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???

oh, you'll finish - you just have to be a bit bloody-minded about it. and if you're an MNer you're probably just bloody-minded enough

good luck with negotiating to PT - that can be quite good - if not, then publish, publish, publish!

A bit less time on mn might help

shoo, shoo!

Hello all! Well I also need shooing off MN...in fact seriously considering ditching our broadband at home BUT still use it for lit searches etc.... Anyway ended up spending last 6 weeks re-doing some data analysis, which I thought wouldn't take much time . Anyway it's done now, just waiting on 2 little things from some lovely statisticians who've helped me out a bit (v fortunate) and then I have no more excuses but to write write write. Except for time... started work last week, 2 full day a week, which leaves me only 4hrs of childcare to do any PhD. hmm. So DH is taking DCs to MILs every weekend for a whole day and then planning to try to do more in the eves (but between doing packed lunches, clearing up etc. etc. don't feel like there's much time...but probably could do 2 hours a night if I'm efficient). DD still isn't sleeping well which isn't helping (ok, enough excuses methinks). But still determined to finish all of 1st draft by end of Dec....

Do you think setting a target like writing 1000 words every day (even if quite a lot of crap) is a good way of making oneself work?

Waitingtobloom- do you have any more data analysis etc. to do or is is "just" writing? If so you might manage it... I started work again on the PhD when DD was 4 months old, mainly working a couple of hours each eve, but I'm lucky that a friend then agreed to childmind for me 3 mornings a week (we have got DD to take 1 bottle a day from 7 weeks old as knew I might have to get some childcare sorted, or at least turf DH out with the kids for a few hours at the weekend) so started to do a bit more then. I dread to think how much money we've spent on childcare while I've been working on the PhD (mine isn't funded as PT) but hoping it will be worth it. Have just started a PT RA post at the local uni, v v fortunate to get it PT and hoping that'll help keep fingers in pies. It is hard though as any time I spend doing anything other than PhD I freel guilty about (or else I feel guilty about not spending time together as a family atm). Good luck xx

Its a depressing thought isnt it that after all this effort we might not be able to do a job remotely related to it. Will stop thinking about that one though!

A lot of people who have finished their thesis tell me that you end up doing it in the time you have - so if someone said you had another 5 years it would end up taking you that long - if they said 5 weeks you would shove together any old rubbish and hand it in. Im swearing by this one, alongside sticking my fingers in my ears and being delusional lol

Less time on mumsnet? How very dare you - priorities!