PhD thesis writing motivation/support thread!

[JumpingJellyfish]

I know there's a few of you lurking out there and thought we could have a new sparkly thread to coerce encourage us with thesis writing....

I'm in my 6th (or is it 7th) year of a part-time PhD in marine biology- and writing up (though still occassionally dabbling in data analysis which I shouldn't be!! but it's always more interesting than writing...). Hoping to submit 1st May 2009. have to really for my sanity and that of my long-suffering DH & DCs. Need to finish my first draft by end of January I reckon to give me time to make corrections etc.

But I am having long periods of self doubt and general procrastination so could do with some motivational support from anyone going through similar (Acinonyx for example?! ps. I've name-changed from madmarriedNika )

I'm back at 'work'. I've written 856 words today. I ROCK

Just another 18144 to go by end Jan....

how great I have found this thread just in time to save my sanity!

I remember some of you (acinonyx, yummy) from that thread about writing up when the sun was shining or something like that..

well I absolutely HAVE TO submit by 14th January so not long to go... we are moving to Oxford then to start new jobs and I can't bear to have this thing hanging over me. I've done all my chapters but there are just annoying bits that need updating/changing slightly plus I am waiting on comments from my supervisor for one chapter. He's not going to read the thesis as a whole - is this standard, does anyone know?

smellyeli - i did exactly the same thing with my DC's stockings! I also went mad on Xmas eve looking for DD's present which I couldn't find anywhere. I then realised I had wrapped it and put in under the tree the night before - as my DH kindly said, my mind is on more esoteric matters

Hope everyone is enjoying a little break away from it all

acinonyx - is that 856 words on mumsnet or on your thesis?

I'm up to 950 and I think I've burnt out for the day!

It's not standard but my supervisor is the same. It's a bit scary - but he he never pays much attention to the 'boring' bits, i.e. everything in the middle

Good luck for the 14th and the move to the other place....

Well done Acinonyx- hope the writing keeps flowing!

skidaddle- talk about pressure! good luck with your move and really hope those last "little bits" of formatting etc. don't take too long (in a way I can't wait to get to that stage, but also recall from writing other papers/reports how frustrating that stage can be and usually took me longer than I'd anticipated!)

My supervisors (I have 3!!) are reading my thesis chapter by chapter. I made a fairly detailed plan of the whole thing which they were happy enough with so guess they know it should all tie up ok. I think I'll be pushing it getting comments back from the all in time to make revisions by May so working chapter by chapter and sending them each one as I finish it... They'll probably get the discussion a couple of weeks before submission date!

I have 8 hrs to work on PhD of which I'm half way through (DH has taken DCs to MILs) and finding I'm really working in fits and starts- written over 700 words today so far but LOADS still to do (want to finish this chapter before NYE) but feel I'm not working efficiently as can't seem to sit at it for long...Arghh must stop MNetting!!

hi jumping - yes i think MN is my single biggest distractor from writing up!

My new rule is to force myself not to check email or MN until I've done at least a couple of hours work on my thesis. Didn't manage it today though...

That sounds like a really good plan re handing in chapters. My DH handed in a final draft to his supervisors for them to read the whole thing and he had to wait 5 MONTHS for comments!! He has just passed his viva though () so it was all worth it.

Hello all - Merry Christmas!

Back at the computer for 2 days - feeling a bit guilty, as I have two days 'off' my proper job but have still sent the DC's to nursery so that I can knuckle down (to some serious MN'ing ) I also have a job interview in a fortnight - aargh - for which this thing is not essential, but it would be good to say that it's gone back to the examiners by then. I think that's maybe a deadline too far, but if I get this job then we'll have to move house at the end of March so I could do without the thesis to finish too....

at acinonyx's 950 words. Today I have to 'Tidy up intro' and 'Write new section to show how chapter 2 links in to chapter 3'.....

I find the less motivated and focused I am the more vague my instructions to self are - how do you guys all plan what you're going to do next? Yes, jelly - MN is my downfall, but when I'm truly in the dumps I will even watch 'Top 10 bestselling single of the last 10 years' on E4 whilst eating stale mince pies, just to avoid facing it. [slap self round face emoticon]

Anyway, it's nice to be back - I've never actually been on a proper thread before so I feel quite at the thought of other people going through the same things. Stick at it everyone!

OK so I'm back to work this afternoon. I tend to find that I lose momentum after about 4 hours, in general, but anything less than 2 hours is not really enough to get into anything.

I really haven't planned this thesis much at all - I'm sure I should have done. I do sometimes lose the thread and stall wondering what I should do next. When I get stuck, I get out some papers that might work into a particular chapter and generally that gets me going on something.

I haven't had comments to the last 4 chapters back from my supervisor yet and he's going on fieldwork all of Jan - then I'm to give him the final draft. I never get detailed comments anyway. He is keen for me to get finished so I can only hope he will get down to it in Feb at least. I just hope there aren't huge revisions then.

acinonyx - FWIW I have found that it takes surprisingly little time to do revisions, even when they seem quite extensive. About two weeks ago, my supervisor gave me comments on my last three experimental chapters and I had made all the changes within a week! I have heard this from others too so hopefully you will be the same.

Love your 'tidy up intro' comment eli - I have a plan up on my wall which now says - 'finish thesis and submit'!! Very helpful

So, I have just written 900 words in 3 hours! That is 5 words a minute! (how bored am I to have worked that out?) Woo hoo. It can be done. And I naughtily took an hour off this morning to buy an interview suit and found a half price one in the sale with a bigger bottom than top (just like me) so I am .

Still haven't finished the whole 'tidy up intro' thing but DH has offered to cook tea tonight so that I can do another hour after I've put the kids to bed.

Acinonyx - my general list on the kitchen planner has such things as 'Get job' 'Buy house' 'Find school' along with 'Submit thesis' - still, good for us to have a view of the big picture.......

Hope everyone is getting on OK and that the lack of posts means that everyone is knuckling down. (unlike me )

well done smellyeli - that is good going - and of course you would work out the word per minute rate - that is why you are doing a PhD and not building houses or operating on hearts!

Well I have read through one chapter and spotted a few typos. Will do one more before I go home. Keep having mad thoughts about changing the formatting last minute and have to restrain myself. As a friend (who submitted histhesis 2 years ago) said to me, don't get it perfect, just get it done - I am trying to live by that motto - seems very sage advice

Thanks skidaddle. Yes, I think you are right - it doesn't have to be (even nearly) perfect - I just need to get the blardy thing done..... Sounds like you are very near to submission - good luck!

Can anyone doing a mere master join this thread? Work full-time and am struggling to get the first project and hypothesis done.

hi dalex - all struggling welcomed!
what's your thesis about? Working full-time as well must be a nightmare! Do you have DC to look after as well?

I am trying not to get annoyed with my supervisor's track changes on my final chapter today. e.g.:

"OK, let's calm down here, shall we? Are you trying to give words their own personalities now? Shall we give them a bank account and a mortgage as well? Have you lost your mind? Come on! NO NO NO!"

A simple 'no' would have sufficed...

Full-time DHead and have two DC's under 6. All fun and games plus of course being the housemistress from heaven and sexkitten too
First project on impact of effective questioning on greater pupil participation. First attempt at performing at post grad level and it's quite a shock. What's yours?

well, hangs head in shame, I've done nothing since early dec as i've had two colds which have taken the strength out of me. Anyway when DD returns to school on Monday I am going to get to work on my thesis. I have found my first supervisor likes to see the whole thesis rather than chapters as well. I have one chapter to do some major work to but the others only have minor revisions- yes I do find that even when they look alot they actually take not that long to do.
what do you think the chances of me having it done by end of Feb???

hi dalex and welcome to our band. I am a former teacher who started my EdD whilst working full time managing a PRU so can understand the pressures of this. i think your thesis sounds interesting too.

sexkitten seems to be last on my list atm, my poor DH not only has to look after the DC full-time but gets no marital perks either! never mind, it will all change once thesis is submitted...

Mine is on children's eye movements during reading - interesting to, err maybe 2 or 3 other people in the whole world, but then that is the nature of PhDs I suppose!

sunny - do you have to make some changes to every chapter? If so i think Feb might be a bit optimistic. I have found stupid things like formatting, especially graphs, ridiculously time-consuming. If all formatting and stuff is already sorted then Feb might be do-able. Oh, just seen you said end of Feb - yes I think that sounds very do-able - good luck!

wow skidaddle i have now decided to watch my DD more closely when she reads!

I have only one chart as most of my data is qualitative and DH will do this as well as formatting as he finds it interesting to see what I spend my days doing. The one chap with more work is a continuation of the changes that i had to do after the last revisions and so I know it should only take one week of work, so here's hoping. My major problem at the moment is lack of motivation, I have been on this course for 9 years and it will be so great to actually finish it.

9 years sunny - wow - you must know A LOT about your topic... Is an EdD to become an educational psychologist? Oh no, that would be an EdPsych I suppose... what is your thesis on anyway?

Yes motivation is a bit of a problem for me too... although I have been very good today and worked all morning without checking MN/email etc

And lucky you having a DH to do your formatting for you . My DH has just done his viva after 5 years of PhD hell and I think looking at another thesis now would tip him over the edge! (plus he wouldn't understand it cos it's proper science )

Word counts today please everyone... rounded up to nearest hundred

Hi there! I at 1200 words today. Had an unplanned break to rescue dh and dd when his car broke down

I have a gazillion tables, charts and whatnot which are sort of formatted but will need more.

Basically still a lot of work to do over the next few weeks! I must really push the boat out and get this baby to bed (mixed metaphors anyone...?)

Now dd is demanding I come downstairs....

Crikey, you lot are working really hard and putting me off doing a Phd. If it took 9 years skidaddle is that because you have been doing it part-time? Are you all attending a uni or doing this through OU? Would love to do it but had no idea how hard it would be.

Hi Dalex! Sounds like you have a lot to juggle too- good luck with the writing.

Acinonyx- that's great going!

Well I am stressing already about how I will really make a submission deadline of 1st May. Have 110 pages written but still 4 more chapters to finish (in theory). Now thinking I might split one of my monster chapters and drop one I'd planned (have done the data analysis for it but none of the writing). Anyway I have to stop working on the PhD for a few days to catch up with paid work, and then will have an enforced 5 days off PhDing when I have to travel to a meeting in Edinburgh (might try to do a few bits in the eve but know it's unlikely...). So I think after that I will speak to my supervisors about the best way forward- here we have to give formal notice of submission on 1st Feb for 1st May, which is soooo soon!!! arghhhhh!!

Good luck all, keep at it! x

hi skidaddle
the reason it has taken 9 years is because I have had to do it part time and self funded. I am now not working so whilst I have more time to do it, less money to pay for it too.
I chose an EdD as then I was able to do 10x 5000 word papers and then a 50K word thesis- much more up my street and a chance to experiment with different methodologies along the way. My thesis is an investigation of perceptions of plagiarism policy in 2 higher education institutions- boring but topical hopefully. I have done this with a traditional Uni rather than the OU as at the time this suited me. I was also able to do an international experience in the USA as one of my smaller papers and I really enjoyed this, although it was rather £costly.
I have no idea what to do when it has finished. I am currently overseas as DHs job brought us here and will be back in the UK in the autumn.
Tomorrow morning at 7.20 I'll be back doing academic work....just remember this is 5.20 Uk time so will I be the first of us working tomorrow??

sunnylabsmum - hope you are having a good morning working! I am also part-time & self-funded, started off doing the PhD while I worked full-time (pre-children), but didn't really get much done as at the time my job was very demanding. Then I had DS, after a year went part-time, and finally quit work nearly 2 years ago to focus on the kids (DD had been born during this time and diagnosed with CF, so things were a little hectic) and my PhD. Finally started paid work again (part-time) October just past, but now finding it very hard to juggle finishing PhD writing with the job & 2 DCs (especially as winter is hard on DD), but keep saying to myself I'm nearly there & it will be worth it (would like to stay in research, though preferably on a part-time basis which I'm not sure is possible but hoping!). So I am now in my 7th year of the PhD!

Sounds like your EdD program is very interesting, I think I would have preferred to do a number of smaller projects and one bigger one, although in a way my thesis is a bit like this except they have to tie up of course...

wow I am in awe of you all doing PhDs part-time while working and having children!! That is truly impressive. I am trying to juggle organising removal companies, tenancy agreements, and packing with checking through my thesis and that is stressing me out - God knows how I would cope with a job as well...

sunny - that sounds like such a great way to do a doctorate rather than getting bogged down in one huge project.

jumping - how scary to have to give a submission date 3 months in advance - surely people don't meet their own deadline all the time? Can yo re-set it if necessary?

dalex - I've only taken 4 years (including 2 maternity leaves) but it still feeld like an eternity. I'm doing mine at Durham Uni - think I would find it hard through the OU and not having any face-to-face interaction. Don't be put off - I have really really enjoyed mine for the most part. It just becomes a bit all-consuming towards the end which is hard when you have DC but other than that i am so pleased I've done it and would definitely recommend doing one if you really love your subject.