Hi all,

Hoping that everyone's doing well this afternoon. Further to my albeit brief first post I just wanted to drop a quick line and ask for a bit of advice. I am panicking... Big time! I've only been enrolled on the course for two months but already I'm thinking I've yet to make any progress... Some days I come in and wonder around aimlessly on the cpu checking various email accounts/news websites/social networking accounts and not really getting anywhere. Take today... I came in at two with the intention of writing 2,000 words for an essay that's due in next week. Almost 17:00 and nothing. Does anyone else have this same problem and how do you overcome in?

I guess part of it is, due to being a new starter I've no idea where to start almost! The sheer idea of writing 100,000 words is scary and petrifying, yet at the same time I think I've got it in me to push on. I've generally done well previously in my student days (picked up a certificate this week for a distinction in my masters) and really don't know what's wrong... Perhaps I just need to learn some new skills.

I am doing an MRes at the mo... Maybe that's just 'getting in the way' of research as there's a fair few modules for that and work that needs to be handed in during the interim which is disrupting my research.

Just wondered how to get this vehicle moving before it's too late... I have spoken to my supervisors about this and they've been extremely supportive... Great in fact! Maybe it's just my own mindset... :-(

Try the pomodoro technique. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

Also try LifeHack for more ideas. http://www.lifehack.org/

For stopping the procrastination I suggest tools like mytomatoes.com, microsoft onenote that have been mentioned on the forum this week.

The first year is very tricky. I had very little guidance and no one actually told me what I was supposed to be doing - I assumed reading. If I were you, take the time to write little sections for your lit review - but write them as separate essays. So I have ones on 4000 on theory 1, 5000 on theory 2, 9000 words on theory 3. It will probably be way too detailed for the end use - but that's so much better than being too little. It will help focus your mind and get you thinking about where the gaps in the literature are etc.

I wish I could follow my own advice.