I'm supposed to be practising my final year talk but after going through it six times I need a break, hence this thread.

How are you going to celebrate passing your PhD? Or what did you do? (Apart from drinking yourself silly in the local watering hole) :-) For me I'm going to have a relaxing weekend in either Paris or Amsterdam with my girlfriend.

(Sorry this is a random question, but my brain is hurting and I thought I'd add a positive thread).

Andy, that is a very good idea to think about what to do after it is over, maybe it could help motivation:) I am dreaming about having a bier with my supervisor when it is over and then going to a swimming holiday, i.e. somehwere nice, warm where they teach you swim:)

I didn't really celebrate passing my PhD (other than a few drinks in the pub after the viva) - I was too exhausted from the pre-viva cramming and stress to party too hard. However, I did celebrate my PhD graduation (3 months later) with a big party!

Hi Andy,

choose Amsterdam, this has the advantage that you can go for a bicycle ride, visit the "Nachwacht", eat "appeltaart" (cake)and enjoy some other liberties.

I am personally not really a party type of person, yet always enjoy going to Amsterdam especially the "grachten" area(canals), which gives the impression like being in a village, while the big city is just a few corners away.

if i pass im going to sleep for 3 months.

I am going to have a massive bling party & invite all my old fashion & media mates and my academic chums who normally never the twain shall meet.

I shall eat only porridge (made with water), drink with water and climb to the top of a mountain...

not.

I'll party in England and go to Sweden, and hug people, and cry, and over-emote. And then start wearing my doctoral robes wherever I go in a totally affected 'crazy academic' fashion.

I think we all ought to have some of piglet's bread as part of our celebratory activities.

Ann, I can completely understand what you say. I remember just before my final exam in my first degree having all these great ideas about how to celebrate. In reality, the exam finished I consumed more than the recommended amount of alcohol, the hangover the day after was one where I WANTED to die (did the usual "I'll never drink alcohol again" line). For the next few days all I could do was sleep. All the adrenaline fuelled nights of cramming had left there mark In light of this, I'll leave the Amsterdam trip till at least a week later (cheaper last minute deal )

It's weird - in the run up to my viva I was set on having the party to end all parties! But it didn't quite happen like that. My viva was on a Tuesday, I had a couple of drinks with friends in the early evening, and I was straight back at work the following day, doing a conference the next week, going on holiday the week after that, then I became ill with flu while I was away! I was so run down, the marked celebratons didn't really happen. I wonder how many others had vivas at odd times, and the euphoria of passing gets lost within the subsequent routine of daily life!

Mine was also in early January, and my graduation is not until mid July, so quite a protracted time - sometimes I almost forget I did it! While it seems a long way off now, I'm going to do something for graduation itself, maybe have lots of people round my house or go out for a celebratory meal

After I submit, I will sleep... then between submission & viva-ing (assuming it takes the while I imagine it will take for my university to organise the viva timing) I am going to have a long holiday involving beach, sun, bbq's, and relaxing with my boyfriend... this is booked for Chrimbo (well hopefully as at the moment we can't afford the air fare!). Can't wait! Post viva - hopefully a party - though I know most people are usually so knackered after the viva that a party usually wipes them out completely!!!