can have my life back. I started this 6 years ago (2 year interruption in between) and it has cost me my marriage, my home, my sanity. All I have left is my career, and that's hanging by a thread. Strangely, I'm feeling optimistic about it all (perhaps about it ending one way or another).

Well done on submitting, I bet that was a huge weight off your shoulders, and good luck to anyone else in a similar position!

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