finish my dissertation

I had an awful family emergency to deal with. I’m still extremely upset about it. I’m about two months behind my schedule now. I do think I’ll be able to finish this summer, but I probably won’t be able to defend till the fall.

I’ve revised 3 chapters and am working through my advisor’s corrections on those revisions. The next chapter is due to my advisor next Friday. I’ve also had an amazing brainwave and am going to combine chapters 1 and 5, which are thematically related, thus giving me a 4-chapter thesis and meaning I’m that much closer to done. I’ve also been applying for some fab jobs, so hopefully that will also be a motivator.

I have a real deadline now. I’m finishing a final draft by the end of March so I can defend in mid-May. I’ve so far revised 2/5 chapters, and the next is due on Feb 28. I’m very pleased with my progress and how close I am to really actually finishing at last! I’ve dropped everything except paid work and have become a hermit, but it’s worth it—only five more weeks!

Everything else is on hold while I try to finish. The current plan is to have a final full draft by the end of 2006. I have revised 1 out of 5 chapters, and the next will be done before Thanksgiving. Hopefully then I can defend in Feb or Mar.

Well, now that I’ve quit my job and moved my stuff into a different office, things are looking up. It’s getting to be autumn, I have my own space, and I’m not so depressed about the breakup anymore. I need to break through my writing blocks—I want to finish, I don’t want to be a student anymore, I have lots of things I want to do after I finish my diss. Tomorrow I’m going to bring all my draft folders into the office and see what I can do.