======= Date Modified 30 Aug 2011 16:53:55 =======
Hey Natassia! You must be so frustrated :( I know this probably sounds like a bit of a ridiculous thing to say and possibly won't make you feel any better at the moment, but by the time this proposal is through (which it will be soon), it will be damn good, and there will be very few holes to pick in it. I don't think for a minute that your sups have lost their faith in you- they must believe that your work is sound or else they never would have let you submit it. Other people will always find flaws, and I bet your sups are just as hacked off as you that you keep having to make changes. I know from dealing with reviewers' comments from journal article submissions and of course my recent viva that research is often (unfortunately) just about keeping people happy, acknowledging the points they make and being able to demonstrate that you have taken them on board, and then moving on when you've satisfied everyone as best you can. And that's exactly what you will do. Some of the recommendations will make your work better, and some may not, but it is better to deal with them now then have to deal with them in your final viva.

The system at my uni is a lot more slack- we have to pass upgrade meetings but they're basically just a laid-back chat about your work, so I never ad to go through anything very scary until my viva. But my project changed so many times over the 3 years because my initial plans were not feasible in some way, and this was never picked up on until I found it out for myself. So I guess they're just trying to keep you on the right track from the start. No-one is going to boot you out, you've just got to grit your teeth and be patient, and you'll get through it. It will also stand you in good stead for future reviewers' comments on your work and your viva- you'll be so used to being questioned that you'll knock'em dead at your viva :)

Good luck with the next meeting, KB

Hey Mlis. Just a thing about anti-depressants- If you're against taking them then fair enough, but even though they won't treat the cause of your difficulties, that doesn't mean they won't help at all. They won't solve your problems but for many people they make day to day life more bearable. Even though I'm on continuous lifelong medicine for my bipolar, I only go on anti-depressants occasionally when things are really bad, and for me they have helped to reduce symptoms even when a situation can't be changed and I have seen them help many others in this way as well. Obviously it's your choice and I totally get why you wouldn't want to go on them (I detest being on medication for my head but I'm stuck with it), but maybe just bear it in mind!

It sounds like you're in a really tough situation but you're doing all the right things. It is horrible to compare yourself to others (I think we all do it) and to know that you've worked so hard and aren't realising the benefits from it. Are you getting much feedback from the job applications (the ones that are at the right level for you, rather than the ones you're being told you're over-qualified for)?

Best, KB

Hey Mlis. I'm so sorry you're having such a rubbish time. Although I've been well for quite a while now, I have bipolar and have been hospitalised for depression numerous times, so I know how absolutely awful it is. I think it is made so much worse when you don't have a job or something to take your mind off it as well- it's even easier to feel rubbish when you don't have anything else to focus on. I hate to ask the obvious questions, but on the practical side of things are you getting medical help for the depression, and are you claiming any benefits you are entitled to? Is there anything you could do to improve your chances of getting a job and give you something to focus on? I don't recall what area you're in but could you work on a publication or do some voluntary work? With your friends, could you ask them to spend time with you doing something that doesn't cost anything- even if it's just a walk in the park/on the beach or whatever? It might make you feel better to just spend some time with them (even if you don't really feel like it)- isolation really doesn't help with depression either. You haven't let your parents down at all, you obviously put a lot of time and effort into making sure that they're well-supported, and I bet they are so glad they have you. Best, KB

Hey Ross! I suppose it depends on how extensively she is re-writing it. Is she just re-phrasing a few things or changing a few words, or is she literally re-writing a lot of it word by word? My PhD sup was very particular about written work and she'd sometimes re-phrase the odd sentence or substitute one word for another, but it certainly wasn't enough to make it read very differently. Most of the time I couldn't see that there was anything wrong with the original version, but I guess everyone has preferred ways of phrasing things and preferred words etc. However, it sounds like she is doing a lot more than just a few minor edits, and I can understand why you're uncomfortable with it. Can you stick to just making the changes that are absolutely necessary? Or can you tell her that you're worried about how much she is changing? She's not really doing you any favours anyway, because after your PhD you will need to be independent with your writing- it's unlikely that someone will be on hand to go through and re-write everything. You probably won't be asked in the viva if your thesis is all your own work, but you will have to sign documents to say that it is. Best, KB

Hey Kikuka! I know a bit how you feel- I found it hard to celebrate after my viva even though I just got very minor corrections. It's only now that my corrections have been accepted and everything is done and dusted that I am finally starting to relax. So I think it's understandable that you feel pretty stressed. I was very lucky as my corrections were approved in less than 24 hours (my internal examiner was off on holiday in a week so I guess she just wanted to get rid of them), but it was a good feeling when they were accepted. I think with the corrections, as long as they are more or less okay, I don't think your examiners will make you change anything else. I get the impression they just scan through them pretty quickly- they won't need to read through the whole thing again. And at the end of the day, they won't want to have to go through another round of receiving corrections after the first lot either. If you're confident (logically!) that you've addressed them, and your sup is in agreement, then I reckon you'll be just fine. Best of luck, KB

Hey! I knew my viva date before I submitted, but it had to be that way in my case with the viva so soon after submission! It's been the other way round for some of my mates in the same department so I guess it can go either way. Best, KB

Amazing, what an awesome lady! I've been working with older people with and without dementia for my PhD and I never cease to be amazed by how active some of my older participants are! Some of my participants in their 90s were still cruising round different parts of the world every year- I hope I'm like that one day :) KB

Hey! Yes, I definitely think that's possible- I know people who have around 6 months left and are certainly not up to the stage you're at. You've done the hard work now, most of what you have left to do sounds like editing-type stuff, which can be time-consuming and boring but you'll be amazed at what you can get done in a few months if you work steadily. Just set yourself some deadlines and get final versions of the chapters to your supervisors asap so that by the time you've nearly finished, they have already seen it all. Good luck! KB

Hey! What a nice girlfriend you are!

I think I was hard work in the last couple of months before submission. My boyfriend was lovely and tried his best, but I was a bit on the grumpy and irritable side. He started off with the 'of course you'll pass' comments, to which I would reply 'well it's not a given you know, people get to viva and still fail'. Then he went through a phase of saying he'd love me/give me a present after my viva/reward me with a holiday whether I 'passed or failed', to which I would reply 'so you actually think I might fail?!!!'. Basically, he couldn't win!

I think the best thing was that he was really flexible about meeting up etc. He would always travel here so I didn't have to spend time travelling, even though we don't live far apart. We would always do something nice when we did meet up, rather than just lying around doing nothing in particular, and he would always let me choose what we did and where we went. Basically, he was just very patient with me! I'm hoping that now it's all over I will start being a nice girlfriend again!

Best, KB

Hey Pineapple! Just wanted to add some words of encouragement. I didn't have to go through the whole revise/resubmit thing so I can't say I've been there, but I feel like I can relate to the long hard slog you are going through more generally. I had a lot of health problems during my uni time (as you already know) and several times had to drop out and re-start the year, and it was hard to keep the motivation going for so long. Something I have always done throughout my studies is to imagine how I will feel in that moment when everything is done and I have the result I want. I remember pounding it on the treadmill in the gym even during my undergrad and thinking about how it would feel when I got my degree result, how proud my family would be, and the same throughout my MSc and PhD. The other thing is, even though it probably doesn't feel like it, you have done the hard bit (in terms of the thesis itself, not necessarily the emotional turmoil that goes with it). Everything you need is there in front of you, and your examiners have already told you it is of PhD quality. So you know you will get there if you keep plodding and that it will be good enough. Perhaps you could give yourself a reward when you have finished with each chapter? After all, you have to look after yourself over these next few months as well. Best, KB

Hey all!

Just got an email saying that my PhD corrections have been accepted! I am delighted- I only submitted them yesterday :)

Finally I feel back to normal and I can do what I want with my time once again. It's taken two weeks to unwind but I no longer have that horrible anxious headachey sicky feeling that I've had for almost 2 months. The best thing is that I no longer have to feel guilty every time I do something that I enjoy.

So keep going everyone- there is life after the PhD/PhD corrections, and it finally feels good :)
Best, KB

Hey Terry! My PhD was based on a particular theoretical framework which hadn't been used in the same context before, and I actually dedicated a whole chapter to discussing different possible theoretical frameworks for my study and then outlining the one I had chosen with the reasons for my choice. I'm not saying you need to devote a whole chapter to it (it is an exceedingly boring chapter in my thesis!!) but as Ady said, I think you do need to explain the different theories/theoretical frameworks and explain why you have chosen your approach, even though it's not based on one specific theory. Presumably in the discussion section you will be relating your results back to existing theories anyway, so probably best to discuss them to some extent in the intro. Good luck with it! KB

Hey Seyma. I've just finished a funded PhD in clinical psychology in the UK. You can apply for funding for your PhD in the UK, which would cover your tuition fees and give you a stipend (usually a minimum of around £13,500 per year for 3 years- just about enough money to live off). You can apply for advertised PhDs which sometimes come with funding, or you can put together a project proposal, find someone who's willing to supervise you, and then apply for funding. At the moment both of these routes are very competitive- getting funding is very tough anyway (and it seems to have got tougher than when I got funding a few years ago), and psychology is a particularly competitive subject too. Was your MSc a taught MSc, a research MSc, or part taught and part research? It's important that you have some research experience for a PhD in psychology, and the fact that your undergrad degree was in a different subject might make it more difficult as well (although it might not- I'm not sure to be honest). Pretty much every uni in the UK will have a psychology department, but you will need to pick out departments with staff who specialise in the subject you want to pursue for your PhD. Best, KB

Hey Narendra! The requirements for a PhD vary according to the uni/department and the subject. For some subjects a masters is usually required (as was the case for my PhD in clinical psychology) but for many subjects it is not a requirement- I know plenty of people in biological sciences, for example, who got onto a funded PhD with a 2.1 at BSc level and no masters. And your experience in the subject will go in your favour. I don't know much about your subject, but others on here might be able to advise what the norm is for technology/engineering. However, if you have a uni/department in mind then it is probably best to contact them directly and take their advice. Good luck! KB

Hey Templeton! In all honestly you will annoy a few people if you turn it down after already accepting it, but they'll get over it, and they'll have seen it all before. You should really choose the project that you feel most enthusiastic about, since you'll be living and breathing it for the next 3-4 years, and can determine (to some degree) the field you continue to work in afterwards. Some folk on here manage to get through a PhD by treating it as a job and not having any interest in the subject matter at all, but certainly for a lot of us enthusiasm and determination is what gets us through, so the more of those you have, the better! Well done on the first PhD offer, and good luck with your next interview! KB