I am at my wits end with it. I have 8 months left to finish and I am still working on the introduction. I am so close to quitting it is unreal and I am broke, tired and emotional. If it wasn't for the fact there is a wet nose and waggy tail in here with me most days I think I would go well and truely mad. I am just so tired and demoralised and sick to death of it. I have a looming deadline of the 15th to hand in and I am still toiling over re-writing the beginning of the introduction, let alone finishing the next 20,000 words that needs rewrites and editing. Has anyone gone through something like this - you know where you just feel like giving up, curling up in a ball and hiding under the duvet?

Why don't you have a good chat with your tutor as they have seen this all before and I am sure can give you some guidance and refocus you on writing it ;)

Good Luck and I am sure you will do it and make a very good job of it ;) :D

Aw, can sympathise :(  Try to buck up a little - I bet you're doing much better with it than you're giving yourself credit for :)  As Lucy says your tutor should be able to give some guidance as this is probably how most feel at the final stages.

Good luck - you've got loads of folks rooting for you here!

best wishes, Teri

My tutor has been symapthetic and he knows I am having problems, but I think I might well be trying his patience. Unlike many other students (whi started when I did and have finished already) I had no funding, and so have been working all the way through my full time course. My tutor has been kind, but I think after our last meeting I am now trying his patience. I am finding it so tough though. All the research is done, but it is the writing that is causing me real problems - I have never been very good with words, and that is one problem. Also, I totally lost my confidence in my ability to do it, and so I ended up spending months working everyday, but either hardly producing anything (that staring at a blank white computer screen feeling) or writing something and being so dissatisfied with it I would delete it all and be back to square one. I am ashamed of myself for flaking out like this as I am usually someone who hates to not meet deadlines and I usually work to a tight scedule but it has all gone out of the window and I am now reduced to being the kind of person who misses deadlines, flakes out and gets very emotional over it all. I am just constantly sad and frustrated, and not being able to find work has exasperated it all I think. I appreciate people replying. I think I am just trying to get out all these feelings somewhere, anf typing seems a good way of doing it.

You sound very down. Is it just this or is there something else that is worrying you ?

Is there not a student support group that could help ?

What is the Thesis on as they maybe somebody on here that has done the same that can give you some support ? :)

Come on you get that chin up and lets see if we can help you out even if it is just by talking on here ;) :)

>What is the Thesis on as they maybe somebody on here that has done the same that can give you some support ?

Good idea Lucy - there are a few bright sparks on here (not me :rolleyes: ) that may just help you gain a little confidence.

Teri

I don't know about you not being a bright spark ;)

It all depends on what the subject is about on whether anybody can give some inspiration and guidance :D

when I have had to write a large piece of academic work I usually break it down into chapters and sub-chapters and never write the introduction until the end - generally because it is easier to say what you are going to do once you have done it (hindsight and all that :rolleyes:). 
I always start with the easiest bit, same as with job applications, and this also tends to be the bit I am most interested in and the rest will follow.  Even if each sub-chapter/section/paragraph is only a couple of hundred words it all adds up and before you know it it's just a case of joining the sections together with a sentence.  Even if you pick a quote that you definitely want to include and start from there to make it easier for you. 
I often draw mind maps too and once I've decided on what the sections are going to be I go through all the notes with different coloured felt pens and mark in the margin what section each bit of notes is to go in so its just a case of getting together the bits of paper with, for example, pink pen in the margin to save you having to rake through hundreds of sheets of notes.  I know this won't work for everyone but it has got me through many years of essay writing without too much trauma.
Good luck to you NannyOgg and fingers xed you get through this.

Been there, done that and know the feeling all too well :rolleyes:

I kept myself going with the thought of how good I would feel when I finally handed it in and the black cloud that had hung over me for the enitire year would be gone :D

Like the others have said, if you're feeling a bit lost have a word with your tutor who will hopefully be able to offer support and guidance. I know it seems like a lot stands between you and the finishing post at the minute but you will kick yourself forever if you jack it in now. Keep plugging away...you'll get there in the end. In the meantime, you'll probably find that a nice walk (maybe with a GSD for company ;) ) is a great time to clear your head or organise your thoughts, depending on which you need to do most!!

Best of luck :)

I actually enjoyed school work and finished school top in the year.Although the work was hard i enjoyed it and thought of it as a challenge.I was what is known as a boffin :)
Cant you get together with some friends that are studying the same subect and chat with them about their difficulties,then sod off to the pub afterwards :D

I used to really enjoy it, and I was really passionate about it, but I am very worried about money and employment. I am doing OK financially now but I have had a lot of rejections from job applications and I guess partly I can't see what this thesis is achieveing if it is not getting meahead in the job market.
The thesis is on Roman sculpture - a specific set of Roman sculptures, so it is quite specialised. The nature of the work makes it quite solitary, and although you can talk generally to other students, people's experiences can very much rely on their chosen subject. I think I am mainly on a downer because after 7 years I am just fed up and lossing the passion for it completely. I just want to be working now and earning money. I have a part time job in a shop which keeps me going, but technically doing this PhD full time means I hsouldn't even be doing that.
I think I am just being Miss-Grumpy-Drawers today as I am working constantly on this introduction which has been a thorn in my side for month. I am having to produce a introduction first in order to satisfy the research degrees committee the actual aim of my thesis. It will need to be adapted at the end. I have done about 46000 words, but all of it needs rewriting and putting into a proper chapter format. I have a very good plan I am pleased with, but that doesn't tackle the writers block!!!

Thank you all, you have all been so sweet. I have had some hugs with my shepherd girl Miss and she makes me feel better and so have you all. I think I am going to feel generally gloomy though until this is finished!