I am about to start writing my thesis today ... is it right to feel so nervous about starting?

yes, it's very normal! the nerves show that you're also excited about it and that you want to make a good start. just remember, everyone (even the big bad profs) will have gone through the same thing, and - unless they're nasty people - will most likely empathise with you because they know exactly what it's like to start a PhD...

just wait until you're preparing for your viva - now that's where the real nerves kick in!

How far into your PhD are you? Haven't you been writing your thesis all along?

I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just interested in how the PhD process is different for different disciplines. I'm in the social sciences (education) and I started writing my literature review very early on in the process. Since the literature review (albeit with some changes along the way) will form part of the thesis, I can say that I started writing my thesis over a year ago. It's impossible to really pinpoint a particular point in time when the process started. I started writing my methodology chapter as I went along, and now that I have almost completed data collection I am spending longer on the writing process. I anticipate an intensive writing-up period later this year.

Anyway, I guess because the process is so drawn out, the nerves are not so focused on the writing part. How do other disciplines do it?

I am completely with you Aussichick! I think this post struck me as odd, because I really cannot pin point when I started to write my thesis either! I am in biological sciences and I wrote manuscripts up as I went along, these then became the thesis with extra bits added in/taken out... writing my thesis took 3yrs! (ie the entire length of my PhD), so i guess I was nervous about my first day ;-)

Hi all,

I am in Sociology...started oct. 08. I have been writing and writing...already written 14 k and submitted but not sure if I am writing my thesis! My supervisor says that part it is going to be into my chapter.

As its been a while that I left academic line, struggling a bit with academic writing and of course look things critically. But, I think its good to write to be focussed...at least my ideas are together now..though its going to change...

I was very confident while started (with many yrs of experience in the field)...but slowly losing confidence....:-s

There is a great chapter in a Becker book which will help you.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Social-Scientists-Chicago-Publishing/dp/0226041301/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233161591&sr=1-6