yes, i also send an email after meetings with an agreed plan and quick summary of the meeting attached as a word document.
it gets me focused on what i have to do and then we both know what was agreed upon for the next time.

i tried out several mp3recorders. buying one of the recording devices to attach to an ipod was a bad idea as i couldn't tell if it was actually recording and sometimes it didn't and i only found out afterwards (grrrr!). i had one that only showed the time ticking by on the screen, but that didn't always work either. get one that shows you if it's recording (equalizer lines, whatever) on a little screen and maybe even where you can check from time to time with headphones if it's recording. these recorders can be super-expensive it you want a high-quality one (for interviews etc), but if you just want to record relatively unimportant stuff then a cheaper one will do as well.
the one i'm using right now is a M-AUDIO Microtrack 24/96 and it's very easy to use. it has a little omni-directional microphone you can plug in. about 300 euros on ebay.

any decision you make is acceptable, i just think it would be a big shame to give up when you're so close!

i record every meeting with my supervisors on an mp3recorder. i don't have problems with them, but i have a memory like a sieve too
lara, that could be a good excuse for you to record meetings and your sup would have to be careful what she says to you in the future because you then have evidence.

thanks, good luck to you too lara! i got a conditional offer from UCL today and now i'm worried i won't make the necessary grades...*sigh*

different exam, different system! i'm finishing my MA in germany.

there's nothing pushy about asking what's happening after 3 weeks if you are polite about it.

well blueberry, hopefully your sup has gotten the hint! things might change now. emotional crying sometimes works wonders.

cool, your first presentation at an international conference! i've only managed a poster so far and a presentation at a national conference. your chance to shine! chances are, you'll be the only expert on your specific topic.

you should practice beforehand: prepare your talk well in advance and then hold it front of your group (supervisors and others from your department) as a dry-run which can be criticised afterwards (i always record these dry-runs on an mp3-recorder so i don't forget the suggestions because i'm feeling all stressed out). then correct everything they suggest (there'll be tons... ) and hold the talk in front of the group again if they let you.

you'll feel a lot more comfortable then, i promise you that!

i'm on the same time-schedule as you and i've started meeting up with my examiners, discussing literature and topics with them and meeting at regular intervals to discuss my progress. a very satisfying feeling, even if it was scary contacting them in the beginning (having not seen them for over 2 years...). i'm a much worse procrastinator than you are and yet i can still see myself finishing my degree in september, even if i have a nervous breakdown afterwards

you gotta be positive, not discuss the past (my philosophy examiner doesn't even know why i went missing the past 2 years, that's none of their business), but plan the future with your sup!!!

lara, i think you might be taking the email too personally. your sup is saying that he won't go to a whole load of effort (by organising examiners, reading thesis bits etc) without feeling relatively secure that this will all be worth it (= finished phd degree) in the end. that is only fair. you wouldn't want to go to a whole load of effort for someone else without being sure that it's worth it either.

i think this is your chance to make a realistic battle plan of your thesis write-up until september, discussing it with him and to show him that you are a sensible person who is willing to do what it takes to get her degree in time by setting deadlines with him (and not only yourself) and sending your stuff in on time. suggesting regular meetings will also show him that you are willing to dedicate everything you've got to meeting your deadline in september.

i thought it would be best to be proactive and go get the help and advice BEFORE i started on the MA thesis so that i could stop myself getting depressed when i started without having a clue on how to write such a huge thesis.

phone and ask?

yes, but it's months ago. i wouldn't mention it at all. it just looks strange, even if she has just found out.

hi fricklesnarp, i had the same worries as you. never wrote more than 20 pages at a time for term papers and then had to write 100 pages for my ma-thesis - aaaargh! i went to a university thesis writing course which helped a lot, with planning the tasks, preparing the literature and also some practical tips on how to avoid procrastinating (limited success there) and how to feel good about yourself.

then i started writing and now i'm up to 80 pages and it's not looking bad! i wish i had gone to one of those courses earlier, that would really have helped in my studies