For those with a PhD!!

[Jazzicatz]

How did you get motivated to start writing up? I am 2.5 years in have done all my data collection and am now ready to write up, but just cannot get motivated, how did you do it???

good luck with the miniviva ss...sounds remarkably like my proposal defence. Yes dead scary and I had to resort to my yoga breathing exercises to keep together! I did find that I was able to re-use lots of the proposal in the final format and this gives you a boost

I'm really maxed out on my re-write. Tons to do and so little time...wish school holidays could be abolished so I could stand a better chance of getting it done. Anyone fancy some childminding in Cyprus???

wow ... final draft into both supervisors...all 221 pages so now just have to wait to see what they think about submission. Think realistically 1 Sept is pushing it a bit but hey ho

Hows everyone else getting on??

That's great!

I'm still hoping to submit about Xmas but I think I may be doing revisions after that. Haven't seen my supervisor since about Feb and can't get a meeting with him. I'm a bit anxious about having the stuff checked over.

Got family here this month then a week in France. Just hoping I can have a real mission Sep-Dec.

Haven't had an update for a while. I have submitted my RDC3 forms and have organised my internal and external examiners. I have 6 months in which to submit the PhD. [sick emoticon] How are you all getting on?

High Jazz. Just got back from holiday. Had a bit of a shock as my Cm is taking 2 weeks holiday in Sep and only just told me. I was just thinking how I must really get on the mission now I'm back and now I have 2 qweeks with no child care (and dh is overseas for one of them). It's a conspiracy.

But come hell of high water I am stil aiming for Xmas. So we are on the samish time table. No examoners set yet - I'm having trouble (as always) locating my supervisor.

So how much is written and what is your schedule? I've sort of got 2 chapters and most of a third and 3 more to go.

Don't get me started on childcare - I have just had to leave writing anything until the boys are back at school. However, I have sorted all my chapters and have a plan for each one - I have one virtually written and a second abaout half way.I have something written for all 9 of them so I am quite happy with that. Juat need the boys to go back to school so I can get on with the writing. Bloody supervisor keeps buggering off on holiday also so he is hard to get hold of!

Do you work at night at all? I keep meaning to but i get so tired/fed up. I really must now though - this is The Final Countdown.

No idea who my examiners are. Supervisor suggested an external a while back that I was very happy with. But when I mentioned it later he had no recollection of the conversation. It's all very slack over here on the paperwork front. If I ever find my supervisor (who must surely reappear sometimes soon as term approaches) I need to check on all this stuff.

Still doing the analysis as I go - that's the limiting factor. I can only do it so fast!

Hello all,
back and in need of some motivation (or a boot up the derriere!). Had no childcare all summer as childminder doesn't work school hols so feel like I've been barely treading water with the PhD- also ended up having to re-analyse a load of my data which I've just about (touch wood) finished. Now like you Acinonyx I have to try to finish my xmas, with only minor revisions after that...and I'm panicking. I start work 2 full days per week next week (research associate job at local uni, so good for career but bad for PhD writing time), and I only have childcare for my 2 for this time. DH has promised to take DCs to MILs each weekend for next couple of months, as much as I'll miss the family time think it's the only way. Debating whether to fork out lots of money and pay for more childcare and blitz the writing... But having spent all summer with them hate the thought of not seeing them all week.... What should I do?
To top it off this morn had a paper rejected I hadn't wanted to submit it as didn't think it said enough, but a statisticial who worked on it pushed to submit- and the editor rejected it on the basis that it doesn't go far enough as I suspected. Annoyed as spent a lot of time formatting etc.

We will get there, won't we? And it is worth it?!?
Keep going ladies...

Hi madNika. Wrt job, I think IIWY I would get at least one more day childcare for writing. Dd has 3 days/week and then I have 2 days with her (but she's 3, so no school yet, and she's not doing preschool). I work Saturdays already but as the time goes I will be using Sundays too. Shame to miss so much 'famiy time'. I am considering moving dd up to 4 days/week if things get difficult but really unsure/reluctant about that.

What i really need to do is work in the evenings but I just can't seem to knuckle down to it. Once I've dealt with dinner and dd's bedtime it is hard to go back to work and then I can't sleep afterwards. Dh can't understand why i'm not working at night more if I'm under so much pressure well pardon me for only having so many hours of math/day in me and wanting to slob a bit like a 'normal' person.....

I'm worried that I haven't tried to submit a paper yet as I'm too anxious about submitting the thesis. Congratualtions on the job - the holy grail of a part-time academic post!

Thanks Acinonyx, really appreciate your reply. I have phoned the creche at the uni and they will look into whether they have space for my two- provisionally DD for 3 days/week and as DS starts preschool at the end of Sept he'll only need 3 afternoons (though I'll have to collect him from nursery school in my lunch and ferry him to creche as they don't do school pick-ups...ut he has a state-funded preschool place so not going to jeopardise that).
I think 3 days at the moment should work...going to talk to my MIL seriously as she has kindly offered to come up one day a week- she'd have to stay overnight as they live over an hour away...but it's great she's so keen to help.
Now just have to see how long waiting list is for the creche...

Right, dinner cooking time beckons.
Going to have to ban myself (again) from the internet...

Looks like a good plan. Very useful to have ad hoc back-up care.

I am getting irritable and mildly panic sticken at the looming deadline.

I am irritable and generally not my usual self too, I feel guilty for any child-free (or when DCs are sleeping) moment I spend doing other things, but also feel guilty for not doing those things (e.g. cooking/cleaning/exercise/phoning family, friends etc). Can't win. As DH repeatedly says in his oh-so-helpful manner, the sooner you finish the sooner "normality" can resume. Note he finished his PhD years ago while studying full-time and without kids!! I equally helpfully suggest that perhaps if he could help out a bit more with domestic chores I wouldn't be stressing about those as well....but he works hard, long hours etc...so really doesn't have the energy for cleaning etc. in the eves

Anyhow, back to it, DCs are away to MILs now...though DH isn't sure if they'll stay up rest of weekend...

Good luck

Yup I'm working now too - dh has taken dd out for the day (library, swimming etc - propbably includes a pub lunch [env] ).

Ah yes, I too hear 'well the sooner you get it finished'. We had a rather heated 'discussion' about this a couple of days ago which has resulted in dh promising to do more of the chores on my 4 working days. I propose we have very easy dinners on at least 2 of those days - i.e. soup and bread before dd goes to bed.

They can't have it both ways. I know my dh has a demanding job but this is pretty demanding too. If they want us to get finished more quickly, they will have to roll up thier sleaves!

Got my final draft back from supervisor 1 who suggested some changes, which I largely did whilst back in the UK on holiday....an escape from this wet stuff you guys seem to have loads of!! It is now being proof read by DH and then wings its way to supervisor 2, so positive vibes please!!

Can really relate to the domestic issues of all this studying, yesterday DH thought that he'd abandon DD and me and go and help people rig boats.....forgetting his promise to proof read my work and let me finish the last few pages- argh!!Seemed surprised that I got funny about it all??? DD returns to school tues as well

Good luck everyone

Hi there,

Hoping I can join you guys for some support and motivation! I'm about 4 years into a PT arts PhD and in dire need of some support and motivation. I have basically let everything slide since having ds 2 years ago. Didn't help that dh was made redundant and we have moved house to a new area, he's started new job, etc... Also my supervisor has moved uni's so I have had to register with a new uni just to add to my troubles.

But I am determined to finish this bloody thing, have got 1 chapter written in draft and have an overall plan but am Queen Procrastinator given half the chance. I have got an 18 deadline to finish in and believe it is possible to do. I am having to find pt work to help fund it so think it is going to be a case of working in the evenings and weekends. Is this feasible? Any help, advice and support to one very overwhelmed mnetter would be gratefully appreciated

K

Hi Klio
Welcome to our merry band!!
No magic answers sadly, but I am trying to think of some advantages to studying which help convince me that its a good idea! How about, when you are spending every evening, weekend and spare moment studying, you are saving going shopping and saving money!

Would setting mini targets help your procrastinating? It helped me, though I cannily made sure that they were feasible, as if I'd failed I would have found it hard to take.

A good supervisor is a huge help. Mine retired mid way through my studies, but has come out of retirement and I was so pleased as she is great. I can really recommend her book Writing and presenting research (Angela Thody) as it helped me with my write up.

Good luck and hang in there!

Sunny - final draft - that's fantastic and i am totally [env]

Klio - totally depends on actually being disciplined enough to work evenings and weekends - and not having that time constantly taken up with unmissable events or tantrumming dcs who won't go to bed.

It's working evenings that I find hardest. But then I'm a tired old bag and you may have more energy. Do you mean you have 18 months? That does seem reasonable.

I need to rework my thesis plan. Large scale organisation of the work is not my strong point.

Ok so need desperate kick up the arse combined with some kind words...or quite possibly delusion.

DD born 3 weeks ago...DS is 2 and a bit and in nursery still most of the week as I have to get this phd written. Need to submit next summer...have done the research but need to write the thing.

DD is easy going thankfully - so much easier than DS so far but still wakes 2 hourly for feeds at night and likes to feed hourly if she can during the day. She does go down for a sleep in the afternoon but then I just sit there and stare feeling a bit shellshocked.

Tell me it can be done, lol.

second supervisor has recommended loads of changes so I need to devote about another 5 months and rewrite all chap 1, some of chapters 2, 4 and 5. Needless to say am well annoyed as I now have to find an extra years fees. Still if I get through it will be worth it, but I am finding it hard to pick myself up from this set back.

Writing up is such a pain. Just make sure you keep every draft and note. My second supervisor has indicated that I need to expand my research question, which supervisor one suggested I narrowed two drafts ago- Arhgh. Good job its all saved, but its a real pain

Hows everyone else getting on??

waitingto bloom - it just depends on your time and energy. I suspect you are going to need a bit of help with dd somewhere along the line.

sunny - how annoying. I am worried that I might have major revisions after submission as my supervisor isn't really in my field and doesn't read things very carefully. It's hard enough writing up at all without finding the motivation to do rewriting.

'Still if I get through it will be worth it'. Isn't that the mantra for all of us? I am frankly, fairly sick of the sight of this thesis but just have to finish it. I've got dh to take his holiday to give me some extra time - an extra 2 days/month to Jan. As long as I'm still doing the analysis, I can never be really sure when I'm going to finish which is frustrating.

sounds like you're both going well, sunnylabsmum and acinonyx... i have still not done very much writing, but the end of my experimental research is in sight. time to start planning my thesis in earnest i think!

can I just give you all a cheer from the sidelines? and a large box of treats. whatever you fancy.

phdlife - dare I ask you how long you took to write up......? And did you ever actually use your PhD afterwards?

aaah how long I took - I'd tell you, but you don't really want to know .

Did I use it? Well, I got a short-term (1 year) lecturing post, but then decided to have ds instead of looking for more work, which would have involved moving cities. I was horribly depressed, thinking I'd wasted all that effort, but realised the other day you only have to give me the slightest scratch and I'm still a lecturer, so there's hope.

We're moving in November; if I can't get work in our new place I'll start publishing from my thesis - am surprised to realise 2 years later I still want to talk about it!!

Not ebing able to move and reluctance to go FT may well mean I can't get work after this which is a bit depressing. But I'll try and get something negotiated to PT - if I ever finish this blasted thing!