All the luck in the world to you cake man. Im in your position in a week so good luck xxx

Well I had my mock viva which wasnt actually a mock viva but actually something a wee bit more helpful to me. We sat down talked about the procedures examiners. The areas of interest and the problems they might pick up or that they might ask more about. Then we did some questions, talked about the best way to answer questions. He made the point that I might actually have to learn to take my time so I don't faff around and waffle on and dig myself into a really big hole.

I suppose it was a good day mainly because my supervisor he has been an external countless times and I trust his knowledge. I also find it nice that he was able to wait till I answered a question then pointed out the many holes I dug for myself with the answer i gave. Right now I think I've woken up to the amount of work I need to do. I also need to develop a better vocabulary because I find myself talking rubbish, I need better terms.

Any suggestions people, how does one sound like an academic in a week and a bit?

Um, taking my dog out to play with the puppies round the corner cheers me up. And if its night time, well cake, I make a mean chocolate cake/pudding which has a lovely gooey chocolate sauce in the middle failing that I put on some Beyonce and dance the stress out. Beyonce is very good for that.

Ruby Jinkim thank you so much its made me feel a lot better. Had a session with the uni counsellor today, first time ever but it was very comforting that she told me she sees an awful lot of PhD students. Im glad I went, its nice when someone at least knows about the difficulties of doing what we do.
She said that I set myself unrealistically high goals which make it very hard to achieve them. I think we can all relate a little to that. But Im very very happy to hear that Im not the only one feeling like this because honestly I thought it was just me. That perhaps there was something wrong with me...

Anyway gang I better get back to it. Any more advice throw it at me!

Thank you! Really good advice there I'm just trying to take it all on board, its a bit overwhelming.

Thanks for that Vernon, I confess I am sitting here actually shaking at the prospect of another day trying to cram information into my head. I think it maybe doesn't help that a few of the scholars who havent been particularly kind to my work in the past will be attending. I know I should be glad of this, use their difficult questions to find holes in my research in advance of the viva. But here I am being a silly person cowering at the prospect. Where has all my confidence gone? I used to be very confident now 3 years in, it seems to have evaporated!

Wow I feel for you, that is crumby timing. But from the previous responses I have to say two doctoral theses in a relationship is hard work. The stress is tremendous with just one I can only imagine how hard 2 is. I think this sounds to me (from what I remember about your previous posts) similar to what Delta pointed out he is depressed and I know when Im not having a good time with my research, to hear others talking about theirs or how theyre getting on is really hard. Emotions esp with depression I have found are hard to pinpoint, I speak from my own personal experience sometimes the way we feel, we have to search out the reasons. Our relationships are always the first places we look. Don't take it too personally, when I was depressed I questioned everything about my relationship even though I know now it wasn't truely the cause.

Maybe you two should have a sabbatical from thesis talk, remember why you connected to each other in the first place before theses took over. You're nearly finished just give it a bit of time, and remember even though it doesnt feel like it. At some point the thesis will be done and life will resume.

I don't think Im doing any of this right. I have a mock viva in a few days and still havent managed to answer a lot of the questions I've posed to myself. My viva is in 2 weeks and the hugely interdisciplinary nature of my research means that trying to remember/revise a lot of the work I've dealt with is proving a nightmare.


When the question who are the key theorists in your area comes up, my mind goes blank because i end up thinking 'well in journals no one seems to be writing about what Im dealing with'. In a completely different subject area - one of my disciplines here are a few people, and over here are a few, but is there a list of people who bang on in my subject area are key influences?.. No.


Part of the nature of the research is its multidisciplinary nature, and its relative freshness. But this is posing a real pain. I'm completely stressed out I cant remember every bit of every article or book I've referenced and I have a huge suspicion that Ive probably missed something vital and stupendously important in my research. My supervisor, he is so busy all the time and I don't think he had even read my work which I have difficulty remembering at the best of times.


Oh this is turning into a rant. Im sorry. I have 2 weeks, I have a list of questions and I really think this thesis isn't going to pass. Im the world's worst research student, I wrote in fits and starts and have a minimum retention for knowledge. I feel like Im well out of my depth and I don't know what to do. Im almost afraid of reading the last chapter of my work because it was done so quickly for submission, its littered with just rubbish. Im heading to the library tomorrow to check out some journals which are in a completely different subject area, because one of the theorists who publishes in them is someone I use.


I had an alarmingly vivid dream that they thought my work was plagarised and everyone hated me and I got thrown out of the whole program. Im really panicking I havent referenced something properly or paraphrased correctly and its come up as plagarism.


It doesn't help that my 2 supervisors have both said oh you'll be fine, but Im very aware they havent read it. I just see these people who have done so much work passing and they deserve to, but I know I'm an awful postgrad, I know I never got 'into' the work. Everyone keeps telling me Ill be fine but I see the time ticking away and it doesn't feel like it will be.


Sorry for this rant guys but I am so stressed at this point. Everyone I talk to seems to be a model student and it makes me feel worse. Does anyone know what I mean?

:$

Gosh thank you all, I really need to implement some of these things. Thanks for all your help.

Thank you xx

Brilliant advice there actually. Im gonna see if I can grab that book and start summarising like a mad person!

Thank you,

feeling a bit intimidated by it all and a bit baffled with what to do. My thesis has escaped my head which is annoying lol!

This may perhaps be a stupid question, although I firmly believe not asking them is more foolish but can someone give me any idea how exactly the thesis should be marked up for the viva.

I have a few post its etc but I'm a bit hesitant to put anything in it. Yet others have implied that they used neon markers etc to easily flip to parts. My supervisor well we know he isn't that helpful so I have come to you all for some knowledge.

Im a bit confuddled anyway. I feel woefully underprepared viva is at the start of June. I have Rowena's book on how to survive your viva so I am using it a lot. Worried I wont know enough. I have very poor knowledge retention these days...

xx

Cakegirl, best of luck in the world to you, I know you will get done!

Bilbobaggins, thank you for those amazing tips I will get on it right away, at least the viva is in my hands I can rely on myself for that. Thank you

Im so glad I posted everyone tonight has been so helpful

Thank you both,yes a case of serious self doubt, im absolutely awful at defending my work so not feeling too positive right now. Viva date has been set for the start of June so im on a ticking clock. Anyone know how to bolster confidence academically?
xx