PhD: Writing-up financial nightmare

Voyager2002

birduk wrote: »

PS Given all this admin palava (which I didn't really understand at first), wouldn't it be better to hand SOMETHING in at deadline time, then go for major corrections after your viva? Is there anyway round it that way?

I think that Weary_Geek needs to know exactly what the regulations are at her/his university. If the four-year deadline passes and no thesis has been submitted, there is a danger that the degree has been lost. If something inadequate has been submitted, there may be an opportunity to re-write it with guidance from the examiners and so eventually get the degree (often referred to as making "major corrections"), but not all universities allow this. Really, it is the job of the supervisor to know about these rules and to give appropriate advice. If the supervisor is not able to do so, I suggest a chat with the head of department. After all, if a research student fails a PhD that reflects very badly on the department as a whole.

melancholly

Voyager2002 wrote: »

After all, if a research student fails a PhD that reflects very badly on the department as a whole.

the OP can afford to use this to try and get help. they hate people 'failing' and should be able to move mountains to make themselves look better!

must_try_harder_2

I also ridiculously overran my 3 years due to reasons mainly beyond my control. However it took me just under 3 months to write up my thesis and I was working some hours during this time as a demonstrator. I'm not sure about your uni or about your living expenses, but mine paid about £15 an hour for this and if you worked for 2 days a week or so that would provide you with a decent amount of money to at least contribute to your living costs.

There is no reason why 3 months of writing, working 5 full days a week won't be enough time to get a thesis written.

Good luck with it!

Voyager2002

must_try_harder wrote: »

I also ridiculously overran my 3 years due to reasons mainly beyond my control. However it took me just under 3 months to write up my thesis and I was working some hours during this time as a demonstrator. I'm not sure about your uni or about your living expenses, but mine paid about £15 an hour for this and if you worked for 2 days a week or so that would provide you with a decent amount of money to at least contribute to your living costs.

There is no reason why 3 months of writing, working 5 full days a week won't be enough time to get a thesis written.

Good luck with it!

You cannot generalise from your own experience. Things are different in different subjects, and since every research project is unique the difficulty of writing up may well vary from one thesis to another within a discipline.

Personally, I found the process of "writing up" involved re-thinking my assumptions; developing a theoretical rationale for the way in which I had conducted my research; harmonising a set of insights drawn from several different disciplines in order to set out the context in which my research question was situated; and then re-analysing much of my data and explaining what one could learn from it. The work could not possibly have been completed in less than a year. I like to think that the time and effort required to write a thesis depends upon the originality of the research, but clearly I am biased!

WallyBird

Sorry, but I have to agree with Birduk (no relation!). I did my mine in a similar subject, was allowed only three years, which included a first year MSc equivalent. At the end of the third year I got a job and finished writing up in the evenings - done within 4 years - so it is certainly possible. However, it is very scary! Procrastinating about money or anything else is much easier! So, if you really want to do it, all I can suggest is get your finger out, and get down to it as quickly as possible. If you leave it, you will probably never finish. And, sadly, I have seen that happen to lots of people.

Assuming you have done all the research and background reading, you just have to sit down and force yourself to get on with it. Get a job in Tesco's if you have to. I know that chatting on here is much more fun and you can even pretend it is doing something useful - but it won't get you a PhD! Sorry - but I would surprised if anyone can give you a genuine solution to this problem and the time you spend looking for it might be all the time you have left to finish your thesis. Good luck!

WallyBird. (Very mean, but trying to help.)

melancholly

WallyBird - you do get that the OP has to submit in a few months since the department did something nuts with registering? yes, they should get writing asap, but they can't take the full 4th year to write due so someone being a moron... that's the problem. it isn't about them being lazy, or procrastinating, it's about them not being allowed the time that they should have (and that most of us end up taking!).

must_try_harder_2

Voyager2002 wrote: »

You cannot generalise from your own experience. Things are different in different subjects, and since every research project is unique the difficulty of writing up may well vary from one thesis to another within a discipline.

Personally, I found the process of "writing up" involved re-thinking my assumptions; developing a theoretical rationale for the way in which I had conducted my research; harmonising a set of insights drawn from several different disciplines in order to set out the context in which my research question was situated; and then re-analysing much of my data and explaining what one could learn from it. The work could not possibly have been completed in less than a year. I like to think that the time and effort required to write a thesis depends upon the originality of the research, but clearly I am biased!

I suppose I'm thinking that if the OP only has 3 months then them taking a year is just not an option. Thinking positive can only be good surely?

With a length of 100000 words it's only writing 1000 a day. Obviously if there is a lot of re-analysing and such to do it will be a lot harder to complete in that time but if an extension is not possible (whichit really should be because it's not the OPs fault they have been denied 6 months time) then there is really no choice.

WallyBird

melancholly wrote: »

WallyBird - you do get that the OP has to submit in a few months since the department did something nuts with registering? yes, they should get writing asap, but they can't take the full 4th year to write due so someone being a moron... that's the problem. it isn't about them being lazy, or procrastinating, it's about them not being allowed the time that they should have (and that most of us end up taking!).

Unfortunately, that will not make any difference at all when the OP has run out of time. Or do you think they should sue the university?

Voyager2002

WallyBird wrote: »

Unfortunately, that will not make any difference at all when the OP has run out of time. Or do you think they should sue the university?

A threat to sue the university might persuade the admin people that sorting out this error should be a priority. However, pressure from the OP's head of department would probably prove more effective.

melancholly

WallyBird wrote: »

Unfortunately, that will not make any difference at all when the OP has run out of time. Or do you think they should sue the university?

no - but they can suggest to their head of department that they might need to contact the funding body over the 'mistake' with registering dates and suddenly, things might get done! i'm not advocating legal action (?!?!?), just suggesting the type of pressure that may snap people into action!

when you're stressed towards the end of the phd, you can't see the wood for the trees. hopefully some of us who have been through it can make suggestions on how best to play the game over this. i think a few more things should be tried before just accepting everything as it is.