Seriously struggling with the balance

[TwittleBee]

bit of background:

• fell pregnant during last year of PT MA whilst also having a FT job
• dissertation deadline extended from end of Jan to end of May
• DS now 8.5mo
• returned to FT work last month in new job

I'm really struggling to find any time to fit in this dissertation around FT job and DS! I don't get home till 7pm by time I've picked him up from nursery and I'm up in mornings at 5am with him. Weekends just seem to fly by and I have a million other commitments like visiting my Nan in hospital & trying to exchange on our 1st house. OH is good, he would look after DS if I asked him too but we just never find a moment that lets us!

I have been slowly chipping away at the 15,000 words during work but haven't even managed to write 1,000 yet.

Any tips or advice on how to power through? AM I just being awful with procrastination? I just swear I find it impossible to get focused and know what I am writing about since having DS!

(I think what makes it worse is I don't even enjoy the career I am in and having to this MA for but feels like a waste of £6k and 2 years study if I do not hand in my last piece of work!)

Right you have till end of may? Get at it, this degree is needed to be done with otherwise it's a waste.

I would suggest trying to find some time to get at it. It's hard but when it's done it's Done ans you no longer have to think about it.

Start with a plan of whats going in it. Do some reading take notes.

Weekend get up have breakfast give yourself 4 or 5 hours. Partner take child out (he would want you to complete thid work).

Once you start reading researching you will get into it and it will be easier to get it done.

Easier to say on here I know but you can do this! Good luck

I have done the research it's just the writing up. Research for me is the easy bit. Putting it together is the hard part! Also keep thinking my topic sucks and there isn't enough solid empirical data. Seems flaky.

It's hard because next 3 months OH is working every weekend and I struggle to get anyone to look after DS for more than a couple hours. I suppose I'll have to take those couple of hours though and just utilise them well.

I keep reading how some students are getting their dissertation done in 24 hours and still get a 1st so that's making me think I can do this.

Thank you for replying though. I will just have to get someone to have DS every weekend for couple hours

It's really hard work getting into the right frame of mind, when you have children around and household stuff going on. I'm studying, I have a lot more time than you and I still struggle.
Can you make a study timetable? Two hours 5 times a week gives you 10 hours, so if evenings are all you have you can still do this.

Is there even half an hour a day you can work? If you have a smartphone you can get word on your phone and write on that.

Book a weeks annual leave and just get it over with. I can't write in small chunks so for me that would be the way forward. A day to read catch up on the literature and then 4 days to write.

Revisions etc are easier in small chunks of time.

I'd agree book leave and /or get child care (can be just a teenager/Au Pair to watch the baby while you write).

Everyone thinks what they write is rubbish - the key thing is to get words on paper. So concentrate on that, and then go back and rewrite. Do you have anyone to proof read/comment as you go along?

If only I had any annual leave left. I am having to save it a house move plus a holiday already booked because we thought I would have this done by now.

Besides I haven't actually got anything I can write it up on at home apart from paper (sod using my phone!) so I would have to wait until I am back at work to copy it up in lunch breaks anyway.

That is what I am just going to have to do, regardless of how busy work is I need my lunch breaks to do my uni work and just power through it.

You have my sympathies! Studying suddenly became sooo much harder after having my DC. It used to be quite easy for me but now every sentence takes so much effort, it's painful! At least you've done all your research. Just keep typing/writing and it will come together... every hour you can squeeze in (even if it's 9pm-10pm) will all add up. The more you do, hopefully, the less daunting it will feel. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to pass
If you hand write, could you pay somebody to type it up for you? Then you could just go over the document and edit it...
I'm in the same boat too with not feel completely committed to my subject, that's tough. But it will be a great achievement for you once complete.... focus on the holiday!