Hello all,

So I submitted the thesis today. Was wondering if anyone else experienced feelings of ambivalence after submission. A number of colleagues have been really supportive and said things like "wow - amazing! You must be so relieved it's all over!" But in reality my anxiety has just shifting from submitted on time to anticipation over the viva.

Someone also passed comment today that one of my examiners is known to be tough!

I'm trying to remind myself that I have a good supervisor and they wouldn't have let me submit something that wasn't good enough.

Any tips, tricks or advice for this time are welcome :)

GM

WELL DONE submitting GM.
Post-thesis blues is a real thing for many candidates. It's like giving birth after being thesis pregnant for four long hard years and waiting three months to see your beautiful triplets (a.k.a. the examiner's reports). Here are some suggestions that might help:

* Keep busy by applying for jobs, teaching and writing journal articles as you won't really know what your result is for months. Even after all the reports are in the supervisors needs to assess them, write their summary recommendation report and send their recommendation to the doctoral committee and wait to hear back from that Committee before they can inform you (though many supervisors tell their students what each report recommends as they trickle in)
* Keep positive: less than 5% of theses fail outright. 98% of thesis fails are in the non-submissions - which you are not.
* Examiners are fair as there are normally three examiners. How silly would Associate Professor Tough look if they failed a student outright and Professor Nice and Professor Sweet suggested outright passes with no amendments and that tough professor is known globally as the one that frequently is the odd one out on the panel.

Well done, once again.
Jay

Well done! I know exactly how you feel as I submitted mine last week :-) I keep on having a recurring dream that I actually submitted an early draft by mistake - am now terrified to open my copy in case that is actually true! I am having a couple of weeks off to move house and then am going to get started with the viva prep. Do you have a date for yours yet?

Thanks for very much for the reassurance that what I'm feeling isn't wildly out of the norm.

Dr Jay, thanks especially for the reminder on how many actually fail outright. I'm going to busy anyway so that will probably be a good thing. Have a job sorted and a plan for publications (whether that plan works out or not is different!). Feeling a little more positive today but haven't dared look at the thesis since submission for dear of typos etc...

Timefortea, last night I dreamt that I'd include a half complete table in my thesis, with red ink and notes all over the place! So daft but felt really real!

I'm expecting to hear about a viva date within the next couple of weeks. Have you had yours yet?

Have read a few articles and forum posts about viva prep but planning a week off next week too. I hope the move goes well!

Hi GM

I just saw this now as I was working away on my current project and thought of you!
Please see chapter 10 which looks at what to do after submission and pre viva voce.

Murray, R. (2011). How to write a thesis, Berkshire, England: McGraw-Hill Education.

http://www.academia.edu/download/31055962/How_to_Write_a_Thesis.pdf

Thanks GrumpyMule - hope I don't lose everything in the move! My viva is at the beginning of November.

Well done on submitting.
I am sure things will go okay with the viva, just do your best and leave the rest.

Congrats, GM! Remember that getting this far is such an achievement. And what you're feeling is completely normal. Keep us posted. Thinking of you <3 G xxx

Hi GM,

CONGRATULATIONS on reaching this very important milestone in your Phd. I agree with you. I had the same feelings and infact I could not relax for few days after I submitted my Thesis. The realisation of the completion of thesis sank in gradually. I was terrified in opening my copy of thesis for the fear of finding mistakes.
But the important thing Is accepting this and being kind to your self. you are exhausted after a very long journey and give your self some time before you get ready for the next important step which is the viva.
I did not open my copy until I got a fixed date for my viva, and once I got the date confirmed I summoned up my courage. It went really well and do relax a bit and have a well deserved break..
You will do well in your viva. believe me you have already got what you need to success in viva.

It has been 4 months now, how did it go?

Have posted my viva story here


:)