The supervisor lives in London which is a three hour train journey from university, so no. I think they have a professional work - personal life separation. I have been to drinks and dinner with the supervisor with other people after conferences etc, but never round their home. I like that degree of separation. I would be a bit embarassed and nervous to be invited. Wouldn't know what to say about the house, the children, and food etc...

Thank you fellow historians - yes, I shall follow those phrases of introducing chapters. I hate being so explicit about things but know that it needs to be done to clearly guide the examiners and readers. Thanks.

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Thanks for all your useful and detailed posts! Lots to be getting on with here, cheers. My supervisors have been very very helpful, but they are kind of at their wits end with the introduction and want me to hand them another copy before any more comments. The quality of my chapters is much better than my introduction, they say, and the intro is much less - I'm just worn out and fed up. Anyway, will crack on tmrw!! :) Spent this evening sorting out the endless illustration appendices.

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I've spent hours at my desk pondering a better way to introduce the chapters in the introduction that "Chapter one discusses....explores...etc " Does anybody in the humanities have any different ways on introducing their chapter themes/contents in the thesis introduction. I feel like "this chapter..." is a wee bit awkward.

Edit: yes this is an inane question, but my mind is ridiculously distracted by the minutae right now!

I am unsure what to do with my printing - I am a bit skint at present so I could print out for free in b & w on my department printer but that would not be very high gsm paper (just the normal sort). Taking it to the printers and getting it done would be more efficent....will research this on a coffee break today...

I will print the images in colour and then insert them in the end of each chapter, rather than a big section at the end of the thesis.

Thanks bilbo - that list you wrote is an exhaustive one to add to my own. thanks. I have enlisted two proof-readers today, and JimKim, I am amazed that your sups kept you in the dark about changes so close to the deadline - congrats on not needing many - I have been given many, many times over! argh.

Just writing a calendar of things to do before I hand in - what did other peoples thesis look like so close to hand-in? I am hoping that this is plausible, and it has to be. So what did your thesis look like (or does look like) with just over 2 weeks to go?

I'm very close to the bone for time with a lot to do and I have only really realised that whilst writing this post out . I have done very little for weeks due to a bit of a breakdown so I am trying to compile a checklist today of everything that needs to be done before taking the thesis to the binders on the 28th June. I would be really interested if any body could suggest anything my hazy mind has missed out or got grossly wrong in terms of timeframe required... anything I can bear in mind to make assembling the thesis a bit smoother. I do not have a good eye for proofing and footnotes so need to bear that in mind. I feel awful for wasting weeks - but there it is. Now I'll have to try and do all this whilst doing research assistant work and other pt work for £....sigh...

11 - 14th June: re-do intro and send to supervisor for last-chance comments.

15- 16th June: do changes to the first chapter

17th (evening only) : do some of the illustrations

18 -19th: changes to the second chapter

20 - 23rd: changes to the third chapter (very weak)

24th - changes to chapter four (minimal)

25 -27: proofing, assembling images, checking references, formatting biblio (2/3 done already)

Day of printing:

1) print out 2 copies of thesis
2) print out illustrations in colour
3) compile.
4) check order
5) go to bindery
6) hand-in at graduate office.

A big brussels sprout for dinner afterwards as a cathartic punishment! (sprout)

I think a fun game would be to try and date 5 people from each letter of the alphabet. Next up, B....

Might have a problem with Z....urm, Zander perhaps...and oh yes, Zack........urm....Zebedee?

I will say this in direct terms. I had not had this problem myself. But through personal intimate experience I can say for sure that stress and long hours can crush libido. Depression can effectively kill an errection. You should be working again in due course. But if you are really worried, do see a doctor. They have seen everything and will be very reassuring.

That seems more manageable - staying over - and I suppose two hours isn't that bad. I suppose it is a matter of handling the expense and making sure that the partner is okay with you coming home late and missing a few days. But is seems more possible than your earlier post suggests. My older brother studied at Cambridge, but actually lived in London. He did the "staying with friends" thing twice a week.

Best of luck. Try and find a way of working on the train. That way you can arrive home with what little time you have to best use relaxing and spending quality time with family.

:)

I think, to be frank, that sounds like utter insanity. Once or twice a week, maybe. But everyday? The trip would take several hours each way each day. Say 3-4 each way - 6-8 hours a day commuting - that is a huge amount equal to the kind of hours of productivity a humanities PhD is looking at each day alone. If you are going to be lab based, you will need to be around almost daily for meeting and to monitor experiments/simulations - these could go on late at night and on a practical level you will either have to a )stay in a hotel or b) sleep in the office - it will get difficult to get late night trains to North Wales, even from London.

If it is a humanities PhD, then sure give it a go. You don't even really need to go on daily and you could go down once a week for library etc.

An everyday commute from Wales would leave you fatigued and prob make you ill long term. Imagine getting home at say 22:30 in the evening, and waking up at 05:00 the next day to travel to work. Not conducive to doctoral work the next day! And unless you are wealthy, it would be cheaper to rent a place in London.

I know of people who commute from large citie like Manchester or Leeds to London on a near daily basis (academics) but this is a regular 2 hour, to 2.5 hour journey which runs late into the night on a daily basis. I think they only do it for their families and career so no choice.

I'm so sorry - that is insanity! Ful credit for you for remaining sane. I would have been camping outside the examiners offices rocking to-and -fro pleading for a viva!

What about:

1) health insurance whilst overseas?
2) organising shipping of some of your key papers and books (if you can, try and scan loads with a modern photocopier/ scanner to pdf files on a usb pen or laptop - zero weight!)
3) Since you will be in London, think about getting an Oyster card a bit before you arrive and topping it up online (re-loadable integrated transport card in London that is cheaper than paying with cash individually for trips)

Eye of the tiger today, eye of the tiger....