Just heard from my sup that I have an external examiner agreed in principle. I have been very confident up until now so why am I now sat here in tears? I feel terrified now. What a afunny lihe we do lead. Has anything else silly reduced any of you lot to tears? Or am I the only freaky one around? Right got to nail this conceptual framework once and for all!!!!

I felt exactly the same as you when I heard the date of my viva :-( chin up! you will be great!

i am miles away from my viva (still in 1st year!) so i have no personal experience of this, but i would imagine that it is pretty overwhelming, as it is the culmination of many years hard work/blood/sweat/tears! so i think it's probably entirely normal to burst into tears at the thought of it no matter how confident you are! good luck :)

My external has just agreed to be my examiner. It does feel like a major milestone and had quite an impact on me - as if I reallly will finish one day (reasonably soon) and actually be examined! I was very excited as I'm very keen to get finished - I'm much more nervous about who my internal will be which isn't fixed yet but both choices are quite intimidating.

I felt a bit weird when my examiners were confirmed, as it was a big definite step towards the very end of the whole process. When the forms were sent off to the committee with my abstract, it confirmed the wheels were in motion and everything was slowly moving forwards. I think it was the way these things made everything official, I felt like there was no turning back and there really was an end in sight. I didn't cry, but I thought oooh blimey, it's really happening... this thing I've been working towards for SO long.... goodness me!

Though I'm vaguely embarrassed to admit that my conceptual framework did reduce me to tears of frustration recently! :-)

Hey no sweat! I've been reduced to tears well before reaching the external examiner stage and probably will be when that is confirmed! I read elsewhere on the forum that a PhD is character killing especially if you are stressed. I even cried when I got a really nice unexpected e-mail offering to help during one of my really stressed out phases! I think it's just a reaction to everything - sometimes I feel that I just can't hold it in and don't even know why I've got tears! I think it's just a reaction to stress! Everyone deals with it in different ways! At least I'm trying to convince myself I'm not mad or perhaps I am for having agreed to do this! Besides no one who does a PhD is normal - we're all freaks in our own way! Hang in there - it's almost over! You'll be Doctor in no time!

For the record I never used to be so soppy before I started! I'm hopefully that I'll go back to being "normal" once all this over! Can't wait for the day!

awww you're probably just very overwelmed by it and its finally becoming a reality. i too am probably going to cry when my examiners get confirmed! you are not alone!!!